Sword in Hand, into the Dragon's Pool and Tiger's Den

Fang Tai's vision became somewhat chaotic.

Clearly, he was changing positions rapidly, quickly dodging the aftershocks of the battle between the two powerful figures.

Even Yu Huangfen, one could still see his figure, flitting about in the sky like a butterfly among reeds.

The Heavenly Official of the Long Continent, Feng Jue, was clearly a top-tier mage; he concealed his presence before making his move.

He was nowhere to be seen, neither in the sky nor on the ground.

The location of that voice was merely a misleading device.

A crimson blade of energy slashed at the Yu Huangfen, striking that spot.

The air in that area suddenly condensed, like crystal, forming a pure white, perfectly round sphere, which then abruptly contracted inward.

Annihilate that blade of energy on the spot!

The sky from all directions resonated with the sounds of nasal cavities, chest cavities, and the unique pores on the skin of the Fangfeng Clan.

The deep incantation was chanted at high speed, clearly from only one person's voice.

However, as the first voice recites, a second voice follows half a beat later, and then a third magnificent voice follows.

Spirit, vitality, altar.

The three levels of incantations appear to be sequential, unlike when Fang Tai himself used the power of the altar, where they were so deeply integrated.

In fact, it was precisely because the order was cleverly and controllably determined.

The three layers of power were given enough time to combine and react.

The final incantation possessed power far exceeding that of Fang Tai.

As the incantation was recited, white lines of airflow, like the ribs of an umbrella, spread out in mid-air.

It also resembles an upside-down bowl on the ground, with a radius of thirty meters at the rim.

In the blink of an eye, the "bowl" began to spin.

Intense heat surged into the "bowl," causing a bright red glow to appear in the air as flames erupted.

Fang Tai was not the target of the spell, but in his horror, he tried to force his way out.

Just as he recklessly turned to look outside, he vaguely heard a series of ghostly laughs.

Laughter is like a knife.

That ghostly laugh in my heart came when I drew my sword.

Fang Tai couldn't tell the difference.

But at the very end, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the rapidly spinning streams of flame inside the bowl had suddenly been slashed.

Like a headless snake, every gust of air loses much of its power.

The next moment, he was also grazed on the arm, and the explosive power of the spell knocked him unconscious.

"Hey, what's wrong with me...?"

Chu Tianshu's eyebrows shot up, and he smashed the teacup beside him.

Both the Heavenly Official of the Long Continent Kingdom and the Ghost Mother Clan leader of the Water Demons were clearly formidable enemies.

Chu Tianshu was engrossed in watching, about to witness the most impressive exchange of blows.

Fang Tai, who was supposed to be the cameraman, he... he escaped!

"Escape my foot! That Heavenly Official was clearly protecting the remaining buildings, and also protecting his own altar. You were treated as part of the altar too. Can't you see that?"

Chu Tianshu scratched his hair in frustration.

If Fang Tai hadn't run away, his injuries after that exchange of blows might have been even less severe.

After watching the battle, Bai He's breathing became heavier.

"Although I guessed that the Heavenly Official and Earthly Ruler must have received considerable power to manage so many altars, this still exceeded my expectations."

"Furthermore, that Ghost Mother Clan leader was actually able to defeat his opponent on the Heavenly Official's altar."

Helai had already made up his mind.

Lin Chucheng, Feng Jianhua, Yungu, Mist-and-Rosycloud Wanderer, and others were all temporarily summoned to Shencheng, along with the army, to prepare for controlling the events to come.

But so many people have fallen into the Spirit Realm, so many Spirit Realm beings have entered reality, and there are the potential changes around the world as a result...

Just thinking about it makes He Helai feel overwhelmed, with his current main body and Second Split Soul combined.

I'm afraid we'll have to wait until we grow nine heads to be able to handle it.

Chu Tianshu was still pondering the sword techniques he hadn't finished watching when he suddenly snapped back to reality and glanced at Bai He.

The Bai He's body was now half-submerged in shadow, its brows lowered and eyes downcast, its breath unusually heavy.

"Is Senior He preparing for the worst?"

"Good."

The Bai He sighed softly, "Knowing that this is indeed a Ghost God who preemptively gathered wisdom and arranged the rituals, I knew that this matter was probably beyond redemption."

"Any incantation or ritual has inertia; accumulated over centuries, it develops into a general trend, and the public's appearance reflects this. This inertia has become too heavy."

"Don't even mention that nuclear bombs are difficult to use in the Spirit Realm. Even if they could be used, and if you were ruthless enough to bomb this whole place, the reflection would be destroyed, and the resulting empty space would still create a potential difference, resulting in a suction force."

"At that time, at most, not many Spirit Realm beings will enter reality, while the permanent residents of reality will still fall into the Spirit Realm."

Chu Tianshu's expression changed.

He wasn't knowledgeable enough in magic to have thought of that.

But upon closer examination, it's clear that the water demon army wouldn't have expended so much effort to attack Long Continent Kingdom without a reason.

Are those water demons trying to hitch a ride to reality? Or are they waiting for a large number of humans to be transported over so they can feast and plunder first?

Regardless of the reason, it shows that these water demons are very confident that even though their army has already caused so much damage in the Long Continent, the ritual will still be performed.

"A century-old inertia?"

Chu Tianshu frowned and pondered for a long time.

"In any case, I still want to find a way to eliminate the Heaven and Earth Palaces first."

"Firstly, we can't let them actually receive any favor from the two realms."

"Secondly, the Divine Lord Wangliang could have easily manipulated the situation using only the fog, employing various methods such as creating ancient caves and stone tablets to pass down the original technology."

"The fact that they specifically chose a group of believers and painstakingly cultivated them suggests that they see a necessity for the existence of the Divine Lord Wangliang's plan."

After listening, Bai He pondered for a moment and couldn't help but nod.

The methods of the Divine Lord Wangliang actually consist of two parts: first, to carry out the exchange, and second, to use this exchange to move his true form into the shallow layer and then explore reality.

The existence of the Heaven and Earth Palaces is very likely related to the movement of his true form.

Even if we can't stop a large number of humans from being transferred to the Spirit Realm, at least let's prevent them from encountering the true forms of Ghost God as soon as they enter the Spirit Realm.

"Well then, I think I should return to reality first."

Bai He took a deep breath and encouraged himself, "Ha, don't panic. I'm not that old anymore; I've weathered any pressure."

"Send the little snake to the plantation and have them bring it into reality. I'll come back to find you then."

Chu Tianshu asked, "You traveled alone, do you know the way?"

Bai He said, "It's alright. I've already refined that iron ruler a bit. As expected of the authority over the entire Eighteen Camps town, I've developed a connection with this place. Passing through the mist and coming back is no problem at all."

Chu Tianshu handed over the two-headed snake. Just as the Bai He was about to extend its claws, Xiao Zuo shrank his neck in fright.

"Senior He, why don't you let them perch on your back?"

The Bai He reached out its claws, grabbed the water bottle, and with a flick of its long beak, placed the two-headed snake on its back.

Xiao Zuo said reluctantly, "Mr. Sword God, please be careful."

Bubai called out, "Take care, sir, goodbye."

Chu Tianshu smiled slightly and watched the Bai He disappear into the distance.

"Knife, god..."

He looked at the iron ruler-shaped light screen and murmured, "Unfortunately, I am not a god."

The scene of the wasteland world flashed through his mind.

When he saw that world, many things were already set in stone. The terrible casualties and the drastic reduction in population had become mere numbers faded by time, and he had no choice but to accept them.

But he absolutely did not want his world to be turned into that kind of mess.

"Even if the world is to be reshaped, it should be us who do it. What right do you freaks have?"

A deep sense of resentment welled up in Chu Tianshu's heart. He lowered his eyelids, suppressing those emotions, and gently tapped his fingers on the table.

A deep and profound intention drove the energy, which entered the underground, spread throughout the nearby buildings, and then fed back.

What appeared to be merely his fingers tapping on the table and then bouncing back was, in fact, not a probing exercise, but a training session.

If someone reacts quickly enough and observes closely enough, they will notice.

Each time Chu Tianshu's fingers bounced off the table, a subtle fluctuation of force instantly spread from his fingertips throughout his entire body.

The movements may seem subtle, but they are actually caused by the force penetrating deep into the body.

The myriad phenomena of the universe each possess their own profound mysteries.

The mainstream training method of Heart and Blood Martial Dao is to exert force towards all things and use the feedback from all things to temper oneself.

Based on this, various schools of thought have emerged, each focusing on specific types of goals and refining their feedback to achieve greater efficiency.

The Mountain Collapse and Water Extinction Palm" technique, which aims at mountains and rivers, is already quite profound.

The Nine Springs Mountain Collapse Secret Hand has been slightly optimized.

The buildings and grounds of the Eighteen Camps resembled a Buddhist altar.

Chu Tianshu aimed at the altar, and the force he received was far more complex than that from a normal building.

The five fingers plucked the strings, making a soft, repetitive sound.

He channeled the power of the altar into the smallest details of the body.

The smallest blood vessels are first stimulated and repeatedly refined before converging into the main blood vessels.

Chu Tianshu gradually felt a cool sensation in his chest.

However, after this initial coolness, other parts of the body began to feel even hotter.

The more noticeably cooler it is, the hotter it is elsewhere.

Simply sitting there, tapping his fingers on the table, caused his Heavenly Eye on his forehead to involuntarily open a tiny slit, his face turning completely red.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his head, face, and neck.

Sweat dripped from his forehead down to his eyebrows, where it was caught by his thick, long eyebrows and flowed towards the ends of his eyebrows, condensing into beads of sweat.

My body felt like it was on fire, but my stomach felt like it was drinking ice.

Drop!!

Chu Tianshu slowly closed his eyes, then suddenly opened them, two beads of sweat breaking at the corners of his eyebrows.

In the silent hall, the sound of water droplets being thrown slightly and breaking in mid-air seemed clearly audible.

The flowers outside the hall have lost track of time.

But the Bai He had already delivered the little snake and then flew back.

"Huh? You were practicing martial arts just now?"

"I was just thinking."

Chu Tianshu laughed, "Senior, you stay here and use the iron ruler to control Fang Tai and search for the missing humans..."

Bai He reacted quickly, asking suspiciously, "You're going to the Heavenly King Palace alone?"

"The Heavenly Officials and Earthly Sovereigns are both masters; that place is their altar. Senior, if you go there, you might not be able to hide."

Chu Tianshu pointed to Fang Tai and smiled, "And if I go, I'll have a very suitable reason."

Bai He looked at Fang Tai and said knowingly, "The Heavenly Official is also seriously injured. Since you can heal Fang Tai, it would be only natural for you to be recommended by Fang Tai to diagnose the Heavenly Official."

Chu Tianshu said, "Moreover, the water demon should not be ignored. Senior, it would be very beneficial to manage this place and study the wonders of the altar."

After a long deliberation, the Bai He solemnly nodded.

"Then I will guide Fang Tai to send a message recommending you to the Heavenly King Palace."

Nestled among the hills of the Long Continent, in the heart of the region.

Eight railway tracks pierce the mountains, coming from all eight directions, guarding the most prosperous place in the entire Long Continent Kingdom.

The buildings and palaces here are the tallest and widest; the streets and trees here are the widest and most beautiful.

Everyone here has a more spacious residence than outside. Even a mere Golden Spear Guard has his own house when he's not on duty.

The Heavenly King Palace and the Earth Beam Palace are two palace complexes separated only by a street.

The palace buildings here were damaged a while ago, but they have been restored quickly.

At this moment, the Earth Governor stood before a grand hall with its doors tightly shut, carefully instructing a steward on the method of decocting medicine.

Suddenly, the Earth Governor's yellow beard twitched slightly, and his left palm caught something in the air in front of him. After making three hand seals, he swept it horizontally with one hand.

Lines of writing appeared in the air.

"A water demon disturbed the mist, and among the outsiders who strayed into the Long Continent, there was actually a divine healer from the Night Wanderer Clan?"

The Earth Governor was slightly pleased and immediately sent a message back, instructing Fang Tai to send someone to escort the divine physician over.

He then said to the steward, "Since there is a divine physician, you should prepare the medicine. Stop giving the medicine for half a day to avoid disrupting the physician's diagnosis."

The steward acknowledged the order and withdrew.

The Earth Governor turned and walked towards the main hall.

The heavy bronze door, gilded and tinged with green, slowly opened, and eerie laughter emanated from within.

On the altar in the hall sat an old man with red hair and beard, a bald forehead, large eyes, and an aquiline nose.

A chilling knife wound slashed diagonally down his left shoulder, stopping in the center of his chest.

The air near the knife wound rippled and shimmered with an eerie light, and the ghostly laughter emanated from there.

On that day, even with the blessing of the altar, the Heavenly Official was able to hold off the leader of the Ghost Mother Clan, but he was only slightly inferior.

The Earth Governor originally thought that with his help afterward, he could make up for the shortcoming and remove the knife wound—wouldn't that be a piece of cake?

Who knew that the knife wound was poisonous, with ever-changing effects, making it truly difficult to treat; although it could be suppressed, it was difficult to eradicate completely.

The Divine Lord Wangliang was still immersed in the inertia of the final stage of the exchange ritual, and the Earth Governor's sacrificial communication to the deeper areas received no response.

It seems that only someone with exceptional expertise in medicine and poisons could cure the Heavenly Official.

The Heavenly Official stroked his beard and said, "I just heard you mention the Divine Physician?"

The Earth Governor nodded. "It's Fang from my palace... who?!"

The Earth Governor suddenly turned around.

A wisp of invisible moisture seeped in through the crack in the door, and Di Zai, with a flick of Earth Governor wrist, snatched it away.

This water vapor was originally a pure gas, but it turned into mist in mid-air, and finally condensed into an ice-white octopus, which was more than half the height of a person.

"Lord Earth Governor, I am the White Ape Messenger."

The Earth Governor examined the monster he had captured closely, his face showing surprise.

"It's actually a sea monster with intelligence! Which white ape is so capable that it could mate with a sea monster and have a child?"

The Heavenly Official said in a deep voice, "Don't strangle him. Let's hear what he has to say."

The sea monster cackled, "Lord Huangfen said you are good, and since he can't kill you immediately, he can negotiate with you. My General Yuan has also agreed."

The Earth Governor laughed and said, "The war is not over yet, and the White Ape's infiltration and sabotage in various places have never stopped. Is this how you plan to negotiate peace?"

"Let's fight and negotiate simultaneously."

The sea monster, feeling immense pressure from the Earth Governor's glare, dared not laugh any longer.

"If you are willing to negotiate, General Yuan is willing to come in person to show his sincerity."

The Earth Governor seemed to be sneering, but he didn't actually make a move.

After pondering for a long time, the Heavenly Official said, "General Yuan, are you referring to that white ape general who practices the 'Boyhood Kung Fu'?"

"Good courage! But such an important matter cannot be accomplished with mere words. Go and report to him, and ask him to show himself. We will send someone to welcome him."

"Do everything according to etiquette."

(End of this chapter)