" Mutou! Do you understand the relationship between the Kunlun Heaven Realm and Pan Emperor Continent now?"
Chen Haoran didn't rush to answer Chen Mu; instead, he asked him a question.
Chen Mu pondered for a moment and then nodded.
"As far as I know, Kunlun Heaven Realm is the center of the Pan Emperor Continent, and both belong to the supreme plane of Pan Emperor Great World."
However, after the severing of the connection between heaven and earth in ancient times, the Kunlun Heaven Realm lost contact with the Pan Emperor Continent. Nowadays, most people in the mortal realm are unaware that the Kunlun Heaven Realm even exists.
You're right! But there's one more thing you don't know.
Kunlun Heaven Realm is also the only way for various races from outside the realm to enter the Pan Emperor Great World.
The boundary membrane of the Pan Emperor Great World is like an enormous protective array, and the Kunlun Heaven Realm is the core of this array. As long as the core remains intact, the extraterrestrial races will never be able to pose a threat to the Pan Emperor Continent.
However, ten thousand years ago, both the Heavenly Emperor Haoyu and the Abyss Devil Emperor devoured a fragment of the Heart of Pan Emperor, which allowed them to bypass the Kunlun Heaven Realm and send their subordinates directly into the Pan Emperor Continent.
Upon hearing Chen Haoran's words, Chen Mu suddenly realized that the Kunlun Heaven Realm had this other function.
"Let's go! Since we've come this far, I'll introduce you to some friends."
Chen Haoran stood up, waved to Chen Mu, and walked straight towards the nearby Jianmu Divine Tree.
"Friend?"
Chen Mu looked puzzled.
He'd been here so long and had never seen another living person. His father even had friends here?
However, it was only then that he noticed that Gu Ningbi hadn't appeared for quite some time.
He quickly stood up and followed behind Chen Haoran.
Whoa...!
Chen Haoran arrived in front of the divine tree, and with a flick of his sleeve, a large hole appeared in the tree trunk, distorting the light and emanating a rich spatial aura.
"Come in with me."
Chen Haoran stepped inside, followed closely by Chen Mu.
After a dazzling white light, an ancient and magnificent city gate stood before Chen Mu.
The city walls were dilapidated, riddled with huge cracks and craters. Dark red, dried bloodstains could still be seen on the mottled walls; the blood of the most powerful beings was always difficult to erase.
Primordial Emperor Pass!
The four large characters above the city gate, as if carved by a knife and axe, exude an ancient and desolate aura, leaving people in awe.
With a loud thud, the city gate was pushed open, and an elderly veteran stepped out and knelt on one knee before Chen Haoran.
"Greetings, God-Slaying God!"
No need for formalities.
Chen Haoran waved his hand and led Chen Mu straight into the city gate.
The city is vast, with wide, interconnected roads, but it is sparsely populated. Most of the buildings have collapsed and are in ruins, leaving only a few tall buildings that seem to tell the story of its past glory.
" God-Slaying God! You're finally back."
Come quick, come quick! My family made braised pork knuckle, you should come and try it!
A slightly overweight Daoist priest greeted Chen Haoran warmly upon seeing him.
After the slightly overweight Daoist priest called out, many people in the city noticed Chen Haoran's arrival and all turned their attention to Chen Haoran.
Clearly, Chen Haoran held considerable prestige in the city.
"Alright! Old Cai, then you can call the city's garrison commander to come to your house with you!"
I was just about to introduce someone to everyone. If you cook a little more food, I'll make up for any ingredients you use.
Chen Haoran nodded and agreed.
"No need, no need. You can go to my house and wait there. I'll go get the others right now."
After the slightly overweight Daoist priest finished speaking, he immediately turned and walked into the crowd, sending someone to relay the message.
"Let's go."
Chen Haoran led Chen Mu along the street, walking further in.
On the way, Chen Mu noticed that there was no sign of human habitation deep in the city; it seemed that everyone had moved to live near the city gate.
If that's the case, the population of this city is smaller than he expected, probably no more than a thousand.
" Mutou, the fortress you see will manifest itself during times of war to protect the entire Jianmu Hill."
However, now that the Kunlun Heaven Realm is almost gone, the Primordial Emperor Pass has lost its purpose, so it was absorbed into the Jianmu Divine Tree and transformed into a grotto-heaven world.
As Chen Haoran walked, he explained the origin of this place to Chen Mu.
"So that's how it is. Father, all these years you've been in the Kunlun Heaven Realm, you've been guarding the Primordial Emperor Pass?"
Although Chen Mu hadn't seen his father for nearly thirty years, Chen Haoran had actually been in the Kunlun Heaven Realm for less than three years, since the flow of time in the Kunlun Heaven Realm was only one-tenth of that in other places.
Generally speaking, the higher the level of a plane, the slower its time flows.
This is a way for the plane to protect itself. After all, planes also have a lifespan. A faster flow of time will only accelerate its aging, and a faster flow of time will not bring any benefits to the plane itself.
Although the Pan Emperor Continent is a supreme plane, as the center of this star field, its time flow is consistent with the universe. Only the Kunlun Heaven Realm at its center is different, possessing a time flow ten times slower than the outside world.
Furthermore, although the Nine Nether Netherworld is a higher plane, its origin was once severely damaged, and it itself was separated from the Pan Emperor Continent, so its time flow is the same as that of the Pan Emperor Continent.
In fact, the ruler of a plane can change the flow of time within that plane at a cost, and it can even be faster than the flow of time in the universe.
However, very few plane lords would do this, since accelerating the flow of time does not bring much benefit to them.
Yes! It's been over two years.
Looking back on the past two years, it feels like a long, drawn-out nightmare.
The two walked for a short while before arriving at a mansion. Chen Haoran pushed open the gate and went inside with Chen Mu.
The mansion was decorated in a very ordinary style, with practicality as the main focus. At this moment, a puppet came out and bowed respectfully.
"Welcome God-Slaying God! Please come to the main hall for tea."
Chen Mu then realized that the slightly plump Daoist priest's robes were not just any ordinary garment; he must also be a talisman master, and judging from the agility of the puppet, his skill was extraordinary.
"I have something to discuss with your homeowner; many people will be arriving shortly."
"Just set up a big table in the courtyard outside, and we can eat and chat."
Chen Haoran was clearly not a first-timer at the slightly overweight Daoist's house, and he readily instructed the puppet steward to do his work.
"Yes! I'll arrange it right away."
The puppeteer immediately turned back to the main hall, summoned the other puppeteers in the mansion, and together they busied themselves in the courtyard.
Chen Haoran led Chen Mu into the courtyard, found two stone benches to sit on, and waited patiently.