Red Dust Realm

Luo Shui City

"Boom!"

The magical power within Jiang He burst forth, and the barrier to the Hunyuan Golden Immortal Realm shattered in response. A vast aura spread out, enveloping all of Luo Shui City. Above the Human Race's clouds of fortune, a hazy phantom of the Human Emperor took shape, its presence echoing Jiang He's. He slowly opened his eyes, stars seeming to swirl within them. His understanding of the Great Dao had far surpassed what it had been before.

At that moment, the Red Dust Pearl in his palm radiated a brilliant crimson light. The countless Small Worlds scattered within it fused completely. Jiang He's divine sense sank into the pearl, and the sight before him left him stunned.

It was a vast, boundless greater world! In the east lay a wuxia realm, where sects like Shaolin and Wudang stood side by side, and wandering heroes roamed with swords at their waists, caught up in feuds and romance. In the west lay a magical continent, where Elves, Dwarves, and humans lived together. Mages chanted ancient spells, while knights defended the glory of their kingdoms. There were also secret realms of immortal cultivation, where spiritual energy was far richer than in the ordinary lands of the Primordial World, ancient Divine Beasts roamed, and immortal palaces floated among the clouds.

Countless worlds from the films and novels of his previous life had now become part of the Red Dust Realm. Its many races and dazzling civilizations encompassed everything under heaven. More astonishing still, this world was no illusion but a genuine lesser world, complete with spiritual energy and laws. Every living being within it possessed its own consciousness, and even plants could attain the Dao.

The world was still in its early stages, and its inhabitants could cultivate all the way to the Great Luo Golden Immortal Realm!

Of course, reaching the Quasi-Sage Realm was impossible. Only an eternal greater world could give rise to beings of that realm, while the Sage Realm could only be born in an eternal true world like the Primordial Continent!

"So this is the Red Dust Realm..." Jiang He was stirred. This greater world could provide the Human Race with an ideal place to train. The prodigies could temper their resolve in the martial world, study strange arts on the magical continent, and contemplate the Great Dao in the immortal cultivation realms, all without having to fear the deadly dangers of the Primordial World. It could also supply the Red Dust Pearl with an endless stream of Red Dust Force, further enhancing its powers of deduction and communication.

He could sense that if he introduced the Human Race's cultivation arts and Array Formations to the Red Dust Realm and combined them with the powers of its various civilizations, the Red Dust Pearl could devise new paths of cultivation, better suited to the Human Race. The realm's countless spirit materials and mineral resources could also be connected to the Primordial World through the pearl, providing the Human Race with boundless resources.

At that moment, the Communication Rings in Luo Shui City all vibrated at once. Every Human Race cultivator felt the aura of Jiang He's breakthrough and received the joyous news that the Red Dust Realm had taken shape. Lei Yu, Ye Chen, Liu Bai, Xuan Du, Xuan Qing, Qin Feng, and the other prodigies all stopped what they were doing and gazed toward Luo Shui, their eyes full of reverence and excitement.

Jiang He rose to his feet, Red Dust Pearl in hand, and looked toward the Primordial World. The Three Pure Ones had gone their separate ways, the demon race had entered seclusion, and Hongjun's schemes still lurked in the shadows. The shadow of the Tribulation of Calamity had never lifted. Yet Jiang He had broken through to the Quasi-Sage Realm, the Human Race's fortune was flourishing, and he now had the all-encompassing Red Dust Realm as a stronghold.

In the small courtyard where Jiang He lived in Luo Shui City, Feng Li Yue was lecturing her daughter, Jiang Hanyue, in the pavilion as she tugged at her ear. When she saw Jiang He walk in, Jiang Hanyue's eyes lit up. "Father!"

Feng Li Yue turned at the sound of his arrival. The reproach in her eyes softened at once, and her fingers loosened from Jiang Hanyue's ear of their own accord. As she stood, her skirt swayed lightly. "You broke through?" Before she had even finished speaking, the distinctly different aura surrounding Jiang He overwhelmed her. It was the vast, weighty presence unique to the Hunyuan Golden Immortal Realm, yet it carried a gentle warmth, like the bustle of everyday life—a stark contrast to the cool detachment common among Primordial World cultivators.

Jiang Hanyue rubbed her reddened earlobe, then threw herself into Jiang He's arms. Looking up at him, her eyes shone with admiration. "Father, you're amazing! The whole city was shaking just now, and there was even a giant image of you!"

Jiang He patted his daughter's head. Then he turned to Feng Li Yue with a smile. "Yue'er, Hanyue, I'll take you somewhere fun."

"What fun place?" Jiang Hanyue asked curiously. Ever since she had secretly gone north to train and Feng Li Yue found out, her mother had scolded her for ages and forbidden her from going out. She'd been cooped up for far too long!

"You'll see when we get there."

Before he could say more, the Red Dust Pearl flared with light, and a gentle crimson glow enveloped the three of them. Feng Li Yue saw the scenery shift before her eyes and heard a clamor all around her. When her vision cleared, she found herself on a bustling street.

The Bluestone Path gleamed after the rain. Tall buildings stood shoulder to shoulder on either side, with swept-up eaves and carved beams. Signs reading "Yuelai Inn" and "Jinxiu Manor" swayed gently in the breeze. The street teemed with people: peddlers and laborers in simple clothes, wandering heroes with swords at their waists, scholars in scholar's caps, and women and children carrying bamboo baskets. Voices rose all around them. The air was filled with the scent of steamed buns and the mellow aroma of rice wine, along with vendors hawking candied haws. The lively scene swept over Feng Li Yue and Jiang Hanyue, who had spent so long among cultivators in the Primordial World, leaving them stunned.

"Where are we...?" Feng Li Yue reached out and touched the trunk of an old locust tree beside her. Its bark felt rough and real, nothing like an illusion.

"The Red Dust Realm, within Great Song territory," Jiang He said, his voice reaching both of them. His divine sense spread out, covering the whole realm of Great Song in an instant. "The countless Small Worlds inside the pearl have fused. The four great powers—Great Tang, Great Song, Great Qin, and Great Ming—now stand alongside one another, with smaller kingdoms like Liao, Jin, and the Mongols surrounding them. The martial world and the imperial court are intertwined, and the Martial Way and magical arts coexist. The cultivation limit now reaches the Great Luo Golden Immortal Realm, making this an ideal place to train."

Jiang Hanyue had already wriggled free of her father's arms and run curiously to a sugar-painting stall. She stared at the flowing syrup in the artisan's hand, eyes shining. "Father, the people here are so unusual! The power inside them feels so strange. It's not like the magical power of the Primordial World or the demon race's demonic power."

The sugar-painting artisan found her adorable and scooped up a spoonful of syrup with a smile. "Little girl, what would you like? A dragon or a phoenix?"

Jiang Hanyue looked back at Jiang He. After he nodded his permission, she answered brightly, "I want a horse! A mighty one, like the aura Father had when he broke through!"

The artisan burst out laughing. His wrist danced, and a proud, whinnying steed gradually took shape. Once the syrup cooled, it became translucent, with a faint hint of spiritual life. Jiang Hanyue carefully accepted it. The moment her fingertip touched the sugar horse, a faint but pure energy flowed into her body. Her eyes lit up. "Father, there's power in the sugar painting too!"

"Everything in the Red Dust Realm can attain the Dao. Plants, objects, and the human heart all contain opportunities to comprehend the Great Dao." Jiang He walked over to them, his gaze passing over the wandering swordsmen in the street. "Look at those people with swords. They cultivate the Martial Way. Though they haven't drawn spiritual energy into their bodies, they can still Prove Dao by Force, and at their peak they can reach the threshold of the Great Luo Golden Immortal Realm."

Jiang Hanyue clutched the sugar horse, her attention caught by a shadow-puppet show at a nearby stall, when she suddenly heard a crisp argument. At a wonton stall not far away, a girl with twin buns and a pale-yellow jacket stood on tiptoe, hands on her hips as she scolded the vendor. "Your wontons have thick wrappers and barely any filling, and you still dare charge so much? You think you can take advantage of me because I'm young!"

The girl had lively features and bright, sharp eyes that sparkled with mischief. She was Huang Rong, who had secretly run away from Peach Blossom Island and was just setting out into the martial world. The vendor was at a loss for words, his face red. "Little girl, you can't say that! My wontons are famous even in Lin'an City!"

Amused, Jiang Hanyue tugged at Feng Li Yue's sleeve and led her closer. Jiang He followed with a smile. Huang Rong spotted the translucent sugar horse in Jiang Hanyue's hand. Her eyes lit up, and she instantly forgot the argument. Leaning closer, she asked, "Wow, that sugar painting is beautiful! Where did you buy it?"

"From that stall over there!" Jiang Hanyue pointed toward the sugar-painting stall. "The artisan's really skilled. He can make all kinds of things!"

Huang Rong immediately looked eager. She shot the vendor another glare, then pulled a few copper coins from her pocket and slapped them on the table. "All right, all right. Give me two bowls of wontons first. If they're no good, I'll be back to complain!" The vendor shook his head helplessly and turned to cook them.

Feng Li Yue watched Huang Rong's charming manner and smiled. She offered her a plate of freshly bought osmanthus cakes. "Little girl, have some of these first to tide you over." Huang Rong didn't stand on ceremony. She popped one into her mouth, and its sweet, soft fragrance spread across her tongue. Her face lit up. "Delicious! You're so nice, miss! I'm Huang Rong. Who are you?"

"I'm Jiang Hanyue, and these are my parents. Why are you out here all by yourself?" Jiang Hanyue answered brightly. Jiang He gave a gentle nod without saying anything. He and Feng Li Yue had both changed their appearances. He looked like a middle-aged scholar, while she looked like a middle-aged noblewoman.

Huang Rong swallowed the osmanthus cake, her eyes darting about. "I... I'm traveling the martial world! I heard Jiangnan was beautiful, so I wanted to see it." She had actually run away from home. Afraid her father would find her, she didn't dare say more. Jiang He saw through her little ruse but didn't point it out. Smiling, he said, "We're heading to Suzhou. It's on our way, so if you don't mind, why not travel with us? It'll be safer with company."

Huang Rong had been worried about being alone, so she clapped her hands at once. "Wonderful! Thank you, Uncle Jiang!"

The four of them set off along the Grand Canal. They left the main road behind and boarded a covered boat instead. The boatwoman worked the oar, and the vessel glided slowly over the rippling water. Drooping willows lined the banks, rolling green hills stretched into the distance, and villages with white walls and dark-tiled roofs dotted the landscape like an ink painting.

Jiang Hanyue and Huang Rong leaned over the side of the boat, dipping their hands into the cool water. Every now and then, a fish leaped from the surface, sending ripples across the river and drawing excited cries from the two girls. Feng Li Yue sat by the cabin window with a storybook she had bought at a bookshop on the street, occasionally looking up at the scenery with a faint smile. Jiang He sat nearby, brewing fresh tea gathered from the Red Dust Realm. Its fragrant steam mingled with the moisture rising from the river, filling the air with a soothing scent.