The Return Ruins Realm

When Bai Qiuran returned to the Great Peace Hall in Clear Subtle Heaven, the things on the table had already been cleared away.

Tang Ruowei and Li Jinyao had disappeared, but the Central Immortal Emperor was still sitting there, waiting for him.

"Grandmaster."

Upon seeing Bai Qiuran return, the Central Immortal Emperor hurriedly stood up and asked, "How did it go?"

"I found out."

Bai Qiuran relayed the information she had extracted from the Heavenly Dao Incarnation to the Central Immortal Emperor.

"Very good."

Le Zhentian was very happy.

"This way, we can at least be prepared and take the lead."

"Um."

Bai Qiuran nodded, then suddenly reached out and put her arm around Le Zhentian's shoulder.

"Xiao Tian, I have a question for you."

"You said."

"I heard someone say that in all the worlds under the jurisdiction of our Fivefold Immortal Realm, those at the Foundation Establishment Stage or below are not considered Cultivators. Is that true?"

Bai Qiuran asked with a smile.

"..."

Le Zhentian opened his mouth, about to answer yes, but for no reason, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

He felt that Bai Qiuran was resting on his shoulder, was a little damp. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Bai Qiuran's hand was covered in blood and bits of flesh from who-knows-who, it was quite gruesome.

Le Zhentian's eyelids twitched, and he replied righteously, "Of course not, Grandmaster. The Immortal Realm has rules: the Immortal Path is one of universal harmony. Whether one is Immortal Emperor lives as long as the heavens or Mortals with no strength to even kill a chicken, as long as one aspires to the Immortal Path, one is a cultivator, a fellow practitioner on the Immortal Path."

"Um..."

Bai Qiuran nodded in satisfaction, then said, "But I've also heard that in some worlds, the Cultivation World is separated from the Mortal World, and those who haven't reached the Foundation Establishment Stage are not allowed to enter. Don't force yourself to change the rules because of me."

"Not at all forced."

Le Zhentian said solemnly, "This is speaking out for justice."

"You're a smart kid."

Bai Qiuran patted him on the shoulder and then let go of his shoulder.

"Speak, what do you want from me?"

The Central Immortal Emperor is no idle man. Li Jinyao and Tang Ruowei went to do their own things, but he stayed here specifically to wait for him, so he must have something to discuss.

That's right.

The Central Immortal Emperor said, "My master just arrived with my third uncle to request an audience."

"Third Uncle, when did I take in three disciples... Oh, it's that monkey."

Bai Qiuran suddenly realized.

"Yes, Third Uncle is the ancestor of Demon Immortals, leading Demon Immortals to reside within the Demon Immortals City Cluster of the Eighteen Heavens of the Realm of Form."

"This is what the Central Immortal Emperor replied."

Where are they now?

"They're at the Court of Imperial Entertainments. They should be waiting for Master to come and have a meal together. Please come with me, Master."

Court of Imperial Entertainments was where the original First Immortal Emperor and the current Central Immortal Emperor dined. Bai Qiuran was brought here by Le Zhentian and found that Tang Ruowei and Li Jinyao were also here. They were already seated, and opposite them, next to Bai Li, sat a large Monkey with a body no smaller than an adult.

The Monkey's fur was gray and unkempt, clearly indicating it hadn't been well-groomed. Yet, it was still wearing robes like those of Immortals, though the robes had long lost their luster and looked as plain and simple as the clothes of the Mortal Realm Commoners.

"Senior Bai, this way."

Upon seeing Bai Qiuran enter, Li Jinyao patted the empty space she had deliberately left between herself and Tang Ruowei.

Bai Li then stood up with the gray Monkey Bai Qiuran, "Master, do you still remember it?"

"Of course I remember."

Bai Qiuran made no mention of how much effort he had just spent remembering the monkey, and replied, "The monkey you and your wife rescued back then, I didn't name it, did you name it yourself?"

He looked at the Monkey, and the gray monkey bowed to him in greeting.

"Disciple Grey Yuan greets Master."

"Grey Yuan, you have a simple way of naming things."

Bai Qiuran.

"But having a name is a good thing, especially a name you choose for yourself; it definitely contains special meanings that you find most satisfying."

"Actually, I originally wanted him to add another word after 'Grey Yuan'."

Bai Li laughed and said, "For example, something like 'Grey Yuan Ai,' but he refused, thinking it was too much trouble to write an extra character."

"Grey Yuan Ai? That name sounds rather odd on a Monkey."

Bai Qiuran said, "Luckily, you didn't name him that... I saw you two were having a good time just now, what were you talking about?"

"At first... Junior Brother is explaining to me and Sister Li the characteristics and power of the Return Ruins Realm he has completed."

Tang Ruowei replied.

"Oh?"

Bai Qiuran's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"I'm quite interested in that too."

He sat down next to Li Jinyao, then waved to Bai Li.

"Come on, tell me what you've finished learning?"

Bai Li glanced at the sky and smiled, "Let's talk while we eat."

The servants of the Court of Imperial Entertainments gave the order, and His Your Highness quickly presented countless dishes. Bai Qiuran glanced at them and saw that they were mostly expensive and nourishing foods.

"Your life is quite refined."

Bai Qiuran commented to Bai Li, "Eating so much, aren't you afraid of getting a nosebleed?"

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid."

Bai Li waved his hand and said, "This disciple is in dire need of these things."

As the dishes were served one by one, everyone quickly began to eat. Bai Li didn't follow any table manners; while eating, he explained to Bai Qiuran the Return Ruins Realm he had completed.

"After the defeat of the Heavenly Gods, I traveled to the Return Ruins and successfully uncovered the truth of the Return Ruins, thus completing the Return Ruins Realm."

Bai Li used his Immortal Power to draw a detailed diagram of the Return Ruins structure on the table, and simply explained, "The Return Ruins is actually the external exchange channel of the primordial world. All matter in the primordial world will one day perish. The world transforms energy from the Void, and then injects it into the world from the top of the sky, forming everything that makes the world thrive. Then, after countless cycles, these substances will eventually converge into the Vast Sea, and then flow back into the Void from the Guixu along the Return Ruins, completing a great cycle."

"Oh, I understand."

Bai Qiuran nodded and said, "Return Ruins is the world's toilet."

"... If you insist on describing it that way, then you're not wrong."

Bai Li glanced at the half-eaten dishes on the table, his expression somewhat complicated.

"Therefore, my contribution to completing the Return Ruins Realm lies in this aspect. The Return Ruins within the Purple Mansion is not simply the lowest point of the world; it also bears the important responsibility of serving as a channel for the exchange of internal and external energy."

Bai Qiuran, resting her chin on her hand, pondered, "So the final step of the realm I created was building a toilet in the Purple Mansion within the body... That feels so cliché. Should I create a new one?"

"Not at all tacky."

Bai Li shook his head and said, "After breaking through to the Return Ruins Realm, not only will your strength increase dramatically, but as long as the energy attack does not exceed your body's capacity, it will basically have no effect on you. Furthermore, the damage to your body from physical attacks and the mental damage to your Souls can be quickly restored by absorbing external Spirit Qi through the Return Ruins within your body. It can be said to be a truly flawless golden body... There are many other benefits as well, but these are just my speculations. There may be other characteristics as well."

"Since Return Ruins is so powerful, why don't you try breaking through?"

Bai Qiuran asked, "With your current level, you should have broken through long ago, right?"

"Master, you are unaware of this."

Bai Li smiled wryly, "There's a downside to breaking through to the Return Ruins Realm. Right after the breakthrough, the Return Ruins formed within the body becomes uncontrollable. It will first convert the Houtu, Vast Sea, Imperial Heaven, and even the Nascent Soul cultivated within the body into energy and expel them. During this period of destruction and reconstruction, Immortals at the Return Ruins Realm are very weak. Let alone an Immortal Emperor, even two Immortal Venerable could easily kill them..."

At this point, Bai Li Bai Qiuran understood why, despite having completed the Return Ruins Realm, the First Immortal Emperor still didn't have a single Return Ruins- level Immortals.

Because of this characteristic, Immortal Emperor must be in a relatively safe environment before they can choose to break through. At that time, Bai Li and the others were in the midst of war, and in order to deal with the Consciousness Demon, he certainly wouldn't dare to sever his own cultivation.

In the current Immortal Realm, the Four Immortal Emperors suppress rising stars, and the Five Directions Immortal Emperor are wary of each other, with none daring to take the opportunity to break through.

During the breakthrough, other old rivals will definitely come knocking at any cost, taking advantage of the weakened state to kill the person who has broken through to the Return Ruins.