Ye Yu harbored many doubts in his heart, but he absolutely could not reveal anything about the Dream System. Still, that did not mean he had no other information to share.
“A while ago, I toured the Demon Realm, the Underworld, and the Monster Realm,” he said. “In truth, just as you said, those realms also face Calamities. The stronger the cultivator, the longer they lie dormant; as the demonic or ghostly qi revives, so do they.”
At these words, the Demon Heavenly Lord paused in surprise. This had been his own boast, yet now it felt somehow off. During the period when the Six-Realm Passage was closed, had anyone truly managed to wander through the other realms? He recalled his own failures in seeking passage; how then had Ye Yu succeeded? And the sincerity in Ye Yu’s tone made pretense seem impossible.
Tentatively, he asked, “Oh—how did Immortal Ye travel to those other realms?”
“An Ancient Underworld treasure, the Boundary Pearl,” Ye Yu replied quietly. “It allows free passage to other realms.”
The Demon Heavenly Lord’s expression shifted dramatically. “I’ve seen mention of the Boundary Pearl in old texts, but wasn’t it lost a million years ago? How could it be in your possession?”
Ye Yu merely met his gaze calmly and did not answer. Sensing his own abruptness, the Lord gave an embarrassed laugh. “My apologies, Immortal Ye, for my excitement. Everyone’s fortunes differ, and your blessing to possess the Boundary Pearl is yours alone. However, I’ve always yearned to explore the other realms—might I borrow your Boundary Pearl? In return, I will grant you whatever you desire.”
“The Boundary Pearl was shattered during my departure from the Underworld,” Ye Yu said evenly. “But I’ve arranged for someone to begin forging a Celestial-Realm Boundary Pearl. Whether they succeed depends on fate.”
He was not joking. Feng Yingzhi had indeed begun experiments to recreate the Pearl—having studied the original for ages and possessing near-genius craftsmanship, success was possible.
Then Ye Yu’s tone softened further. “But perhaps that no longer matters. I heard you say that the Great Era will arrive and the Five-Realm Passages will reopen—does that ring true?”
This was the very question Ye Yu had come to ask. The Demon Heavenly Lord smiled broadly; he had only confided this prophecy to Tingyu the Hungry Ghost. Seeing that Ye Yu already knew Tingyu, he spoke without reservation.
“Yes, the Great Era will come, and the Five-Realm Passages will open again. More precisely, it is a cycle—once every five million years.”
Ye Yu frowned. The notion of a cycle was novel to him. The Lord did not elaborate further, instead continuing his earlier narrative.
“Before the Celestial Calamity, my two brothers and I discovered an ancient stele in a hidden realm. Inscribed upon it were twenty-four characters:
‘Twin Gods war, Five Realms suffer, Vital qi drained, Slowly revived, Life and death ordained, Ants cannot alter.’
“These words lamented that ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ even an immortal could not change his destiny. Beneath the stele, we found a mysterious bamboo slip bearing the same inscription. It was the autobiography of an Immortal Emperor named Zhu Yong—who rose from a humble mortal, with no background, to ascend the Celestial Realm in two hundred years through sheer talent. He had thought immortality meant eternal bliss—but found the Celestial Realm more cruel than the mortal world, where the strong prey on the weak. Without supreme strength, one was trampled like an ant.
“In those days, all Six-Realm Passages still stood, though Zhu Yong only glimpsed five realms; the Divine Realm was sealed by some force beyond reach. He never learned why, only strove to improve. After three million years of cultivation in the Celestial Realm, the passages shattered, and the Great Era began. Immortal Emperors, once rare, grew numerous—perhaps over a dozen. Many reached the peak of power.
“Zhu Yong, struck by new insight, believed he had at last triumphed. But fate is fickle. He later discovered an elder’s manuscript revealing that every five million years, the Five Realms—Heaven, Mortal, Monster, Underworld, and Demon—would endure a Calamity triggered by battle among the Gods. All vital qi would be drained. Only a handful would survive, the rest perishing quietly. Even the strongest could not resist, for who is stronger than a god?
“The survivors would fall into slumber until their realm’s qi returned, marking the Calamity’s start. When qi fully recovered, the Great Era would commence again. Then the Six-Realm Passages would be restored, allowing interrealm travel. Through steadfast cultivation over five million years, the strong would multiply—until time reset, and the cycle repeated.
“Upon reading this, Zhu Yong was stunned—why had none before ever spoken of such a truth? He asked many veteran immortals, but none over two million years old knew of it; most had never witnessed a Calamity. Reluctantly, Zhu Yong concluded the manuscript was genuine.”
He paused, and Ye Yu remained silent. The Demon Heavenly Lord had answered all the questions Ye Yu sought—yet new mysteries still lingered.
