The Puzzle Nearing Completion

Qin Yi turned to look around, feeling a bit of a headache.

If Bangbang's analysis is correct, then this is the sea. How vast is the sea?

Even if Minghe Qing Ying are here, it's normal that we might not run into each other for years. If we specifically go looking for them, the range of our Divine Sense is pretty good these days, not like searching for a needle in a haystack, but it's still very difficult. If they happen to be fighting, it might be easier to find them, but otherwise, it's really just a matter of luck.

They've come to retrieve the phoenix feathers, but suddenly crossed into another dimension. Yu Chang is still waiting there, unable to send a Yu Shang. If they think something has happened to him, the Feathered People might actually clash fiercely with the Sea Demons. Wars between these races can result in rivers of blood, something Qin Yi absolutely doesn't want to see.

However, he certainly wouldn't dare go back in the short term, at least not foolishly going straight back to Phoenix Feather Cave. The safest course of action would be to find Qing Ying and see if they could find another passage. If there was really no other way, they would have to wait until the Dragon Son thought he had left and retreated before attempting to return the way they came.

As Qin Yi grilled the meat, he pondered, "Do you know who that Dragon Son who came is?"

"I know," Liusu said. "At first glance, I thought it was Suanni, but upon closer inspection, it's Pixiu. Pixiu guards wealth, has a big mouth but no anus, so it only takes in and never gives out. I reckon it regarded this phoenix feather as its treasure, and you took it and now it wants to take it back."

Qin Yi said speechlessly, "Even if this can be considered something within its territory, it is rejected by the Phoenix Will and doesn't belong to it at all. How can it be considered its property?"

"That's another matter. They're probably just trying to see if you can suppress Feng Yu's rejection. They're trying to take advantage of you... It's not that they're particularly malicious, but it's just their nature. Theoretically, they can talk to you because of your status as a Yu person. But you're right to be cautious. You're at their mercy; who knows what they might be thinking?"

"Hmm..." Qin Yi asked, "What is the basis for these nine sons? I remember some legends that even dogs... oh, Taotie are Dragon Son."

"It's just a misconception," the dog said. "I was indeed born here, but I have nothing to do with dragons."

"Then you must know a lot about them?"

"I knew that before, but I might not now," Gouzi said. "But generally speaking, don't simply categorize them as good or evil. Their concept of good and evil is very different from yours... and that's something that probably won't change for many years to come."

"Hmm... what exactly is the ranking?" Qin Yi said, "There are too many different legends, I don't know which one to use as the standard."

"I don't know either."

"You don't know?" Qin Yi was very surprised. "According to you, they should be their childhood friends, and you don't even know their birth order?"

"They're not true dragons at all... Dragon Nature inherently lewd, and even the Torch Dragon itself might not know that, so in the end, the ranking is based on strength." The dog said leisurely, "Actually, since you possess dragon blood, you should be careful... They might outwardly respect you as a distinguished guest, but who knows what they're really thinking."

Qin Yi nodded. He had been mentally prepared for this before coming to the center of the sea.

The Dragon Son's thoughts are unpredictable; he may not be one of us.

However, since the nine sons are different and there's a ranking based on strength, it seems they don't share a single voice, and there's room for maneuver. At least regarding the Phoenix Feather matter, the entire Winged Human Race is backing them; even Dragon Son can't act recklessly against his strongest clan. They don't do things that way.

As they were talking, the crocodile meat was cooked, and Qin Yi gave a piece to the dog.

The dog happily ate the meat; even without seasoning, cooked meat always tasted better than raw meat.

It glanced at Liusu sat quietly beside it, simply watching Qin Yi eat. Liusu's nature was different from its own; it was a gluttonous beast, capable of eating anything, and its soul could digest food just like that. But Liusu, as a soul, couldn't eat.

It's quite pathetic that one can only eat the white mist melons one conjures up.

But then Qin Yi put down the meat and took out a Forgetful Soul Heaven Pill: "Bangbang, eat this."

Liusu accepted the pill, which was bright red and about the size of a goose egg. In Liusu Little Ghost form, she held the pill as if it were a large ball, looking quite adorable. Wisps of soul-nourishing power emanated from the pill, and white mist seeped into Liusu's body, giving the Little Ghost a pinkish hue.

Qin Yi sat in front of the campfire eating meat, while Liusu held Dan and sat on his shoulders; both of them were smiling.

The dog watched, chewing without making a sound, as if it had already eaten its fill of dog food and didn't need any more meat...

She wanted to sit on Qin Yi's other shoulder, but was afraid of getting hit...

It's so hard to be a dog.

At the mouth of the Styx River, Meng Qingying and Minghe floated in the air, both frowning as they looked at the scene below.

At the mouth of the river, an extremely terrifying force seemed to have formed a domain-like aura, causing the Styx River to stop flowing and unable to enter the sea. The sea dried up and turned into black mud, and all of this arose from this.

The terrifying pressure in this area was something they couldn't handle at their current level. Both of them felt as if they were facing their own master, an overwhelming and unpredictable force.

The power of formlessness.

Meng Qingying, who traverses the netherworld and builds bridges between realms, doesn't need to fight her way through every place, but she needs to thoroughly understand each location. Otherwise, if she rashly builds a bridge and something disrupts it, all the elite forces of the Myriad Images of the Universe will be wiped out, never to return.

Moreover, after connecting all the different locations, if one wants to fuse the planes together, one cannot avoid the original owners of these places. Either a consensus must be reached, or they must be subdued; such a process is inevitable. For the past seven years, she has been doing this, and has already experienced countless dangers.

However, this time, it was beyond her control.

Several elders of the Myriad Images of the Universe floated behind her. Seeing the immense pressure here, they all advised, "Young Master, this place must be the key to the collapse of the entire Netherworld. You and I have been exploring for seven years, and it seems that we have finally reached the most crucial point. Now it is beyond our ability to deal with. We need to report to the Sect Master and let him make a decision."

Meng Qingying and Minghe remained silent.

They were well aware of this principle, but they all clearly felt a strange palpitation, and there must be some connection between it and themselves.

It was as if my soul had been summoned from the Unseen, telling me that I had to go down and take a look.

Not only should we go down and take a look, but we also can't let others get involved. This is a private matter, not Myriad Images of the Universe affair.

But it's too early.

"It's too early," they both said at the same time.

They exchanged a smile, and Meng Qingying continued in a low voice, "If this is related to our past lives... this place is so powerful, far beyond our reach. If it gets involved now, the massive awakening of our souls could very well erase our current memories. Are you... ready?"

Minghe said calmly, "Too early."

Meng Qingying smiled and said, "But it might allow your power to leap forward rapidly, reaching the Qian Yuan realm in one fell swoop, and perhaps even the Wu Xiang realm. This is what the reincarnation and re-cultivation of the High Antiquity Nether Emperor Sect aimed for. Aren't you tempted?"

Minghe, "I don't want to."

Meng Qingying said meaningfully, "Is it because you don't want to, or are you afraid of forgetting someone?"

Minghe countered, "And you?"

Meng Qingying laughed and finally stopped talking about it. Both of them were people with extremely strong wills. Even though the soul pull was extremely strong at this moment, they were able to resist it and maintain their rationality.

Meng Qingying turned to her subordinates behind her. "This place is beneficial to my and Minghe True Person's cultivation. We will cultivate and comprehend here for a while. As for the location of the Nether Emperor Sect Ruins, you continue to search for them. Once we find it, we'll go there first."

One of the Qian Yuan Elders hesitated and said, "It's strange. Back then, the Nether Emperor was only at the peak of the Qian Yuan realm. The entire Nether Emperor Sect wasn't the most powerful place in the Netherworld at all. Why is it that the core of their ruins has never been found? Could it be that it never existed at all and was long ago reduced to ashes?"

"If Master says it exists, then it must exist." Meng Qingying pondered, "However... it may not be within the scope of our knowledge."

Elder Qian Yuan, being Qian Yuan after all, actually knew more than Meng Qingying. Upon hearing this, he immediately had some thoughts. "Just as our sect has also designated a portion of the Netherworld... the portion belonging to the Nether Emperor Sect may be in the hands of others and has not been scattered outside."

Meng Qingying nodded. "Although the Nether Emperor Sect is not considered strong, it is still the most representative sect of the Netherworld, so there must be a reason. I think it is very likely that this sect was established at a key point in some plane of the Blood Nether Realm, and their ruins may be an important clue to the revival of the Netherworld, so they have been hidden by some people."

The elders all glanced at Minghe but remained silent.

The first thing that came to everyone's mind was what Celestial Pivot Divine Palace did.

Minghe remained expressionless. "The Celestial Pivot Divine Palace has absolutely no interest in your shady dealings."

Everyone laughed.

In truth, no one understood why the Young Master would be walking with this Stinky Daoist Nun from the Celestial Pivot Divine Palace. Shouldn't they be fighting to the death? Instead, he brought her to his workplace. What was he doing?