“The treasure seal has fallen, and the snow domain has been destroyed…”

In the eternally dim yellow sky, there was neither sun nor moon. The faint skylight couldn’t penetrate the towering halls of Lord Qin Guang. Following the long corridor steps behind the hall, the seemingly aged Song Emperor walked step by step down the stairs, passing through a teleportation array to reach the deepest part of this octagonal city—the center of the most important octagonal city in this vast extreme domain—to deliver this decidedly unwelcome news to the figure standing ahead.

Before his eyes stretched a vast expanse of water, with a long path made of black stone that rose exactly one foot and one inch above the water surface, extending all the way to the center of the water domain.

Lord Qin Guang stood at the end of the long path with his hands clasped behind his back.

He seemed completely oblivious to Song Emperor’s arrival, or perhaps simply didn’t care. He hadn’t moved at all, merely gazing at the object floating in the void above the water surface before him.

It was a massive axe, ten feet tall.

The long handle and the exaggeratedly large axe head were covered with patches of deep red rust, which were actually ferocious patterns of ten thousand ghosts cast into the axe body.

The axe ridge had a missing circular groove, as if something should have been embedded there originally.

At this moment, in the surrounding dark waters, transparent ripples spread in circles, converging from the surrounding ring toward the center, gathering into a single point before mysteriously surging upward, actually enveloping the deep black giant axe within them.

The water was rotating.

The axe was also rotating.

All the Yama Kings and judges in the Eight Directions Yama Palace knew that this water domain was the famous Reincarnation Pool, and the giant axe floating above the pool water was the Ghost Axe that had mysteriously broken through dimensions and crashed into the extreme domain eighty-odd years ago, cleaving into the Ghost Gate!

Zhang Tang had been standing behind Lord Qin Guang for quite some time.

Having shed his cold, austere official robes from the mortal isolated island, he now wore the purple-black Grand Judge uniform of the First Yama Palace of the Eight Directions City, his eyes carrying an indifferent, cold, and mean expression.

Hearing Song Emperor approach and speak, he merely stood there without responding.

A flash of displeasure passed through Song Emperor’s eyes, though it was unclear whether it was directed at Zhang Tang or at Lord Qin Guang who turned a deaf ear.

He frowned slightly, and after waiting a long time without hearing a response, he spoke again.

“Nineteen Continents struck first, simultaneously sending troops on two routes, taking the snow domain, and the Eastern Extreme Ghost Gate is also in urgent danger. If they break through simultaneously, our extreme domain will be caught between enemies front and back! I wonder, how does Lord Qin Guang decide?”

Lord Qin Guang, who had been standing motionless, finally moved upon hearing this explicit question, but his gaze still didn’t shift from the Ghost Axe. He merely waved his hand and instructed: “Once bitten by a snake, one fears well ropes for ten years. That Nineteen Continents acted before we could act should have been expected, nothing particularly surprising. Zhang Tang, send word to the Ghost King clan to withdraw the ghost soldiers originally dispatched to the snow domain and station them within Ghost Gate Pass.”

“Yes.”

When Zhang Tang heard “Ghost King clan” and “station troops at Ghost Gate Pass,” his eyebrows, tinged with frost-cold color, raised almost imperceptibly.

But he expressed no dissent and went to carry out the order.

His steady footsteps left not a trace of sound.

Outside, the sky of the extreme domain remained the same dim yellow expanse, with vast wasteland stretching for ten thousand li and the waters of the Yellow Springs roaring past.

And Ghost Gate Pass was still very, very far away.

That was where, long, long ago, the Nine-headed Bird had traveled upstream along the Nine-headed River, carrying ghosts to their final destination.

Not far to the east lay the great gate where yin and yang converged—

The Eastern Extreme Ghost Gate!

On the great peach tree of the island on the Nineteen Continents side, those endless ghost faces had completely vanished under the fierce attacks of numerous cultivators. On the thick, slanted branch to the right, a gray circular vortex had appeared.

Faint spatial fluctuations emanated from it.

Anyone could see that this was the real “Ghost Gate” leading to the extreme domain!

Most of the powerful cultivators from the various sects and forces of Nineteen Continents had gathered here. True Person Hengxu held his whisk, and Fudao Shanren leaned on his nine-section bamboo staff, still standing at the forefront, at the position closest to the Ghost Gate.

In this eastern extreme land, the sun rose extremely early.

Brilliant morning clouds spread across the sea surface, rippling with ten thousand zhang of waves of light.

Their spiritual consciousness covered an extremely wide range, and almost at the moment when the aura belonging to Treasure Seal Dharma King on the northernmost snow domain’s sacred mountain vanished, they had already clearly sensed it.

“The surprise attack has succeeded. Truly worthy of being the strongest of Yashan’s former generation and the strongest of the current generation…”

True Person Hengxu’s face showed not the slightest surprise, as if he had expected it all along.

“Congratulations are in order for Brother Fudao!”

“One is an ungrateful traitor, the other is a rebellious disciple who doesn’t know how to respect elders and love juniors. What is there to congratulate? Hypocritical!” Fudao Shanren snorted coldly, his entire demeanor casual and improper, yet his words gave True Person Hengxu no face at all. Then he pointed at the already opened vortex and said, “The Ghost Gate has opened. After they finish dealing with the aftermath in the snow domain, those who should follow will naturally follow. We should hurry and break into the extreme domain. This old mountain man will work hard once more and open the path ahead for you all!”

As soon as his words fell, before anyone else could express different opinions, he had already suddenly vanished from the reef where he had been standing, transforming into a azure-blue light and plunging directly into the vortex!

Everyone was collectively startled.

After all, no one knew what lay behind that vortex, and they hadn’t had time to make any preparations. How could they know that entering rashly wouldn’t encounter some danger?

True Person Hengxu watched and sighed.

However, when he looked up to observe the vortex, his eyes flashed with several traces of dark contemplation, but he ultimately said nothing more.

He waved his hand, gestured to everyone, and immediately followed Fudao Shanren into the vortex!

The boundary between the yin and yang worlds had finally been broken again after eleven cycles of sixty years…

War was about to begin!

On such a bright morning, at the eastern extreme of Nineteen Continents, in the frozen snow domain!

Holy Son Jiye, from whence he came and where he went, completely vanished from this world.

The believers were dazed as if they had lost their souls.

Even the cultivators who had witnessed this brief, bloody battle over the past night felt a nameless melancholy.

Only Qu Zhengfeng showed no emotion at all.

After Holy Son Jiye disappeared, he merely turned his palm over, palm facing down, and actually activated a mysterious Dao seal in this brief moment.

The next moment, the earth began to tremble.

Layers of black shadows emerged from beneath the snow domain’s frozen earth, actually gathering in his palm. In no time at all, they condensed into a pure black octagonal square seal!

Looking at that form, it was clearly the Houtu Seal that Treasure Seal Dharma King had activated earlier!

With another light flip of his palm, the entire seal had already been collected into his palm as a black seal talisman.

This move was truly somewhat shocking, yet those present, including Jian Chou, merely watched.

Liao Kong didn’t even turn his head to look.

He only gazed at the sacred lake that had already returned to normal, filled with confusion and bewilderment, and whispered: “Why…”

Why…

Jian Chou, standing near him, heard clearly.

Her eyes were still not very good, so she only hid the desolation in her heart and replied calmly: “Because He knew that He should not exist.”

That was all.

“Amitabha…”

Zen Master Xuelang had obviously also seen through the key point. He chanted compassionately, his expression peaceful, and turned to bow with palms together to Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng.

“Now that the snow domain matter is concluded, I wonder what plans the two benefactors have?”

“The snow domain situation has just stabilized, the major affairs are finished, and the minor matters are trivial. Moreover, since the new secret realm and the extreme domain are connected through reincarnation, I imagine that Buddhist affairs should not be interfered with by us outsiders.”

Before Jian Chou could speak, Qu Zhengfeng smiled and answered first.

“So I think that Buddhist matters should be concluded by Buddhists, and Fellow Daoist Jian Chou and I will take our leave first.”

He spoke of “taking leave first” in such ambiguous terms, rather than clearly stating that they were returning to the Star Sea or going to the Eastern Extreme Ghost Gate where battle fires had already been lit…

What kind of person was Zen Master Xuelang in terms of insight?

From this one inconspicuous little detail, he had already perceived that they probably had other plans. Recalling the friction between Buddhism and Yashan eleven cycles ago, he didn’t feel it appropriate to inquire further, so he nodded: “If that is the case, this poor monk and others should handle the matters here quickly, hoping to reunite with you two in the extreme domain soon.”

“Thank you for your trouble, Zen Master.” Qu Zhengfeng politely returned the bow, then turned to Jian Chou and said, “Fellow Daoist Jian Chou, shall we go?”

Jian Chou immediately frowned, vaguely feeling that his words and actions were inappropriate and seemed to have other intentions. She wanted to ask, but in a moment of hesitation, she ultimately refrained from speaking due to the presence of outsiders.

The Burning Lamp Lotus Lantern was in her hand, and for some reason, it could no longer transform back into sword form.

She temporarily didn’t investigate what changes had occurred, only carefully put it away, then bid farewell to the others along with Qu Zhengfeng.

When they came, only the two of them traveled together; when they left, they brought hundreds of people from Yashan Star Sea.

Jian Chou didn’t speak throughout the journey.

Due to their special status and higher cultivation, even though they were only flying on artifacts, they far exceeded the others, leaving the crowd far behind.

It wasn’t until they had left the snow domain range and crossed the cliff at the boundary between the northern and central domains that Jian Chou asked: “Does His Majesty the Sword Emperor have other plans?”

“I do have some plans.” Qu Zhengfeng didn’t deny it. Standing with his hands behind his back on the Sealight Sword, he appeared leisurely but said, “But I’m more curious about how Fellow Daoist Jian Chou broke that formation, which had such great connection to the ancient deities.”

Jian Chou didn’t want to recall that extremely dangerous experience in the deep pit at all, much less mention it again. She replied with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes: “If I said I used my life, would you believe it?”

“…”

His gaze fell on her eyes, which, though no longer bloody, still vaguely revealed some suppressed deathly silence. Qu Zhengfeng stared at her and eventually slowly frowned.

Though Jian Chou knew there must be something wrong with these eyes, she didn’t particularly care at the moment. She brushed past this topic lightly and returned to the previous subject: “What plans does His Majesty the Sword Emperor actually have?”

“I just suddenly remembered Fellow Junior Sister Jian Chou’s suggestion not long ago and suddenly felt it wouldn’t be bad to return to Yashan for a look.” Qu Zhengfeng turned his gaze to the gradually familiar mountains and waters of the central domain ahead, but his face no longer held its earlier smile. He said indifferently, “On this trip, we’re not returning to Mingri Star Sea, not going to the Eastern Extreme Ghost Gate. We’re going to Yashan.”

“Yashan?”

While they were conducting their surprise attack on the snow domain, Nineteen Continents had gone to war with the extreme domain, reopening the yin-yang realm war. This was the crucial moment of the war’s beginning, yet Qu Zhengfeng said they were going to Yashan? In her shock, Jian Chou even ignored the jarring words “Fellow Junior Sister” and deeply furrowed her brow.

“What do you want to do?”

“Nothing in particular.” Qu Zhengfeng looked at her empty hands, then cast his gaze toward the ethereal clouds, only saying, “Everything is ready, only lacking a good sword at hand. I’m taking you to draw this sword!”