Lu Qing was leading the Old Azure Dragon and the others through a space passage, surrounded by endless void turbulence and distorted light and shadow.
Suddenly, he felt something and abruptly came to a halt.
The old man transformed from the Old Azure Dragon was startled. "Lu Qing, what's wrong?"
Lu Qing did not answer but turned around to look back.
In the space passage behind them, a small black figure was flying toward them at extreme speed.
The figure was not large, but it emitted a familiar aura.
It was Xiao Li.
Using all four paws, it was running with all its might through the space passage.
The surrounding void turbulence brushed against its body, leaving small scars on its fur, but it didn't care and just charged forward desperately.
Lu Qing's expression changed. He waved his hand, and a wave of Power of Space surged out, steadily catching Xiao Li and pulling it in front of him.
"Xiao Li! Why did you follow us?" Lu Qing said helplessly.
Xiao Li looked up at him with its pitch-black eyes, which were full of determination. "Lu Qing, I want to go with you."
"Nonsense!" Lu Qing's tone grew uncharacteristically stern. "Didn't I say this journey is dangerous? You can't come along. Go back quickly; I'll send you back."
As he spoke, he was about to activate the Power of Space to send Xiao Li back to the Immortal Palace.
But Xiao Li shook its head and took a step back.
"I'm not going back! Lu Qing, I'm already in the Primordial Spirit Realm. I can help."
The little fellow's tone was filled with immense stubbornness.
Lu Qing stared at it fixedly, and Xiao Li met his gaze without flinching.
The old man transformed from the Old Azure Dragon stroked his beard and said nothing, merely looking back and forth between Lu Qing and Xiao Li.
The large man transformed from the Black Savage Ox scratched his head and said in a booming voice, "This little fellow certainly has guts."
The white-haired woman transformed from Mingfeng stood quietly to the side, a hint of admiration in her eyes.
Lu Qing fell silent for a moment.
Looking at Xiao Li's pitch-black eyes, he felt a sense of helplessness.
He knew that although Xiao Li was usually quiet, once it made a decision, it was very hard to change.
This bit of temper, truth be told, was likely influenced by him.
"Have you thought this through? Going to the other world is a life-or-death gamble; I might not be able to protect you." Lu Qing's voice softened slightly.
Xiao Li nodded vigorously. "I've thought it through, Lu Qing. I'm not afraid."
Lu Qing was silent for a while longer.
The void turbulence in the space passage whistled past them, the light and shadow shifting between light and dark.
Finally, he sighed and nodded. "Alright, then you shall come with me."
Xiao Li hearing this was overjoyed and immediately jumped into Lu Qing's arms.
Lu Qing rubbed its fur and said no more.
The Old Azure Dragon watched this scene from the side and sighed softly.
Lu Qing turned around and continued to activate the Power of Space, moving forward.
The group of four people and one beast traveled quickly through the space passage.
Before long, a glimmer of light appeared ahead.
That was the exit of the passage, connecting to the edge of the Dark Demon Abyss.
Lu Qing stepped out, passing through the curtain of light, and the scene before him suddenly opened up.
The Dark Demon Abyss still spanned across the starry sky, that massive crack as black as ink, emitting a heart-palpitating aura.
At the edge of the crack, space was distorted and unstable, with space fissures flashing from time to time like streaks of black lightning.
Compared to ten years ago, the aura here was even more restless.
The power of darkness surged like a tide, wave after wave, crashing against the edges of the crack.
Faint, low rumbles could be heard coming from deep within the crack, as if something was roaring.
Lu Qing floated in front of the crack, quietly gazing at the darkness.
The Old Azure Dragon and the others stood behind him, while Xiao Li perched on his shoulder, all four pairs of eyes staring at the crack.
"The power of darkness here is much more terrifying than it was hundreds of thousands of years ago," the Old Azure Dragon said gravely.
Lu Qing nodded. "Senior Xuanhua's remnant soul is about to reach its limit. We must hurry."
He said no more and stepped into the crack.
The Power of Space flowed around his body, isolating the surging power of darkness.
The Old Azure Dragon and the others followed closely behind, each using their own methods to protect themselves.
The moment they entered the crack, the scene before them changed again.
Endless darkness surrounded them, and the surroundings were filled with Devilish Qi so thick it had almost condensed into substance.
The Devilish Qi flowed slowly, like an invisible tide, constantly eroding their protective spiritual power.
Lu Qing traveled through the darkness with ease, the Power of Space paving an invisible road beneath his feet.
The Old Azure Dragon and the others followed tightly, not daring to relax for a moment.
The deeper they went, the denser the surrounding Devilish Qi became.
The Magic Fire Monsters loomed in the darkness, letting out low growls.
But they seemed to sense the aura on Lu Qing's body and retreated one after another, not daring to approach.
Lu Qing ignored them, simply speeding up and heading all the way down.
After an unknown amount of time, a speck of light suddenly appeared in the darkness ahead.
The light was soft and warm, standing out remarkably in this pitch-black Demon Abyss; it was where Great Power Xuanhua's corpse was located.
Soon, Lu Qing and the others arrived before the great black tomb. The tomb still stood there, entirely black, emitting an ancient and vast aura.
The surrounding demonic flames burned quietly, illuminating the entire area like a ghostly realm.
Lu Qing did not stop, leading the Old Azure Dragon and the others through the tomb's entrance and along the deep passage into the interior of the tomb.
In the center of the tomb, the white jade throne still stood quietly.
Upon the throne, the tall corpse sat upright. Half of its body emitted a vast, luminous aura, while the other half was eroded by darkness.
Compared to ten years ago, the darkened half of the body had expanded further.
What was originally only half-eroded had now spread to the majority.
Black Devilish Qi surged continuously from that half of the body, condensing in the air into Magic Fire Monsters before flying outward.
Lu Qing walked to the front of the throne and stopped.
He looked up at the seated figure and said loudly, "Senior Xuanhua, Junior Lu Qing has come to fulfill our agreement."
His voice echoed in the empty hall, lingering for a long time.
A moment later, the corpse trembled slightly.
An illusory light drifted out from the corpse, condensing in the air into a translucent figure.
It had the appearance of a middle-aged man with handsome features and clear eyes, dressed in a white robe, emitting a vast, luminous aura.
However, the figure was already very blurred, as if it might dissipate at any moment.
It was indeed the remnant soul thought of Great Power Xuanhua.
He looked at Lu Qing, a slight smile appearing on his pale face.
"You've come."
Lu Qing bowed with clasped hands. "Junior has arrived late; I have kept Senior waiting."
Xuanhua waved his hand. "It's not late. You haven't broken the ten-year agreement, and..."
His gaze fell upon Lu Qing, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
"You've made a Breakthrough to the Dao Integration Realm Minor Achievement? It's only been ten years, yet your progress is quite significant."
Lu Qing nodded. "I was fortunate enough to break through."
Xuanhua then looked at the Old Azure Dragon and the others, his gaze lingering on the Old Azure Dragon for a moment.
"Servants of the Gui Xu Daoist? You are going along too?"
The Old Azure Dragon bowed respectfully. "Senior, we wish to follow Lu Qing to the other world to find our master."
Xuanhua was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Very well, one more person means one more source of strength, however..." He looked at Xiao Li perched on Lu Qing's shoulder. "This little fellow is going too? It hasn't reached the Dao Integration Realm yet, has it?"
Hearing this, Xiao Li quickly looked up and puffed out its chest, wanting to prove itself.
But the aura it emitted was indeed only in the Primordial Spirit Realm; it couldn't hide it at all in front of Xuanhua.
Lu Qing said, "It is my family, having been with me through life and death. Since it insists on coming, Junior will protect it."
Xuanhua looked at Xiao Li, then at Lu Qing, and said nothing more.
After a moment of silence, he looked at Lu Qing. "Before you depart, is there anything else you want to say?"
"Junior does indeed have some matters I wish to ask Senior about," Lu Qing said.
"Oh? What matters?"
"Junior wishes to know, is the Heavenly Demon Realm the only thing on the other side of this world passage?"
This had always been a doubt of Lu Qing's. If there were only the Heavenly Demon Realm, logically speaking, those ancient sages shouldn't have been able to endure for so many years.
Unfortunately, when he searched the Divine Soul of the Vice Temple Master of the Black White Temple back then, he hadn't obtained much information about the other world. It seemed certain information in the other's Divine Soul had been deliberately erased by some entities.
Therefore, he could only ask Great Power Xuanhua personally.
"It seems you've noticed as well."
Great Power Xuanhua was not surprised by Lu Qing's inquiry; instead, he showed a look of admiration.
"Correct, what lies across the world passage is not just the Heavenly Demon Realm."
"In fact, it was only after we went out back then that we discovered our Home World is actually just a very insignificant Universe within the Chaos Sea at the edge of a vast continent."
"The Heavenly Demon Realm is also just a relatively powerful world within that vast continent."
"Back then, some monsters from the Heavenly Demon Realm entered the Chaos Sea to explore for certain reasons."
"As a result, they accidentally discovered the existence of our Universe, which is why they began their invasion."
"A vast continent?" Lu Qing was startled.
The Old Azure Dragon and the others also showed looks of shock.
"Yes, it is an incredibly vast continent called the Primordial Continent, filled with countless unimaginable mysteries. It borders many worlds and Universes and is divided into multiple regions."
"Upon the continent, there are also many divine kingdoms established by powerful entities. Each divine kingdom is far vaster than our Home World's Universe."
"When the monsters of the Heavenly Demon Realm first discovered our Home World's Universe, they realized that the physical bodies and Divine Souls of the beings in our world were great tonics for them."
"As long as they devour all the living beings in our world, and even the dao origin, their strength will undergo a massive transformation."
"Therefore, the Heavenly Demon Realm and we are destined to fight to the death; in the end, only one world can survive."
Listening to Great Power Xuanhua's narration, Lu Qing and the others were shaken.
They hadn't expected the world outside to be so magnificent and vast.
They also finally understood why the Heavenly Demon Realm was so persistent in wanting to invade the Home World's Universe.
Great Power Xuanhua continued, "Originally, the Heavenly Demon Realm was on that vast Primordial Continent, while our Home World's Universe was in the Chaos Sea. The distance between them is vast, with several powerful forces in between."
"Furthermore, when we left back then, we joined forces to Seal and hide the coordinates of our Home World's Universe."
"It wouldn't be easy for the Heavenly Demon Realm to bypass those forces and invade our Home World's Universe again."
"However, back then I was plotted against and captured alive by the Heavenly Demon Realm. They used my Physical Body and Divine Soul as a medium to perform a blood sacrifice."
"They wanted to use the karmic connection between me and our Home World to directly open a world passage, linking the Heavenly Demon Realm with our Home World's Universe."
"My old friends are not yet aware of this, so the most important thing for your journey is to find them as soon as possible."
"Have them work together to open the original Seal, return to the Home World's Universe, and completely Seal the world passage from this side to stop the Heavenly Demon Realm's invasion."
Lu Qing asked, "Senior, how can we find those Seniors?"
"After we sealed the Home World's Universe back then, in order to evade the Heavenly Demon Realm's pursuit, we chose to join a divine kingdom force that was at odds with the Heavenly Demon Realm."
"After you arrive there, first find a way to leave the Heavenly Demon Realm, then head to that divine kingdom and contact them."
With that, a Jade Slip flew out from Great Power Xuanhua's hand toward Lu Qing.
"This Jade Slip contains some information about the Primordial Continent, which should be of help to you. Also, remember that the Dao rules of the Primordial Continent are very different from those of the Home World's Universe. After you leave the Heavenly Demon Realm, you must find a way to adapt before continuing your journey."
Lu Qing caught the Jade Slip and read it with his Divine Thought. After seeing the various descriptions of the "Primordial Continent" inside, his mind was instantly shaken.
According to the records in the Jade Slip, the vastness and wonder of the "Primordial Continent" far exceeded his imagination.
After reading the information in the Jade Slip, Lu Qing handed it over to the Old Azure Dragon and the others.
When the Old Azure Dragon and the others saw the information in the Jade Slip, their faces also showed expressions of shock.
"Alright, I've said all that needs to be said. Do you have anything else you want to ask?" Great Power Xuanhua asked.
Lu Qing pondered for a moment and finally shook his head. "Junior's questions are finished."
As for the Old Azure Dragon and the others, they also shook their heads.
"In that case, let's begin."
He raised his hand and gave a gentle wave. Behind the throne, the pitch-black stone wall suddenly cracked open, revealing a deep passage.
Deep within the passage, a chaotic light could be seen faintly flickering.
"That is the world passage." Xuanhua's voice became solemn. "Pass through this passage, and the other side is the Heavenly Demon Realm. In my current state, I can only send you to the other end of the passage. The road ahead will depend on yourselves."
Lu Qing looked at the passage and took a deep breath.
Then he turned to the Three Seniors and said, "Three Seniors, please enter my Spiritual Artifact space first. Otherwise, if we go together, the target will be too large, making it difficult to adapt to circumstances."
"Alright."
The Old Azure Dragon and the others did not refuse and nodded one after another.
With a wave of his hand, Lu Qing collected them along with Xiao Li into the Li Huo Cauldron.
Immediately afterward, the aura on his body shifted, and his appearance also continuously changed. After more than ten breaths, he actually transformed into a hideous form shrouded in dense Devilish Qi.
That appearance was exactly the same as the true form of the Vice Temple Master of the Black White Temple whom he had slain back then.
It was Lu Qing directly using his formless and Ever-changing ability to transform himself into a monster of the Heavenly Demon Race.
He had performed a soul search on that Master of the Black and White Temple back then and was thoroughly familiar with his magic properties and behavioral habits; his transformation and imitation were practically lifelike.
And this sudden transformation of his also startled Great Power Xuanhua.
Because in his perception, the aura Lu Qing was emitting at this moment was indeed no different from that of the Heavenly Demon Race.
"Senior, do not be surprised. This is a Divine Ability I have mastered that can freely simulate and change my own appearance and aura," Lu Qing explained.
"I didn't expect you to actually possess such a miraculous Divine Ability."
Great Power Xuanhua snapped out of it and was greatly pleasantly surprised. "Good, good, good! With your transformation Divine Ability, the success rate of this journey will be even higher."
"Unfortunately, Junior's transformation Divine Ability can only simulate and change my aura and appearance, but cannot transform into the origin space of the Heavenly Demon Race. Once we start fighting, I'm afraid I will still reveal flaws," Lu Qing said helplessly.
"Being able to simulate to this degree is already remarkable. Looking only at the aura, even I cannot see any problem. As long as you can evade the Heavenly Demon Realm's detection in the first instance, the rest will be much simpler."
"I hope so. Senior, then Junior shall set out."
"Go then. Find those old friends of mine and tell them that the Home World's Universe needs them."
"Junior will certainly not fail Senior's trust!"
Lu Qing nodded solemnly, then turned and walked toward the passage.
Soon, his figure disappeared into the passage, vanishing from sight.
Once Lu Qing's figure was no longer visible, Great Power Xuanhua moved his hands, casting numerous hand Seals to reseal the passage.
After all this was done, his remnant soul became much more transparent and blurred once again.
However, Xuanhua didn't care about this. On the contrary, a look of unprecedented anticipation appeared on his face.
"Ever-changing... I didn't expect this Junior to actually master such a Divine Ability. It seems there really is hope this time."
