Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Cheng Haoran said, “Your Excellency, before entering the Bounded Void Space, please stay here temporarily. There are many rules and many secret places in White Jade Capital. I am not allowed to go near them too, so Your Excellency, please do not move around on your own without permission to prevent creating any unnecessary trouble. Otherwise, even if Grandmaster tries to speak up for you, it would still be hard to get away with it.”

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With a calm expression, Qin Yu replied, “Okay.”

After he watched Cheng Haoran leave, he pushed open the door and entered. In front of him was a single palace that occupied a large area.

“Welcome, our honored guest!” A group of young and beautiful female cultivators greeted him respectfully. Each of them was graceful and extremely pretty.

Qin Yu waved his hand, “All of you are dismissed.”

The female cultivators looked shocked but they did not dare to question his orders. They lowered their heads and left in single file. When Qin Yu was the only person left in the great hall, he lifted a finger and pointed out. Space fluctuated in layers, creating ripples that spread outwards. These ripples slowly covered every inch of the great hall, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong with this place, he clenched his fingers into a fist.

Buzz –

The space vibrated softly and the great hall was sealed, making it isolated from the outside world so no one could sense what was going on inside. Taking a deep breath, Qin Yu said slowly, “Little blue lamp.”

There was a long silence, and right when Qin Yu thought that he was unable to get a reply from him in White Jade Capital, a wave of thought appeared in his mind, “Qin Yu, I’m still in the midst of investigating this place. However, from what I have checked so far, it seems that the ambition and power of the humans’ cultivation system far exceeds our expectations.”

Qin Yu replied, “Okay. Give me an answer the moment you’re done investigating.” His voice was calm but there was a heavy expression on his face. As he expected, the nine White Jade Capitals were related to the nine Blazing Suns in the sky.

Human cultivation system…the thoughts turned quickly in Qin Yu’s head. After a few moments, he exhaled and suppressed these thoughts slowly. For the time being, he would entrust these matters to the little blue lamp. Getting more Heaven and Earth Origin was his priority now. What Seventh Dao Master said was right – because they were practicing different cultivation systems and walking on different dao paths, World Origin was not indispensable to Qin Yu.

However, there was something that Seventh Dao Master did not consider…the initial motive behind the reason why Qin Yu took the risk to cross the Eternal Sea this time to come to this White Jade Capital was to find the dead Heaven and Earth Origin. This could help with the transformation of his Incense Spirit, Qin Yû, which would in turn accelerate the process of him igniting his Incense Great Dao. Therefore, he was not going to give up Heaven and Earth Origin in the first place.

However, even if Qin Yu successfully entered the world connected to the altar, it was not easy to safely retrieve Heaven and Earth Origin. Seventh Dao Master was too powerful, and as long as he detected something was wrong, there would be trouble! Furthermore, there was not just one White Jade Capital, which meant that there was not just one Dao Master. If Qin Yu stole Heaven and Earth Origin for himself, it was equivalent to stealing from the Dao Masters. Of course he would be afraid if the Dao Masters grouped up and fought against him.

Therefore, he had to be very careful about this matter and make sure that there were no loopholes. What was he to do? A thoughtful look appeared on Qin Yu’s face.

At the same time, somewhere far away, at another White Jade Capital, Mokona knelt on the ground and respectfully greeted, “Grandmaster, I’m back.”

Opposite him, there was a handsome middle-aged man who wore a daoist robe with seven stars on it. He opened his eyes and asked, “How is it?”

“Seventh Dao Master has found a strong individual from a Mutant World. He will be their representative to enter the world connected to the altar and there is nothing wrong with his identity.” After a slight pause, Mokona continued, “According to Grandmaster’s orders, I have deliberately tested the cultivation level of this individual. He is a powerful swordsman who is very close to igniting his Incense Great Dao and his abilities are terrifying. I was not his opponent.”

A brilliance shone in Third Dao Master’s eyes. “You’re not his opponent? Seventh Dao Master is quite lucky to find someone so useful. However, in this competition for the Heaven and Earth Origin, I must get my hands on it!” He raised his hand and pointed a finger. The space started to fluctuate and a drop of blood appeared. This drop of blood that had just appeared started to vibrate violently. An invisible power surged, causing the space around it to distort.

Roar –

Roar –

At this moment, roars could be heard! Mokona’s eyes widened, “Grandmaster, this…this is…”

Third Dao Master said, “This is the blood essence that I obtained after refining a Demonic Spirit that I killed while exploring a strange place in a Mutant World many years ago. If you absorb this drop of blood essence into your body, it can help you transform into a Demonic Spirit at a critical moment. You will temporarily possess all the powers of a Demonic Spirit and this will be enough to help you turn the battle around.”

Mokona looked delighted, “Grandmaster, rest assured. I will commit to this task to the best of my abilities. I will not let you down!”

Half a month later.

In the seventh White Jade Capital, Qin Yu abruptly opened his eyes. With a wave of his sleeve, he got rid of the restriction spell. In the next moment, the palace doors were opened from the outside. Cheng Haoran walked into the great hall and said, “Your Excellency, Grandmaster invites you over.”

“Okay.”

Qin Yu got up and followed Cheng Haoran to where Seventh Dao Master stayed. It was the highest point in White Jade Capital and it was a tall building completely made up of white jade. It seemed to reach straight into the galaxy above, as if one could grab a star from the sky just by reaching up.

Seventh Dao Master turned around and said, “Fellow daoist Luo Guan, you must know the reason why I invited you over today, right?”

Qin Yu asked, “When are we moving out?”

“In one hour,” Seventh Dao Master smiled and said, “Fellow daoist Luo Guan, you should know that there is a silent competition between the nine White Jade Capitals. Your journey this time concerns Heaven and Earth Origin, which is an object that us Dao Masters all need. There will definitely be a battle over this. Today, I want to clearly let fellow daoist Luo Guan know that after you enter the altar, you do not need to have any restraints. You can directly kill whoever gets in the way of you obtaining Heaven and Earth Origin.”

Qin Yu frowned, not saying a single word.

Seventh Dao Master said, “I will bear whatever consequences and trouble comes afterwards. I will not let you get dragged into it.”

“That would be great,” Qin Yu said in a low voice. “Apart from that, if it is possible, I hope Dao Master can give me a list of my competitors. I believe that you would have prepared this in advance.”

Seventh Dao Master retrieved a jade slip and said, “Everything that you want to know is in this jade slip.”

Qin Yu extended his arm to receive it. He put his divine sense into the jade slip, and after a few breaths, a brilliance flashed past his eyes. ‘Smash!’ The jade slip was smashed to pieces. “Okay, I’m ready.”

A look of admiration formed on Seventh Dao Master’s face. “Cheng Haoran will go together with you. I know I may be asking for too much, but this is a disciple that I am very fond of. I hope that you can take good care of him and ensure that he escapes unscathed.”

Cheng Haoran frowned, “Grandmaster, I can take care of myself.”

Seventh Dao Master scoffed, “If that is your way of thinking, you will definitely die in that world! Remember, listen to everything that fellow daoist Luo Guan tells you to do. Do not act on your own whims, otherwise, you will be heavily punished!”

Cheng Haoran laughed bitterly but could only obey these orders respectfully. Since Grandmaster said these words, he must have been serious about it. Cheng Haoran did not want to try and find out what would happen if he disobeyed.

Qin Yu nodded, “Dao Master, please rest assured. I will try to protect Cheng Haoran’s safety to the best of my capabilities, but if…I hope that Dao Master understands.”

Seventh Dao Master nodded, “Naturally.” He got up and added, “It’s almost time. Let’s go, I will escort you into the depths of the Bounded Void Space where the altar is.” He waved his sleeve and an invisible energy was released. The three of them disappeared instantly and then reappeared in the Bounded Void Space. When they looked around them, they could see how vast this place was, but there was only eternal darkness and silence.

Sweeping his gaze over his surroundings and feeling the chaos in this place, he could feel a heaviness descending upon his forehead subconsciously. This place…he was already in the depths of the Bounded Void Space! Or more accurately, this place was enough to make a True King confused and be lost in this place forever, unable to escape.

Seventh Dao Master could directly bring them to descend into this place, and even though it seemed like an insignificant move, it showed just how terrifyingly powerful he was. To be able to lock onto a specific spot in the Sea of Confusion and bring two individuals here was incredibly difficult. However, evidently, this was something that was easily achieved by Seventh Dao Master.

“Let’s just wait for a few moments.” Of course, they were waiting for the Dao Masters from the other White Jade Capitals. A heavy expression formed on Qin Yu’s face.

Buzz –

Fluctuations suddenly appeared in the Bounded Void Space. A handsome middle-aged man wearing a daoist robe with seven stars on it walked out first. Behind him were three people. One of them was Mokona, who had endured one of Qin Yu’s sword slashes. He looked over with coldness in his eyes.

“Third Dao Master,” Seventh Dao Master cupped his hands and greeted.

The middle-aged man smiled slightly, “Seventh Dao Master, long time no see.” They did not exchange a lot of greetings. They merely nodded at each other before they separated.

Firstly, this was not the right place for them to speak. Secondly, there was not much time to talk either, because the other Dao Masters were descending one after another as well.

Qin Yu stood behind Seventh Dao Master and watched as the other eight Dao Masters arrived. When Ninth Dao Master arrived, he felt a tremor in his heart and quickly retracted his own aura. This was because Qin Yu felt a Desolate and Barbarian Clan aura from him. This also meant that Ninth Dao Master was the owner of the White Jade Capital above the Desolate World. 

Buzz –

An unusual wave suddenly erupted inside his body. It was the little blue lamp. Qin Yu’s body stiffened and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead instantly. He also stopped breathing. 

Ninth Dao Master, who had just descended, looked at Qin Yu. After a few moments of observation, he said slowly, “I’ve never seen this person before.”

Seventh Dao Master laughed slightly and said, “Fellow daoist Luo Guan comes from Waterfront World. He was invited by me to enter the altar for exploration.”

A light flashed in Ninth Dao Master’s eyes and he nodded, not saying much. He retracted his gaze, but Qin Yu still somehow felt that the other party had realized something amiss just now, just that he had chosen not to show it, for whatever reason.

Standing behind Ninth Dao Master was a young man who looked handsome yet feminine like a woman. His gaze was cold, like eternal ice, and he showed no fluctuation in his emotions at all. He glanced at Qin Yu briefly and his gaze did not linger, yet, just this single second of being looked at made Qin Yu’s heart sink. A strong vigilance grew in his heart!

Seventh Dao Master’s voice suddenly rang in Qin Yu’s head, “Be careful of the person behind Ninth Dao Master. His name is Prison. If you encounter him, try your best not to engage in a conflict with him.”

Qin Yu nodded silently and he started to feel a little fearful. When he looked at the jade slip earlier, he had looked at the detailed records about Prison…to summarize, he was strong and cunning. He had gone against a Dao Master before and managed to escape safely!

Beside him, Cheng Haoran’s face had fallen a long time ago. In the depths of his eyes, there was a deep fear.

“Since everyone has arrived, let’s not delay this any further. Let’s join hands to summon the altar,” First Dao Master said. His voice was calm and gentle, but at the same time, it was incomparably majestic and dignified.

“Okay,” the other Dao Masters answered, nodding their heads.

In the next moment, all nine Dao Masters raised their hands and pointed outwards at the same time. Light rays appeared from their fingertips that soon surrounded their bodies. In the light, runes quickly appeared one after another and they circulated around each other, giving off a powerful aura.

Rumble –

A deep rumbling sound rang out from the Bounded Void Space. An illusion of a boundless sea appeared in front of everyone. It was the manifestation of the Sea of Confusion! On the surface of this sea, roaring tidal waves surged and a terrifying power fluctuated, causing the waves to explode.

The Sea of Confusion was resisting the summoning by the nine Dao Masters so that it could prevent the altar from rising. It was almost as if a powerful existence had given it an order a long time ago.

However, with the nine Dao Masters working together, the power that was being released was simply unimaginable. The fluctuations within the Sea of Confusion illusion became more and more violent. Then, a giant altar slowly started to rise and little by little, it became clearer.

Suddenly, following a loud bang, the surface of the sea was torn apart by a strong force. The altar floated to the surface. It was entirely pitch black, as if it was carved from a huge, singular piece of black jade. On its surface, there were bright spots that continuously glimmered, giving off a dreamlike aura.

At this moment, Qin Yu looked calm on the exterior, but a strange feeling grew in the depths of his heart. It was as if there was some sort of connection between the altar and himself. Though this connection was weak, it most certainly was there.

This was unexpected.

The thoughts ran through his mind, and just when Qin Yu was trying to find out where this feeling might have come from, the altar transformed from its illusory state to one that was real. As it condensed into reality, the connection that Qin Yu felt started to become clearer and clearer. It was definitely not just in his head!

However, he still had to double check this…was this a feeling that only he had, or did everyone else feel the same way? This was very important and he had to confirm it.

“Stay!” First Dao Master yelled.

Buzz –

In this Bounded Void Space, it was just nothingness. There was nothing real or concrete. At this moment, however, a large portion of the rules were rearranging, and they descended and covered the altar, forming a strong and powerful seal. Only in this way could the altar be kept outside the Sea of Confusion. Otherwise, it would just sink to the bottom of the sea in the next moment.

“According to our research on the altar, the exploration into the world connected to the altar will last a month. When one month is almost up, everyone must retreat back to the altar. Otherwise, there is a high possibility that something outside of our control will happen.” First Dao Master looked at everyone and asked, “Does anyone have any objections?”

Evidently, First Dao Master had gained some sort of leadership position amongst all the other Dao Masters out of practicality. All the other Dao Masters simply nodded to what he said.

“Good, then it’s decided,” First Dao Master said. “Now, us Dao Masters will open the altar. All of you, do not resist and let yourself be sucked in by the altar’s power. It will take you into that dead world. Lastly, let me remind all of you that even though this world is already dead, there is still a large number of living beings inside. Even though they are weak, it is best if you do not get too close to them.”

Regarding this, First Dao Master did not give much of a detailed explanation. However, seeing as the other Dao Masters were somewhat tacitly agreeing with his words, one could infer that those living beings in the dead world were probably holding some secrets. 

Seventh Dao Master turned around and said, “Fellow daoist Luo Guan, please get ready to enter. Both of you, please take care of yourselves.” His gaze then landed on Cheng Haoran and he added, “And you, remember not to act on your own whims. Be safe!”

“I got it, Grandmaster,” Cheng Haoran said with a look of helplessness on his face.

A moment later, a swallowing power was released from the altar. The nine Dao Masters concentrated, keeping themselves isolated from the swallowing power as everyone else flew towards this huge, black altar.