Chapter 4 Encounter

"The Da Mo Eternal Realm?" Ji Ning was secretly startled.

Others in the Three Realms might not fully understand what an 'Eternal Realm' meant, but Ji Ning knew very well, because the very powerful 'Heavenly Cang Palace' that Northrest World God had once belonged to occupied an 'Eternal Realm'.

Every Eternal Realm... was enough to make cultivators in the Chaos fight over it desperately.

"Ji Ning." Prefecture Lord Cui waved his hand again, and a jade slip flew out from the wooden house, handed directly to Ji Ning. "This records the information we know about the outside world."

Ji Ning took it, and his heartforce permeated it, quickly scanning through it.

"Good heavens." Ji Ning drew in a cold breath.

It was just as he had guessed.

Heavenly Cang Palace occupied the 'Heavenly Cang Eternal Realm'.

Da Mo Academy occupied the 'Da Mo Eternal Realm'.

From the detailed records on the jade slip, Ji Ning could also infer the strength of the force that occupied the 'Da Mo Eternal Realm'.

"I didn't expect this to be a force comparable to Heavenly Cang Palace," Ji Ning thought to himself. "At least in this vast territory... the Da Mo Eternal Realm is the core. Hmm, in the future, I must go to this Da Mo Eternal Realm. I believe that some powerful experts in the Da Mo Eternal Realm, like World Gods and Chaos Immortals, should have traveled to more distant places, and might know of Heavenly Cang Palace."

What the Nuwa camp had slain were merely Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals.

The stronger one's strength, the more one knew!

Within the Da Mo Eternal Realm, there might be those who knew of Heavenly Cang Palace.

"You see," Prefecture Lord Cui sighed. "Judging from the records, how many World Gods and Chaos Immortals must there be in that vast territory? Compared to them, our Three Realms is truly remote and weak."

Ji Ning nodded slightly.

Under normal circumstances, on average, one out of every ten Chaos Worlds would have a World-level cultivator. This was a common situation. From this, one could imagine how many World Gods and Chaos Immortals there were in that vast territory. But that territory was too vast... one couldn't even travel back and forth by flying or teleporting through the void. One had to rely on 'spacetime teleportation arrays' to reach certain areas.

Because it was vast and had many harsh environments, groups of World Gods and Chaos Immortals carved out their own territories, making that region extremely chaotic.

In comparison... the Three Realms could be considered a paradise.

To the likes of the Great Demon Cixiu and the Lord of All Things, a Chaos World like the Three Realms, not ruled by any World God or Chaos Immortal, was like a pie falling from the sky. Of course they would desperately fight for it. After all, the value of a single 'World Heart' far exceeded their own lives.

"The Chaos is truly boundless."

"Heavenly Cang Palace is in a distant territory, while Da Mo Academy is in this one. I don't know when I'll be able to reach Heavenly Cang Palace," Ji Ning thought to himself. "Forget it, thinking too much is useless. Whether I can survive this final battle, whether we can win, is still uncertain."

...

Sitting in the wooden boat, he left the Nuwa Immortal Realm.

Ji Ning was still pondering.

Knowing that their side had two Ancestral Gods, 'Suirenshi' and 'Gonggong', Ji Ning was initially excited, but now he began to worry. If their side was so strong, what about the Outlander Gate? Remember, this catastrophe was started by the Outlander Gate! They had actively destroyed the Six Paths of Reincarnation and brought turmoil to the Three Realms.

Daring to provoke it, didn't the Outlander Gate have some confidence?

"No matter what, I'll deal with it as it comes," Ji Ning thought, a hint of sharpness in his eyes. "We cannot lose this war! If we lose, even if my daughter and loved ones escape the pursuit, they will have to wander the endless Chaos."

Defeat.

Bodhi would flee with the remnants! But Ji Ning knew well how dangerous the Chaos was. Even Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals could die at any time. His daughter Mingyue was too weak to protect herself.

"We cannot lose."

This was a war of camps, a war of survival.

"I must comprehend the Water Dao before the final battle," Ji Ning thought to himself.

"Ji Ning, where are you going?" Bodhi looked at Ji Ning. "Back to the Crescent Moon Great World, or..."

"I won't return to the Crescent Moon Great World for now," Ji Ning shook his head. "I want to travel through the Three Realms, see more, observe this world, and hope to comprehend a Dao before the final battle."

"Right," Bodhi nodded with a smile. "Your Sword Force is formidable, but to become an Ancestral God or a Dao Ancestor, you must comprehend a Dao."

Ji Ning nodded.

Then Fuxi, Bodhi, and Ji Ning parted ways for the time being.

...

Ji Ning's true body began to walk through the Three Realms.

Sometimes he sat in a boat, watching the flow of the river.

Sometimes he stood on a mountaintop, looking up at the dark clouds gathering, heralding a storm.

Sometimes he was in a dilapidated temple, watching the pouring rain outside.

Sometimes he rode clouds and mist, watching the surging waves and whirlpools in the ocean.

Water could be gentle, like a mother's caress.

Water could be cold, chilling to the bone.

Water could be violent, destroying heaven and earth.

Water could be joyful, dancing and fluttering.

...

The second true spirit continuously meditated in the Kui Tower of Grand Mystery, while the true body observed all manifestations of 'water' in the Three Realms.

Mist, soft water, cold ice—all were water.

"Eh?"

By a riverbank, a white-robed youth sat leisurely holding a fishing rod. A hint of joy appeared on his face. He quickly pulled the rod, and with a splash, a large fish arced through the air and landed on the bank. The youth reached out, took the fish, and put it into a bucket that already held six fish.

"A fish soup would be nice." The youth added some bait and cast the hook back into the river.

Living like a mortal—rowing a boat, fishing, catching fish—Ji Ning discovered another side of water. For mortals, water was essential for life, yet also full of danger. Experiencing the life of a mortal and feeling the relationship between mortals and water deeply moved him. So Ji Ning began to live as a mortal.

"Whoosh~~" A ferryboat slowly crossed the river in the distance. The river was wide, and even without wind, there were big waves. With gusts of river wind, the waves in the center grew more turbulent, and the ferryboat began to rock.

"Ah!"

"Help!"

Cries rang out. The ferryman struggled to keep the boat balanced, but with a lurch, a child on board fell into the water. A middle-aged man beside him shouted and dove in after him.

Hearing the cries from the distant riverbank, Ji Ning looked up and sighed softly. Then he reached out.

"Whoosh~~~"

As if an invisible giant hand suddenly supported the ferryboat, even the middle-aged man and child in the water flew out of the surface. The ferryboat, child, and middle-aged man floated in midair. They looked at each other in shock, and the people on the ferry stared around in bewilderment.

The ferryboat, middle-aged man, and child landed on the distant bank.

"Thank you, Dragon King!"

"Thank you, Dragon King, for your great mercy!"

The mortals knelt and bowed toward the river.

...

In the distance, Ji Ning continued fishing, but sighed inwardly. Life was so fragile. If he hadn't been here by chance, few on that ferry would likely have survived.

Suddenly, the river's current surged, and the water parted to form a passage. A wooden boat emerged from the depths, rowed by an old man with a red nose. He leisurely rowed the boat toward Ji Ning.

"Ji Ning, long time no see," the red-nosed old man said with a smile.

Ji Ning, who had been fishing, showed a hint of joy and stood up. "I felt my luck was good today—I've caught six fish, more than in previous days. I was thinking, with such good luck, something might happen. And here you are, Sourcewalker."

Sourcewalker had been kind to him, having saved his life and given him the Heart Sutra.

But now, with the war of camps, Sourcewalker had yet to make a choice, which made Ji Ning feel a slight reservation toward him.

"Care to come on my boat and chat?" Sourcewalker said with a smile.

"Can I bring the fish?" Ji Ning laughed.

"Of course," Sourcewalker nodded.

Ji Ning picked up the fishing rod and wooden bucket and stepped onto the boat. Seeing Ji Ning's mortal-like demeanor, Sourcewalker sensed the natural and restrained aura in his every move and sighed inwardly: "Truly extraordinary."