Conditions and Treasures

Cambyuan Realm.

Leaving Cangyuan Realm for the Outer Realm essentially meant entering the vast expanse of space.

Within space existed countless celestial bodies: Life Worlds, ordinary stars, Lunar Stars, Sun Stars, Hundongs, and more.

Among them, Life Worlds were the most special. They nurtured innumerable living beings.

No Life World permitted foreign lifeforms to enter.

They protected their native inhabitants. Even when many powerful experts attacked through Causality, their attacks would be greatly weakened upon entering a Life World.

However, Life Worlds were also classified as low, middle, and high.

The more powerful experts a world produced, the deeper its foundation became. It could even undergo a fundamental transformation.

Cangyuan Realm and the Demon Race World were both middle-tier worlds.

However, even among middle-tier worlds, the disparity in foundations could be immense. Although the Demon Race World had never produced someone like Patriarch Cangyuan, it had produced enough experts only slightly inferior to him. Thus, the Demon Race World's foundation was exceptionally deep. Its territory alone was ten times larger than Cangyuan Realm's.

Under such circumstances, the Demon Race World was far more capable than Cangyuan Realm of nurturing powerful experts.

Thus, when the two worlds came into contact within the River of Time and Space, the Monster Race could easily send countless demons to invade Cangyuan Realm. Even if ten Monster Race experts were traded for one human expert, they would still profit.

As for celestial bodies beyond Life Worlds, Sun Stars were incomparably scorching, Lunar Stars were immensely accommodating, Hundongs were unfathomable, and ordinary stars came in all varieties. Some could also nurture life.

Generally, a vast expanse of space containing hundreds of millions of Sun Stars, Lunar Stars, and countless Life Worlds was called a river system. For example, Cangyuan Realm and the Demon Race World were both within the "Three Bays River System."

A great number of "river systems" were collectively called a "River Domain." Within the endless River of Time and Space, a River Domain was essentially the largest unit of spacetime.

After leaving Cangyuan Realm, Zhou Yu naturally committed all this intelligence and knowledge to memory. This was the benefit of having a Seventh Tribulation Realm mighty figure emerge from one's homeland. Many secret pieces of knowledge were utterly inaccessible to lifeforms born in lower-tier Life Worlds.

"Still, I don't even know where I am now." Zhou Yu looked ahead. Before him was a valley, its stone walls carved with countless sword marks.

Each sword mark appeared to expound swordsmanship, but in truth, each contained extraordinarily profound Laws of Space.

A few years ago, after leaving Cangyuan Realm, he had drifted through space and eventually arrived nearby. He had discovered these sword marks but had not paid them much attention at first.

However, Zhou Yu had created an Ultimate Absolute Art of the spatial lineage. Furthermore, he possessed insights into space from two other worlds. He soon discovered the mysteries within them.

Delighted, Zhou Yu had not hurried to leave. Instead, he had begun comprehending them here.

That comprehension had lasted several years.

"Sure enough, progress is faster in the Outer Realm."

Zhou Yu sighed inwardly. During two hundred years in Cangyuan Realm, his spatial lineage Absolute Art had only advanced from the early Grotto-Heaven Realm to the middle Grotto-Heaven Realm. Yet after several years of comprehension here, his Absolute Art had reached Grotto-Heaven Realm perfection.

Of course, his rapid progress was also because his talent and comprehension were now greater than during the simulation. Combined with the mysteries from two other worlds as references, it was only natural that he improved quickly.

"However, breaking through from the Grotto-Heaven Realm to the Heaven and Earth Realm won't be so simple. The swordsmanship here is profound enough that I can return to comprehend it later." With that thought, Zhou Yu turned to leave.

However, just as he moved, a concealed spatial fluctuation suddenly erupted from the depths of the valley.

The fluctuation was so clear that Zhou Yu sensed it with absolute clarity.

"What?"

Zhou Yu was slightly startled. After discovering this swordsmanship, he had thoroughly investigated the entire surrounding area and found nothing at all. He had always guessed that some mighty figure had casually left this swordsmanship here.

Now, it seemed there was another secret.

Seeing that I'm about to leave, it deliberately made some noise? Someone must be controlling this.

"No matter what, I should take a look."

With a thought from Zhou Yu, a somewhat dark and profound Primordial Spirit Avatar separated from his body.

If Zhou Yu in the previous simulation could only be considered newly entered into the Primordial Spirit Seventh Layer, then now, with memories from two other worlds, his mental will was far stronger than before. His Primordial Spirit was considered strong even among those at the Primordial Spirit Seventh Layer.

As a Primordial Spirit Seventh Layer existence, any of Zhou Yu's avatars, whether in the Outer Realm or Cangyuan Realm, could split into seven great Primordial Spirit Avatars at any time, so long as the total number of avatars he maintained did not exceed nine.

Whoosh!

With a single step, Zhou Yu's Primordial Spirit Avatar arrived at the location where the spatial fluctuation had appeared.

"Young man, come in." An aged voice suddenly sounded. A pitch-black entrance abruptly appeared in the rock wall.

"Across such vast distances, and with the weakening effects of Life Worlds and Patriarch Cangyuan's Heaven and Earth Hall, ordinary Causality attacks cannot harm me."

As Zhou Yu considered this, his Primordial Spirit Avatar stepped into the cave.

Very soon, Zhou Yu felt that he had reached the end. At some point, an oil lamp had appeared before him. It lit itself, and immediately afterward, a translucent figure appeared there.

The figure took the form of an elderly human man. He was extremely thin and gaunt, with green eyes that gave Zhou Yu an eerie feeling.

"My name is Dong Youmo. Have you heard of this name?" the old man asked, staring at Zhou Yu.

"To be honest, Senior, I accidentally fell into a spatial turbulence and arrived here. I don't even know where this place is, much less anything about the surrounding area." Zhou Yu shook his head.

"I don't care where you came from."

The old man said, "I can tell that what you displayed outside was an Ultimate Absolute Art. In less than three years, your Ultimate Absolute Art advanced from the middle Grotto-Heaven Realm to Grotto-Heaven Realm perfection. Even I find your rate of progress astonishing."

"It was also thanks to the swordsmanship on the stone wall. Was that swordsmanship left behind by you, Senior?" Zhou Yu asked.

"Of course I left it behind," the old man said.

"Back then, I wished to comprehend the complete Law of Space. I created that swordsmanship during my comprehension process. Unfortunately, it ultimately only reached the power of the Fifth Tribulation Realm."

Hearing this, Zhou Yu was inwardly shocked. This old man truly was extraordinary.

The Tribulation Realm was the realm beyond Emperor Monarchs. It could roughly be divided into the Physical Tribulation Realm and the Primordial Spirit Tribulation Realm. Each tribulation was stronger than the last, and the gap only widened further with each successive realm.

Reaching the Fifth Tribulation Realm was generally enough to dominate an entire river system. Yet this old man considered swordsmanship with power comparable to Fifth Tribulation Realm laws a pity. Could he be a Sixth Tribulation Realm expert?

The Sixth Tribulation Realm was already immensely terrifying. A Physical Sixth Tribulation Realm expert could easily possess a body hundreds of millions of miles long while maintaining peak strength. The stars in the cosmos were essentially their toys; a single breath could annihilate a Sun Star.

"You have no questions at all. It seems your origins are not ordinary, and you know quite a bit about the Tribulation Realm." The old man nodded with satisfaction.

Someone of extraordinary origins could save a great deal of trouble.

"Indeed, the elders of my clan left behind some information." Zhou Yu then asked, "Could you be a Sixth Tribulation Realm mighty figure, Senior?"

"In the era when I lived, I indeed was in the Sixth Tribulation Realm," the old man said calmly.

"Enough idle talk. When I was alive, I accumulated many treasures. Aside from a portion left in my homeland, I stored the rest in three locations. This is one of them. I can give you these treasures, but you must agree to one condition."

"Please speak, Senior."

"Once you reach the Sixth Tribulation Realm, you must kill enough Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragons. If it is a Sixth Tribulation Realm one, kill one. If they are Fifth Tribulation Realm, kill ten. If they are Fourth Tribulation Realm, kill thirty. If they are Venerable-level, kill ten thousand." The old man spoke each word distinctly.

Zhou Yu's expression turned grave. This expert named Dong Youmo truly harbored immense killing intent.

"I have heard of the Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragons. They are considered rather powerful among Special Lifeforms. Every generation generally produces several Fifth Tribulation Realm experts, and Sixth Tribulation Realm ones occasionally appear as well. They are not easy to provoke." Zhou Yu said, "Isn't your demand too excessive, Senior?"

"The demand is high, but do you know that among the treasures I left behind, there are thirty thousand cubic units of Extraterrestrial Origin Crystals alone? Together with the other treasures, they are probably worth a full hundred thousand cubic units of Extraterrestrial Origin Crystals." The old man said calmly.

"You are merely Venerable-level. Under normal circumstances, I would never even consider you. I am only giving you this opportunity because you practice an Ultimate Absolute Art and have progressed quickly enough."

"A hundred thousand cubic units?"

Zhou Yu was secretly astonished. This was indeed an inconceivable fortune. The vast majority of Fifth Tribulation Realm experts would struggle to accumulate such wealth in their entire lives.

"Not to mention, my condition merely requires you to act after reaching the Sixth Tribulation Realm. Do you think you are guaranteed to reach the Sixth Tribulation Realm?" The old man sneered.

"Reaching the Fifth Tribulation Realm may not be too difficult for you, but the Sixth Tribulation Realm will absolutely not be smooth sailing."

Generally, once someone created an Ultimate Absolute Art and reached Heaven and Earth Realm perfection, their strength could easily rival the Fifth Tribulation Realm. At that point, crossing the tribulation to reach the Fifth Tribulation Realm was indeed not difficult.

But the Sixth Tribulation Realm was truly far more difficult. Many geniuses who created Ultimate Absolute Arts could not take this step even until their deaths.

"May I ask, Senior, why do you hate the Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragons so much?" Zhou Yu asked.

Hearing that, the old man fell silent for a moment. Then he said, "Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragons like to devour. Back then, my wife and I left our home world to venture abroad. While we were still weak, we encountered a Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragon. My wife was swallowed in a single bite while protecting me. From that moment on, I swore that I would make the Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragons pay the price! Even after my death, I made many arrangements. I will not let the Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragons have an easy time."

"So that's how it was." Zhou Yu sighed. The old man's aura seemed somewhat cold and sinister, yet he had never expected him to be such a devoted man.

"What if the Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragon clan cannot even gather the number you mentioned, Senior?" Zhou Yu asked.

"Then you need only kill every Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragon you know of," the old man said calmly.

"What if the Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragons produce a Seventh Tribulation Realm or even Eighth Tribulation Realm expert?"

"Why do you have so many questions?" The old man was becoming impatient.

"If I agree to your request, I will form a great Causality bond. If I fail to fulfill it someday, I will be in serious trouble. Naturally, I must be cautious." Zhou Yu answered seriously.

Below the Tribulation Realm, one could afford not to care too much about Causality. But that was impossible in the Tribulation Realm. If one had great unresolved Causality while crossing a tribulation, the chance of failure would soar countless times over.

"Do Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragons deserve to produce Seventh or Eighth Tribulation Realm mighty figures?" the old man sneered. "If that truly happens, then I would give you my treasures for nothing."

Hearing that, Zhou Yu pondered seriously for a moment. After confirming that nothing had been overlooked, he agreed to the old man's condition.

"Kid, what is your name?" the old man asked Zhou Yu.

"Ganyu."

"Very good. Remember your promise." The old man said nothing more. The oil lamp before him flickered, then dimmed. In the next instant, it vanished with a whoosh.

At the same time, a bracelet-shaped treasure appeared before Zhou Yu.

After picking up the bracelet, Zhou Yu immediately understood that it was a spatial treasure. It indeed contained a vast quantity of Extraterrestrial Origin Crystals and other items.

Very soon, Zhou Yu's Primordial Spirit Avatar left the cave and handed the bracelet containing the vast treasures to his true body.

"Although I have formed a great Causality bond, Demon Cloud Heaven-Swallowing Dragons are not good creatures to begin with. If I deal with them in the future, I can both accumulate Origin Energy and resolve the Causality bond. That counts as killing two birds with one stone." Zhou Yu stroked the bracelet and nodded inwardly.

Since the Causality bond had already been formed, there was no use overthinking it. He should focus on becoming stronger first.

With that thought, Zhou Yu's mind stirred, and a fist-sized cube of crystalline jade appeared in his hand.

"So this is an Extraterrestrial Origin Crystal? A single cubic unit contains an immense amount of energy. If exchanged for treasures, it could even be traded for an Emperor Monarch-level weapon."

Zhou Yu examined it curiously for a moment before quickly sitting down cross-legged.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

A vast amount of energy surged from the Extraterrestrial Origin Crystal and rushed madly into Zhou Yu's body.

The stronger one became, the more energy one required.

Although Zhou Yu's "Ultimate Absolute Art" had reached Grotto-Heaven Realm perfection, he himself was still only at the early Venerable level. Absorbing Outer Realm energy on his own was simply far too slow. Under normal circumstances, reaching Venerable-level perfection could take hundreds or even thousands of years.

For ordinary Venerables, merely absorbing energy normally could exhaust their lifespans. This showed that lifespan in this world truly had serious problems.

Of course, relying on Extraterrestrial Origin Crystals was much faster.

At that moment, as immense energy poured into Zhou Yu's body, his True Essence rapidly transformed.

In cultivation beyond the Venerable level, Zhou Yu had already departed from Cangyuan Realm's usual True Essence System after his breakthrough.

"Within my dantian, I can still use the Ultimate Absolute Art as the core to form a True Essence core. The True Essence core produces incomparably pure True Essence, then this pure True Essence can replace heaven-and-earth energy to temper the body. Naturally, that will make the body even stronger." Zhou Yu pondered inwardly.

In truth, regardless of the cultivation system, the differences became smaller the further one advanced. What mattered most was one's grasp of laws.

The transformation continued for an entire month before finally reaching its limit.

"I'm more than ten times stronger than before." Zhou Yu wore a confident smile. This avatar of his was now almost comparable to an ordinary Emperor Monarch at the perfection level.

"I should leave this place first."

Zhou Yu did not overthink it. He swiftly rose to his feet and left this nameless star with a single Teleportation.