“This person’s strength is astonishing, capable of separating body and soul, with power at least at the Boundary realm. Moreover, Your Majesty the Sword Emperor should have visited the hidden realm of Qingfeng Hermitage before—do you perhaps still remember the various stone carvings within that realm?”

“Using stone to create all things, not merely in form, but even possessing spirit.”

“The world all spreads tales that Buyu Shangren ascended roughly ten cycles ago. At that time, the Yin-Yang Realm War had not yet begun, and cultivators whose divine souls remained intact could enter reincarnation. When I entered the hidden realm, I was merely a small Golden Core cultivator, but when Your Majesty the Sword Emperor entered to investigate, you had already reached the first level of Nascent Soul—you should have noticed the irregularities regarding Buyu Shangren and his heart demon, shouldn’t you?”

In the eighteenth layer of hell, within the stone chamber of the ancient ancestors’ ruins, Jian Chou recounted everything about her past encounter with Immortal Wuzhong in the old alleys of Wangsi City, then compared it with her earlier experiences in the hidden realm of Qingfeng Hermitage, finally asking about the heart demon matter.

Who actually ascended—Buyu Shangren, or his heart demon?

That corpse within the statue in the hesitant corridor that day—was it someone else, or Buyu Shangren himself?

Deep in Jian Chou’s heart, she had always harbored such terrifying suspicions.

Qu Zhengfeng had indeed experienced something in the hidden realm of Qingfeng Hermitage, and strictly speaking, he had quite a connection with Buyu Shangren.

Especially regarding the “Nine Curves River Chart.”

Compared to Jian Chou’s perpetual uncertainty in her speculation, he knew more and understood more clearly about Buyu Shangren’s heart demon matter.

So after contemplating, he looked toward Jian Chou and said: “Are you suspecting that what the world recognizes as Buyu Shangren’s ascension was actually his heart demon’s ascension, that the real Buyu Shangren had already fallen to his heart demon’s hands and perished before the Yin-Yang Realm War, and because reincarnation had not yet been destroyed, he entered the Extreme Domain but never entered reincarnation, becoming today’s Immortal Wuzhong in Wangsi City of the Extreme Domain?”

Though spoken plainly, these words were earth-shattering!

If others heard this, they would surely be shocked speechless!

After all, Buyu Shangren was the third great power to reach heaven and earth after Kunwu Eight Extremes Daozun and Xinghai Luye Laozu at the junction of ancient and modern times. He was also the third owner of the “Nine Curves River Chart” in that era, and a legend who ascended to the Upper Void Immortal Realm!

Now the two of them stood in this stone chamber, actually saying he had already perished!

Jian Chou’s calm and scrutinizing gaze swept across Qu Zhengfeng’s face, feeling that his expression showed no particular surprise—on the contrary, it was overly rational.

Thinking again, she knew he had at least known about the heart demon matter early on.

As for the matter of Immortal Wuzhong in Wangsi City of the Extreme Domain, he might not necessarily have known about it.

She raised her head to look at the murals painted by ancient ancestors on the surrounding stone walls, her voice carrying several traces of hidden gloom: “I do indeed suspect this, and because of the Heaven-Overturning Seal, I have more than eighty percent certainty. It’s just that Buyu Shangren was once regarded by the Nineteen Continents as a peerless demon, entrenched in Mingri Xinghai, having killed countless cultivators. Now he has been in the Extreme Domain for many years, but I don’t know which side he ultimately stands on. If we speak up, would he be willing to come forward and help…”

At minimum, he’s a Boundary realm great power. Eleven cycles ago during the Yin-Yang Realm War, there was no news of Immortal Wuzhong participating in battle. If they could now request his help, the Nineteen Continents would surely be like a tiger with wings.

However, Jian Chou herself was also clear that hope was truly slim.

After all, he hadn’t intervened eleven cycles ago, so breaking precedent eleven cycles later didn’t seem very realistic.

This simple reasoning, Jian Chou knew, and Qu Zhengfeng knew as well.

But despite the faint hope, she still sent those two little ghosts to deliver the message.

Qu Zhengfeng then laughed, not particularly worried, only saying: “The deed is already done. Success or failure is not something you and I can control. Compared to this, what’s more worrying is probably those two little ghosts who delivered the message for you, right?”

“Them?”

Jian Chou turned her eyes toward him.

Qu Zhengfeng then said: “Timid as mice, sneaky and furtive, with impure intentions. That great Judge Zhang you mentioned seems to want to kill them to silence them because of previous matters with you. Going to deliver the message probably risks extreme danger. Human nature tends toward profit and away from harm. Though they agreed readily, I fear once they leave this eighteenth layer of hell, they may not actually help you deliver the message.”

So this was what he was worried about.

The corners of Jian Chou’s lips curved up, her eyes revealing some light, shallow amusement. But when about to answer, she inevitably thought of Zhang Tang as a person.

A true powerful minister, a true cruel official.

In the great isolated island of the Great Xia Dynasty in the human realm, he had truly been illustrious for a time, wielding power, saying one thing and meaning another, the sharpest blade in the hands of those in power. When he said to confiscate and exterminate families, he did so. Even foundations as deep as the Marquis Xie’s mansion were overturned by his hands.

Truly calculating, this person’s abilities were genuinely terrifying.

He killed guilty people, and he could also bring himself to kill innocent people. In terms of “ruthlessness,” he might not be much inferior to Xie Buchen.

Given this person’s temperament, he would definitely kill potential threats like Big Head Ghost and Little Head Ghost if he could.

And this time she dared to send these two timid-as-mice little ghosts to deliver the message, even somewhat fearlessly confident, also because of her understanding of this person’s temperament.

When the little ghosts occasionally appeared and disappeared, it was normal if he didn’t notice.

But this time they left their current refuge for a long time and reappeared in Wangsi City—how could Zhang Tang not know?

So if those two little ghosts obediently went to deliver the message, naturally good. If they secretly slipped away, she wasn’t afraid either, because Zhang Tang was more apprehensive than she was.

“Nothing will go wrong.”

Jian Chou withdrew her scattered thoughts and finally gave such a confident answer.

But the more composed she remained, the more curious Qu Zhengfeng became: “From your earlier words, this person doesn’t seem like someone easy to deal with. You had those two little ghosts deliver a message, and this person will definitely come to the appointment and even stand on the side of the Nineteen Continents?”

He definitely would.

What kind of person was Zhang Tang? He should still be able to see the basic situation clearly.

Moreover…

A rare hint of mischief appeared in Jian Chou’s eyes, yet what was faintly revealed in her slightly upturned eye corners was an almost ice-cold certainty: “Besides me, he has no other choice.”

Powerful confidence.

It seemed that before having those two little ghosts deliver the message, she had already had a complete plan in her heart.

Qu Zhengfeng couldn’t help but recall when they had first entered this realm and appeared in the eighteenth layer of hell, Jian Chou’s words “I suppose we’ve arrived at my territory.” At the time, he thought it was just joking words, but now he felt there was indeed some truth to it.

After discussing Immortal Wuzhong and Zhang Tang, the two had nothing else to talk about, so they seized the time to discuss serious matters.

Sometimes, luck is also part of strength.

If they had merely been transported to the eighteenth layer of hell without falling into a pile of Extreme Domain ghost cultivators, it could only be considered ordinary luck. But not only had they transported over without encountering any danger, they had also coincidentally met two little ghosts and reached this place undetectable by ordinary people.

This was nearly a perfect beginning.

Because there were rule barriers between the Extreme Domain and the Nineteen Continents, further blocked by the Heaven-Releasing Creation Array, communication was extremely difficult. So the method used for this unknown operation was quite dangerous.

Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng, two great powers, would take the lead and enter the Extreme Domain first.

Two hours later, if their life tablets left in the Nineteen Continents hadn’t shattered, the cultivators from Yashan and Xinghai would follow through the Sky-Encompassing Mirror.

This meant that within these two hours, Jian Chou and Qu Zhengfeng not only had to remain safe and sound, but also had to ensure that no forces threatening the arriving large group of cultivators existed near the transport location, and they had to find suitable shelter.

Now they were safe and sound, and they had shelter.

What remained was to go out and investigate whether any dangers were hidden near the transport location.

Eleven cycles ago, the Nineteen Continents had already experienced the Yin-Yang Realm War and were extremely clear about the fact that there was no heavenly and earthly spiritual energy available for use on the evil soil of the Extreme Domain. However, if cultivators already had accumulated spiritual energy in their bodies, there would be no hindrance to using it.

Like water in a bottle in the desert.

The water could be used, but there was no way to replenish it from the external environment.

When Jian Chou had fallen into the Extreme Domain years ago, she couldn’t draw upon heavenly and earthly spiritual energy because she had consumed too much in that battle with Xie Buchen in the hidden realm of Qingfeng Hermitage, not to mention crossing realms had left her nearly exhausted. Later, though she had recovered somewhat, she had already been helped by Immortal Wuzhong to separate body and soul. Not having reached the Nascent Soul realm, she could only use the Extreme Domain ghost cultivation methods to cultivate the soul. Even if she had spirit stones in her Qiankun Bag, they were useless.

But this time, the cultivators coming from the Nineteen Continents would be different.

Both Yashan and Xinghai knew the situation of the Extreme Domain early on and would surely bring sufficient spirit stones as power reserves for long-term battles.

As the Sword Emperor of Mingri Xinghai, Qu Zhengfeng needed even less worry. Moreover, Jian Chou remembered very clearly that after the Snowy Region’s New Secret Treasure Seal Dharma King’s death, the Houtu Seal originally controlled by him had been remastered by Qu Zhengfeng.

And the Houtu Seal could command the earth force and yin essence of the Extreme Domain.

One could imagine that after arriving in the Extreme Domain, Qu Zhengfeng would definitely not be weaker—on the contrary, he would only be stronger!

So now, after the two finished their discussion, they divided the work.

Qu Zhengfeng left the stone chamber to investigate dangers around the transport point and set up a new teleportation array leading to the stone chamber below the altar.

Jian Chou remained in the stone chamber, pressing a token made of azure jade against the wall.

Spatial power immediately surged forth, and she actually used the magical artifact to directly transform this originally cramped stone chamber into a massive cave dwelling that could accommodate a thousand people, with a broad platform in the center, completely resembling the top of Lingzhao Peak.

It was like moving half of a massive Yashan over.

Then she arranged an array corresponding to the altar, and after leaving the cave entrance, she carefully explored and confirmed the surrounding ruins. Finding no errors, she returned to the stone chamber.

By this time, Qu Zhengfeng had also finished his investigation.

But when he returned to the stone chamber, he was not alone.

“Bang,” he casually threw something with his hand, and two ghost cultivators actually fell to the ground. One male, one female, one white, one black, with somewhat special attire.

Having spent a long time in the Extreme Domain, Jian Chou had seen ghost cultivators from all ten major ghost clans, so she immediately recognized them: “Wuchang clan ghost cultivators?”

Both had lost consciousness and fainted.

The male cultivator wore white robes, with handsome features but faintly emanating several traces of pale evil aura, his long hair bound behind his head with only a silk ribbon. The female cultivator was dressed entirely in black, her robe corners embroidered with dark red skull patterns, her features delicate and seductive, with five red glass hairpins slanted in her upswept hair.

Neither had high cultivation, only at Jade Nirvana level, equivalent to Nascent Soul in the Nineteen Continents.

Both had obviously fallen into Qu Zhengfeng’s hands and been placed under restrictions, probably not knowing what had happened to them.

If Jian Chou could recognize them as Wuchang clan members, Qu Zhengfeng naturally knew as well.

He said: “Just now while investigating in this eighteenth layer of hell, I happened to see these two unlucky ghosts discussing the matter of conscripting ghost soldiers in hell. They seemed to be two small leaders, so I brought them back to search their souls.”

At their level, soul-searching techniques were easily employed.

Though Qu Zhengfeng spoke briefly, all the important information was there. There were still two quarters of an hour before people from the Nineteen Continents would transport over—sufficient time.

So Jian Chou didn’t waste words either, pointing her finger at the seductive female cultivator’s brow, already deploying soul-searching techniques.

Qu Zhengfeng pointed at the remaining male cultivator.

In less than half a quarter hour, both had finished soul-searching, and everything from the memories of these two ghost cultivators was now known to them.

When withdrawing their hands, they coincidentally looked at each other.

Jian Chou could see what Qu Zhengfeng was thinking, and Qu Zhengfeng could see what Jian Chou was thinking, so he smiled and said: “A pillow when sleepy—truly a rare good opportunity.”

His gaze fell on the male cultivator without any unusual expression.

Jian Chou stared at the seductive and alluring face of the female cultivator, remembering the debauchery she had seen during the soul search. She couldn’t help but raise her hand to touch her own face, vaguely feeling a headache, and finally couldn’t resist slightly furrowing her brow.

Her mood was momentarily indescribable.

“I fear I cannot learn this female cultivator’s manner…”