The Medicine Ancestor and the Lord of the Divine Realm departed for the outer realms, and no one knew how intense and fierce the battle up there was; no one dared to watch either.
Even the Three-Path Great Emperor could only wait in the Treasure Ring Scale State, waiting for the situation in the outer realms to conclude.
Moreover, the Lord of the Divine Realm used a Heaven-suppressing divine technique to isolate the entire Treasure Ring Scale State, preventing any cultivators within from leaving.
Xu Zhen anxiously gazed at the outer realms. Her figure transformed into brilliant white light, rushing toward the heavens, but she collided with the sky-screen of the Treasure Ring Scale State and was repelled back. Although she wasn't injured, her spiritual energy fluctuated, and her collision had not shaken the sky-screen in the slightest.
She clenched her teeth tightly, her eyes revealing a hint of regret. She didn't regret fighting so many great emperors of the Divine Realm, but she regretted involving Chen Xia.
They had just met again, and yet she had brought such a huge calamity upon Chen Xia!
Nearby, the Three-Path Great Emperor, though nervous, still managed a smile.
"I didn't expect you to know the Medicine Ancestor of the East Jia State. However, within the Treasure Ring Scale State, it is ultimately the Lord of the Divine Realm who holds sway. No matter how powerful the Medicine Ancestor is, he is no match for the Lord of the Divine Realm. He was seriously injured by the Lord not long ago, and now that they are fighting again, he might not even make it out alive."
"Shut up!" Xu Zhen glared at the Three-Path Great Emperor with venomous eyes, her killing intent overwhelming. If the situation weren't so unclear, she would have already thrown herself into a life-and-death battle with the Three-Path Great Emperor.
Just as the situation began to feel like a tense standoff...
The sky-screen relaxed.
The Lord of the Divine Realm walked down from the outer realms, and with a single hand press, he calmed all the chaotic movement in the Treasure Ring Scale State, restoring shattered mountains and rivers and making the spiritual energy abundant once more.
"Lord of the Divine Realm." The Three-Path Great Emperor hurriedly bowed toward the Lord of the Divine Realm.
The Lord of the Divine Realm, however, paid no heed. Instead, he looked at Xu Zhen, sizing her up for a moment before speaking flatly,
"You have deep karma with the Treasure Ring Scale State; whether you are a cultivator of the Divine Realm or not, as long as you do not cause trouble in the Treasure Ring Scale State, Divine Realm cultivators will not provoke you."
This statement left all the cultivators present in a daze; none had expected the Lord of the Divine Realm to utter such words.
According to the Lord, the Fuyao Immortal Sect would henceforth be a supreme sect in the Treasure Ring Scale State, even standing above Divine Realm cultivators.
And the reason for this? Apparently, Xu Zhen had karma with the Treasure Ring Scale State.
The Three-Path Great Emperor's face froze, unable to accept such a result but also too afraid to question the Lord of the Divine Realm's words. He could only nod, his expression filled with helplessness and a bitter smile.
The Fuyao Immortal Sect was also confused. Just moments ago, they had thought this would be the end of their sect, yet suddenly, it had transformed into a great opportunity.
With the Lord of the Divine Realm's words, the Fuyao Immortal Sect would be one of the most secure sects in the Treasure Ring Scale State from now on.
Xu Zhen, however, couldn't bring herself to feel happy. With a heavy expression, she confronted the Lord of the Divine Realm, demanding,
"Where’s Chen Xia?!"
The Lord of the Divine Realm didn’t reply. With a wave of his hand, the heavens and earth turned, and he had already returned to the peak of the central mountain range, once again attuning himself to the cosmos.
The great emperors of the Divine Realm were forcefully taken away by him, far from the Fuyao Immortal Sect, leaving only Xu Zhen behind. She looked solemn and worried, preparing to set off for the outer realms.
Suddenly, gray-white hues appeared behind her, avoiding detection from everyone. A hand emerged slowly, patting Xu Zhen on the shoulder with a light smile.
"Let’s go."
Xu Zhen's expression froze slightly, then was filled with uncontrollable joy. Just as she was about to respond, her figure was enveloped by the gray-white hues and drawn into the River of Time.
"Long time no see, Little Xu," Chen Xia said, crossing his arms and smiling at Xu Zhen.
"It has been a long time, Chen Xia. Why are you in the Immortal Realm? I thought you were still in hibernation!" Xu Zhen asked curiously.
Chen Xia chuckled in response,
"I woke up, and just happened to come to the Immortal Realm to join the fun. It was good timing too; I managed to claim a spot for myself in this era of the Immortal Realm."
"I see," Xu Zhen nodded in understanding, then asked further, "How long have you been in the Immortal Realm, Chen Xia?"
"I can't recall exactly, but it's been quite some time. The East Jia State is now under my control," Chen Xia replied with a grin.
"It's been a while..." Xu Zhen repeated, her expression a bit crestfallen, as if thinking she had emerged from her seclusion too late. Suddenly, another thought crossed her mind, and her delicate brows furrowed. She asked another question,
"Did Huang Qingyue meet you first?"
Chen Xia's face faltered, then he scratched his chin thoughtfully, remaining silent for a moment before nodding slightly,
"It seems so."
Xu Zhen rolled her eyes at this, her heart filled with dissatisfaction, but she could only accept the situation. Plus, she owed Huang Qingyue a favor, so she couldn't say much. She pursed her lips and muttered,
"Lucky her."
Chen Xia just smiled and didn't comment. He glanced down at the River of Time, thought for a moment, then addressed Xu Zhen again,
"The Treasure Ring Scale State isn't a good place. Given that you've returned to the Fuyao Immortal Sect, you should be aware of the perilous situation in the surrounding states. So, if you get the chance, you might want to move the Fuyao Immortal Sect elsewhere."
"Move where? The Ninth Mountain? I'm not going; I'll stay in the Treasure Ring Scale State," Xu Zhen retorted, raising an eyebrow at Chen Xia.
"No, not the Ninth Mountain. In today's Immortal Realm, I don't trust any state. I’ll move the Fuyao Immortal Sect to another place: the Boundary Sect. Only there will I feel at ease," Chen Xia explained.
He was now the will of the Boundary Sect, the ruler within it. Only by relocating the Fuyao Immortal Sect there could Chen Xia truly feel at peace. Later, he would bring Huang Qingyue to the Boundary Sect as well, using it as his stronghold in the myriad worlds.
Before that, though, he had to wade through the murky waters of the Immortal Realm, weaken the Way of Heaven, and venture into the Great Heaven, bringing the Blue Sky Sword Sea's people to the Boundary Sect as well. Then, he wouldn't have any worries left.
Let's hope everything goes smoothly.
As Chen Xia thought this, he continued to chat with Xu Zhen within the River of Time, discussing more about the inner workings of the grand plan.
Afterward, Xu Zhen returned to the Fuyao Immortal Sect and led the entire sect into deep meditation, declaring they would cultivate in seclusion for ten thousand years.
Meanwhile, Chen Xia returned to the Heaven Pill Gate. His puppet-self waited at the entrance, facing him. The hollow eyes of the puppet began to shine with strange colors, and its stiff voice changed, becoming an aged tone as it spoke under the sunset,
"Chen Xia, in my plans, you were never just a chess piece, but the final player to end the game. So, at this moment, I, Daoist Suppressing Heaven, invite you to become my..."
"Partner."