Chapter 417 - 365: Red Dust Realm
The Burial Realm.
It originated from the Three Tribulations Ancient Battlefield.
Its structure was similar to that of the Taiyi Emperor Star.
Countless heroes from the Three Tribulations’ All Heavens were once buried here. The Tribulation Qi and baleful energy have not dispersed for hundreds of millions of years, forming one of the foremost forbidden life zones in the Daluo Celestial Domain.
The only difference was...
...that after hundreds of millions of years of erosion, the laws of the Burial Realm barely allowed cultivators to survive for extended periods, and numerous Life Oases with favorable environments had been born.
And the location of the Burial Realm Jun Tian...
The Red Dust Realm.
It was undoubtedly the most dazzling pearl among the many oases, as well as the core node where the Burial Realm’s destiny and Dao Essence converged.
"A vast world, a fleeting life like a single grain."
Outside the Red Dust Realm.
Wu Dao stood within a distorted spatial channel, gazing at the Red Dust World at its end—a brilliant swirl of multicolored divine light, like a vortex in a Star Sea. He was once again moved by the boundlessness of the heavens and earth.
The sheer scale of Hongyuan...
...was completely Transcendent, far beyond the cosmological understanding of his past life.
The various fundamental laws were completely different from his previous life. Despite its immense size, the rate at which time flowed was uniform across different regions.
This point alone...
...was something unimaginable and incomprehensible in his past life.
The Nine Great Celestial Domains, the All Heavens filled with Eternal Sand Worlds, infinite dimensional spaces, and immeasurable beings multiplying and thriving... Often, the vastness of a single forbidden zone was something that those below the Saint Realm could never hope to fully explore in their entire lifetime.
As for a Celestial Domain...
...only those in the Emperor Realm were qualified to measure its expanse.
Nirvana Valley was large enough.
By the standards of his past life, even a supercluster of galaxies would seem small in comparison. But Nirvana Valley was a forbidden zone created merely by the fall of a single Great Saint!
Within the vast Burial Realm...
...it was nothing more than a corner of the Border Wilderness.
Compared to the Daluo Celestial Domain, let alone the Red Dust World before him, Nirvana Valley seemed rather insignificant.
The Red Dust Realm.
This name did not refer to a single world.
Instead, it was a collective term for the many composite worlds of the Burial Realm Jun Tian.
Beyond the central Red Dust Realm...
...countless secondary worlds were attached, orbiting it. In front of these worlds, celestial bodies that were once enormous stars were reduced to mere decorations, like lamps.
It was a very peculiar sight.
Within Hongyuan...
...the positions and orbital paths of celestial bodies were no longer determined by gravity, but by the unique Law Order of each world or by human intervention.
Wu Dao swept his gaze across the area.
He could see that...
...within some of the worlds...
...varying numbers of great suns no longer rose in the east and set in the west. Instead, they shuttled endlessly through the spatial interlayers, constantly changing positions to bring light and heat to different regions of their world.
Some domineering factions...
...even captured suns, moons, and stars, fixing them within their spheres of influence and using Arrays to create a comfortable cultivation environment, forging one Human Immortal Realm after another.
"If I may ask, Divine Envoy, when will you make your move?"
As Wu Dao was observing the Red Dust Realm, the Communication Jade Talisman within his body vibrated, and Jia Baocai’s cautious inquiry sounded out.
Before descending into the Red Dust Realm...
...Wu Dao had already informed Jia Baocai. His question now was most likely because he hadn’t seen anyone yet.
’If I did it right under your nose...’
’...how could I pull off the old switcheroo?’
Amused, Wu Dao simply replied coldly, "I will contact you when it is done."
He cut off the Communication Jade Talisman.
Wu Dao’s gaze fell upon the ninety-eight most brilliant pearls among the many worlds orbiting the Red Dust Realm.
The Ninety-nine Domain Lords of the Heaven-Burying Alliance.
The Alliance Leader resided in the central Red Dust Realm, while the other Realm Masters were attached to it, each controlling a Heaven-Burying Stele and serving as the master of their own world.
These Realm Masters...
...had a minimum requirement of the Creation Realm, but their strengths varied greatly. They had all sorts of minor alliances and factions among them; very few kept to themselves.
Five years ago.
The Heaven-Burying Alliance’s once-a-century rotation took place.
Su Xiuqi, who had served ten consecutive terms, relinquished his power and retired behind the scenes, causing the Red Dust Realm’s thousand-year-stable structure to once again be thrown into turmoil.
Take Yang Kui, the Realm Master of the Yang Realm, for example.
He was just one of many who were caught up in the great storm, unable to control their own fates.
As of today...
...among the Ninety-nine Realm Masters...
...more than half had already chosen a side. The three major competitors were now engaged in a protracted, covert struggle over the remaining forty Heaven-Burying Steles.
The reason there had been no short-term resolution...
...was not because those forty Realm Masters were particularly powerful.
In fact...
...the strongest among those forty Realm Masters was only at the Eleventh Layer of the Creation Realm, placing them in the lower ranks of the Ninety-nine Realm Masters.
The current situation...
...could be vividly described as a struggle for supremacy between three kingdoms.
Forty small tribes were all that remained.
If any one faction reached out, it would be obstructed and interfered with by the other two "kingdoms."
The forty Realm Masters...
...could only survive by navigating the cracks between them.
They seemed safe.
In reality, they had long been placed under strict surveillance and house arrest, unable to even leave their own worlds. They were tormented daily by the threats and inducements of lobbyists from all sides.
Under these circumstances...
...ordinary strong-arm tactics were completely useless.
Because the moment one side made a move, they would face a joint attack from the other two factions.
Therefore...
...Jia Baocai was also extremely curious.
How would the Nirvana True Lord get those Heaven-Burying Steles into his hands without making a move and without anyone noticing?
The Red Cloud Realm.
The sea of clouds was like blood, churning and undulating.
"Sigh, when will these days ever end?"
Inside Fire Cloud Palace.
Red Cloud Ancestor, nearly ten thousand years old, was dressed in a Fire Cloud Daoist Robe, with red brows and red hair. He had just seen off Tao Chuan’s lobbyist with a forced smile.
He felt as if he had just fought for three hundred rounds.
He slumped onto a meditation cushion, heedless of his image, watching the Daoist acolytes clean up after the banquet. He was mentally and physically exhausted, sighing repeatedly.
At this moment...
...he greatly missed the peaceful days when Su Xiuqi was in charge—a thousand years without conflict, where one could focus wholeheartedly on cultivating the Great Dao.
It was nothing like the present.
A pack of wolves circled him, and he was not his own master.
Outside the Red Cloud Realm, snarling, hungry wolves monitored spatial fluctuations around the clock. He couldn’t even throw in the towel and walk away if he wanted to.
To make matters worse, the three candidates were evenly matched. They claimed to be protecting his safety, but in reality, choosing any one of them would offend the other two. The outcome would likely not be good.
’I must have lost my mind.’
’I didn’t take a firm stance when the storm first began, thinking I could play both sides. That’s what led to this awkward situation.’
"What kind of Demon Nature does this thing even have?"
He took out the Heaven-Burying Stele from his Inner World.
Red Cloud Ancestor looked at it from every angle but couldn’t see anything extraordinary about it. Yet, it was this very stone stele that had caused him to lose control of his own fate.
In past rotational elections...
...the Heaven-Burying Steles were only of secondary importance. All one had to do was nod in support of a candidate. No matter how fierce the competition, it would never affect minor Realm Masters like them.
But in this generation...
...the core of the struggle had become the ninety-nine Heaven-Burying Steles. The three competitors were all determined to obtain them, and the steles had suddenly become hot potatoes.
’Could the rumors be true?’
Thinking of the message that claimed the Heaven-Burying Steles were the key to unlocking the secrets of the Emperor’s Tomb, a trace of greed unconsciously appeared in Red Cloud Ancestor’s eyes.
That Emperor’s Tomb...
...was the key to the Heaven-Burying Alliance’s rise to power.
Internal rumors claimed that Fragments of the Five Tribulations World Slaughter Emperor’s Emperor’s Weapon were buried inside. Whoever could obtain them would receive the World Slaughter Emperor’s inheritance.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that the World Slaughter Emperor was a taboo in the All Heavens.
In reality, plenty of people wanted his inheritance. There was no other reason than this: he was the number one expert of the Five Tribulations. This point alone was enough for 99% of people to ignore the risks.
’A pity...’
’I can only lament my own lack of strength.’
’I should just focus on how to save my old hide.’
He shook his head with regret.
Just as Red Cloud Ancestor was about to put away the Heaven-Burying Stele, a large, crystalline hand silently emerged from the void and pressed down on his shoulder.
DANG DANG DANG—
Red Cloud Ancestor’s pupils contracted abruptly. The Heart Lake Alarm Bell in his mind rang with unprecedented intensity, and he subconsciously wanted to muster all his Power to resist.
But in the next instant...
...he was horrified to discover that the nine perfect Saint Grade Inner Worlds within his body seemed to have suddenly abandoned him. He couldn’t connect with them in the slightest.
His immense power, capable of shattering worlds...
...was gone. Like a mortal who had taken a sleeping draught, his limbs grew weak, his body and spirit were utterly exhausted, and his Divine Soul longed for eternal sleep.
"You..."
He used his last ounce of strength to turn his head.
Red Cloud Ancestor only saw a tall, imposing figure in a black robe and a gentle, benevolent smile that caused all his stray thoughts to fade away like water, transforming into pure piety. "Hello."
In Fire Cloud Palace.
Something seemed to have changed, yet there was nothing out of the ordinary.
The Daoist acolytes were still diligently cleaning up the remnants of the banquet.
Under the watchful eyes of all parties...
...Red Cloud Ancestor was merely staring blankly at the Heaven-Burying Stele.
If a Saint Realm expert had been present...
...they might have discovered from up close...
...that the grand field of influence in Fire Cloud Palace had changed. The scene viewed from the outside was merely what the intruder wanted them to see.
A world of illusions, where nothing was as it seemed.
BUZZ~
After a few breaths...
...the Magnetic Field in Fire Cloud Palace returned to normal.
Red Cloud Ancestor snapped out of his daze, put away the "Heaven-Burying Stele" in his hand, and instructed the Daoist acolytes to prepare for the next banquet.
Outside the Red Cloud Realm.
Wu Dao, meanwhile, glanced at the Heaven-Burying Stele inside his body with a faint smile and headed toward his next target.
The Bitter Dust Robe concealed all celestial secrets and information about him.
It allowed him to become a phantom traversing space under the watch of all parties, silently approaching the Realm Masters.
All Things Arise from the Three.
Its Magnetic Field blended with the natural fields of all things.
This made it even easier to covertly influence those Realm Masters and obtain the Heaven-Burying Steles from their hands.
However...
...this was limited to those below the Twenty-four Heavens level of the Creation Realm.
According to the Star Mother’s assessment, his Main Body’s Foundation had reached the eighteenth layer of the Creation Realm. His Incarnation was one tier lower, which, after accounting for all reductions, placed it three layers below his Main Body.
But that was more than enough.
His power, when compared to the Hongyuan System, was measured by his highest achievements.
The Fifteenth Layer, achieved with three paths advancing simultaneously.
And at the level of a Son of Revival, no less.
One could only imagine its true value.
With his full power unleashed...
...even an ordinary Twenty-four Heavens Perfect Creation Realm cultivator who followed a single path would be no match for his Incarnation.
The Heaven-Burying Alliance was merely the local Overlord of the Burial Realm.
The Ninety-nine Domain Lords...
...aside from the top ten, contained no true monstrous Demons. Dealing with them posed no difficulty.
Therefore...
...for this operation...
...Wu Dao didn’t just want the forty Heaven-Burying Steles; he wanted to get his hands on every single one he could.
Because...
...he couldn’t be sure how many Heaven-Burying Steles the Heaven-Burying Alliance’s method required to open the Emperor’s Tomb. He could only assume the worst-case scenario.
If eighty to ninety percent of the genuine Heaven-Burying Steles were in his hands, and the Heaven-Burying Alliance could still open the Emperor’s Tomb ahead of schedule...
...then he could only say...
...that he and the Extreme Dao Bell Fragment were not fated to be together.
Red Cloud Realm, Ling Jun Realm, Ten Thousand Souls Realm, Corpse Bone Realm, Luofu Realm...
Wu Dao became a traveler of many worlds. His Incarnations shuttled continuously through the Red Dust World, silently influencing one Realm Master after another and collecting the Heaven-Burying Steles.
Of course...
...it wasn’t as simple as just taking the Heaven-Burying Steles.
Anyone who could become a Realm Master was generally a favored child of destiny, who had chanced upon great fortune and collected many good things.
Although there were no Emperor Scriptures...
...there were some rare Cultivation Resources.
After influencing those Realm Masters, Wu Dao could spot these resources in their Inner Worlds at a glance. After looting everything, his personal little treasury became rich once again.