The palace in the secret realm

The demon painter placed his life on Huo Qubing.

This seems like child's play, after all, Huo Qubing was only five years old.

But when the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon staked their lives on Zhang Xuezhou, Zhang Xuezhou was still just an embryo.

With this comparison, the situation doesn't seem so exaggerated.

Of course, Zhang Xuezhou must say that the painting of demons gave Huo Qubing some disadvantages. At least someone like Zhang Xuezhou had the convenience of traveling between two worlds, while Huo Qubing simply had the ability to repeatedly analyze and watch his opponent's moves.

If used properly, this might reveal weaknesses in the opponent's moves.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that this convenience was limited to this.

In a real conflict, once the two sides become enemies, there is little chance for a second chance; the outcome is usually decided in a single battle.

After a comprehensive evaluation, it wasn't surprising that Zhang Xuezhou felt the demon-drawing technique was somewhat ineffective.

Some talented cultivators don't even need to replay or review the battle; they can directly discern their opponent's weaknesses during combat and thus achieve a counterattack, which is far better than Huo Qubing's current state.

"Come on!"

Huo Qubing recounted his situation in a low voice and then asked Zhang Xuezhou for help. Zhang Xuezhou could only give him a thumbs-up gesture.

"You don't need to ask me if I know anything about this. If you want to know everything clearly, go back and ask your mother!"

Huo Qubing was clearly eager to understand the various strange things about himself, so Zhang Xuezhou had no choice but to deferred to Wei Shao'er, since Huo Qubing's situation was indeed complicated by too many factors.

Seeking help from the Wei Shao'er (a child welfare organization) can not only help you understand the cause and effect, but may also allow you to draw upon the power of the "Mother of No Return" (a figure of great wisdom and compassion).

Zhang Xuezhou's refusal silenced Huo Qubing, who lost all his previous enthusiasm and energy.

"Half a person, half a painting?"

Zhang Xuezhou also had some thoughts on the matter.

The battle between Hua Yao and Huo Qubing ended relatively peacefully, but both had significant long-term consequences.

"Whether it's me and the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon, the Void Furnace and the Hairless Tiger, or Ning Que and Luo Zhong, the only way we can survive is through one side: either the Void Furnace forcefully refines the Hairless Tiger, or Luo Zhong, filled with rage and resentment, chooses to die willingly, or I am currently locked in a fierce struggle with the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon. There is only one path left, and there has never been a peaceful ending!"

Zhang Xuezhou had to admit that he greatly admired Huo Qubing.

Compared to their rivalry, perhaps the demon was too weak, and Huo Qubing was also weak; the weak ultimately banded together.

In their cases, one side was strong and the other weak, so there was no opportunity for others, and they never had a choice.

It was only when faced with an insurmountable threat of death that the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon were forced to intervene.

When he was attacked by the desolate spirit, it was the only time Zhang Xuezhou barely escaped a fight. He could even sense that the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon looked at him as if he were an insect.

If he weren't still useful, Zhang Xuezhou felt he would have been killed long ago.

However, Zhang Xuezhou's survival instinct is the primary reason for his existence, and Zhang Xuezhou would never use such a condition to negotiate with the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon.

This also led to Zhang Xuezhou and the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon constantly coming to blows.

To be honest, Zhang Xuezhou was also very curious about what the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon were pursuing. Zhang Xuezhou didn't think any being needed two bodies in two different worlds.

Just as Zhang Xuezhou is powerful yet gives off a harmless feeling, the drawbacks of this separation between body and mind are too great.

Zhang Xuezhou has had a tough life these past few years, Zhang Xuezhou believes that the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon would never want to repeat this kind of existence.

What exactly does he need?

Zhang Xuezhou rarely considered what the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon needed from their perspective.

Few could match the opponent's former power, and the opponent also had many powerful companions. The opponent had already reached the top in a certain low-dimensional world. Zhang Xuezhou couldn't imagine what such an existence needed.

"He wouldn't be thinking of relying on me to break through to a higher dimension, would he?"

Stepping from a higher dimension to a lower dimension requires the use of a void stone and carries the risk of death. Only great cultivators with immortal qualifications dare to attempt a dimensional fall.

On the other hand, things are even worse. When low-dimensional beings leap into higher dimensions, they will not only encounter dimensional influences, but also be attacked by high-dimensional cultivators. Only when beings in low-dimensional worlds have such strong combat power that they reach the top will these cultivators dare to rush in.

Like Golden Dragon Fish leaping over the Dragon Gate, countless people with exceptional cultivation soared to great heights only to fall back to the mortal realm, with only a handful succeeding.

If the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon held this view, Zhang Xuezhou felt there was no possibility of cooperation between them. A cultivator with such inherent weaknesses as him would perish even with ten chances, let alone two bodies and two separate opportunities.

Putting everything else aside, he has difficulty Sole Self Realm, let alone talking about reaching the pinnacle of cultivation and advancing to higher dimensions.

"Cut!"

Zhang Xuezhou finally spat at the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon.

If there's nothing to talk about, then confrontation is the only option.

Having prepared for a fight to the death, and possessing significant physical and cultivation deficiencies, he only had the ability to survive but lacked the means to attack and subdue the enemy. Even the five-year-old Huo Qubing couldn't be captured, so Zhang Xuezhou didn't think that the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon could overturn his body.

After some thought, Zhang Xuezhou felt he had nothing to reflect on regarding his mistakes and returned to the secret place of Shanglin Garden.

He explained the rules of this secret place to Huo Qubing, and then gestured for Huo Qubing to explore the way, since Zhang Xuezhou really couldn't figure out the layout of this secret place.

"Who uses a child to scout ahead?" Huo Qubing retorted. "I just bled a lot, don't treat me like I'm not human!"

"It's fine if you get caught in the formation; I can at least pull you back. But it would be troublesome if I got caught in the formation; you don't have the strength to pull me back," Zhang Xuezhou explained.

"I'm very strong!"

Huo Qubing raised his arm, but ultimately walked ahead dejectedly.

Huo Qubing felt that Zhang Xuezhou didn't treat him like an outsider, but he also didn't treat him like a human being. He had never seen a great cultivator use a child to clear a path when breaking through an array, and this feeling was undoubtedly terrible.

Especially since his body was affected by the formation in this secret place, the world in Huo Qubing's eyes still seemed somewhat bizarre and fantastical.

When he looked at Zhang Xuezhou, it was as if he were seeing a flat, paper-thin figure. The whole world seemed to have changed before his eyes, which made him extremely uncomfortable.

This may be the world as seen through the eyes of the painting demon, and it has left a significant impact on him, preventing his normal vision from ever returning.

However, this special visual effect also brought certain benefits. In Huo Qubing's eyes, the trees seemed to be lying flat on the ground, and the undulating mountains were flat as a plain, with no obstacles in his eyes.

If Huo Qubing followed the two horizontal beams indicated by Zhang Xuezhou as a bridge to proceed forward, he could see a distinct white mark in the texture of the earth.

This may be the path that has existed in the past.

Huo Qubing initially appeared cautious, but after a moment, his steps became steady, as if he were walking freely in the Shanglin Garden.

This amazed Zhang Xuezhou, who was following behind. He felt that Huo Qubing's chosen route was perfect, as the continuous march did not trigger any attacks from the secret formations of this place.

As they continued their journey, Zhang Xuezhou saw a decaying palace emerging from the shadowy forest.

The palace's blue bricks remain, but the main beams that construct the palace, like the road they came from, have become dilapidated and even rotten and broken without the annual application of tung oil.

This secret place is no different from the Daoist temple of the Orthodox God Lord of Mount Tai; it has indeed been in ruins for a long time.

Zhang Xuezhou stared at the palace for a long time before he could make out an ancient character for 'big'.

"True Martial Arts Chess"

However, Huo Qubing, having somehow gained some insight from the painting demon, actually managed to identify the name of this palace.