Chapter 1346: Space Great Realm

Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!

Soon, pained groans echoed on the warship.

The power of the Shengti Yuanyuan and the Balao Longxue was overwhelming, making the process of refining the bloodline excruciatingly painful—something few could endure.

After contributing the Balao Longxue, Xiao Lingwa focused on piloting the ship, sending the massive warship hurtling forward at full speed.

Glancing back, they saw the Taiqing Gong warships in hot pursuit, chasing desperately, but their piloting skills were no match for Xiao Lingwa's. Despite their greater numbers and imposing formation, they couldn't catch up.

It wasn't until dawn that Xiao Lingwa finally brought the ship to a stop on a calm sea surface. As for the Taiqing Gong pursuers, they had chased relentlessly through the night, only to lose sight of the thunder warship along the way. Now, they stood at the bow of their ships, collectively cursing in frustration.

"This act was pretty solid."

Xiao Lingwa pulled out a large storage bag, munching on source stones with a self-satisfied crunch while muttering, "Who knows if those guys were driven to tears."

"How far is it to that small island?"

Ye Chen scanned the surroundings and turned to Gu Santong.

"I'll take the helm—it's not easy to find otherwise."

Gu Santong stepped onto the ship's control platform and casually kicked Xiao Lingwa off it. "I've never piloted a Saint-level warship before. Feels pretty good."

"This act was spot on."

"Heading home."

Gu Santong maneuvered the warship with expert skill, speeding ahead.

"Heading home."

Gu Santong and Wuya Daoren's followers were grinning from ear to ear. This trip had been full of unexpected twists, with them narrowly escaping death twice. Thinking back on it now still sent shivers down their spines.

Fortunately, they had made it out safely and even gained a great fortune. Their bloodlines had been refined, and many had advanced significantly in their cultivation realms because of this opportunity.

The rest of the journey was peaceful, with the warship racing unrestrained across the Xinghai.

After an hour, the warship came to a halt again.

Gu Santong stretched lazily and stepped down from the control platform, pointing toward the Xinghai in the distance.

Ye Chen and Xiao Lingwa followed his gaze, squinting at first, then rubbing their eyes before looking again. Their expressions grew increasingly intrigued.

There was indeed an island there—a tiny one, no more than three zhang in diameter, looking like nothing more than a reef. If not for their extraordinary vision, they might not have spotted it at all.

"Is that the small island you mentioned?"

Ye Chen and the others turned to Gu Santong and his companion.

"Isn't it small?"

As Gu Santong and Wuya Daoren spoke, they began forming hand seals.

"Now we get why Taiqing Gong couldn't find you," Ye Chen and Xiao Lingwa said with a mix of admiration and exasperation. "The Xinghai is so vast, and this island is so tiny—finding it would be a miracle."

"Heavenly King Covers the Earth Tiger, Pagoda Suppresses the River Demon."

While they were talking, Gu Santong and Wuya Daoren suddenly shouted, startling Ye Chen and Xiao Lingwa so much they nearly jumped.

Soon, the small island trembled with a low hum, and a three-zhang-tall gate of immortal light slowly opened.

Beneath the gate, a path of immortal light emerged, extending to the thunder warship, covered in ancient runes that formed a divine ability connected to the gate.

"Let's go!"

Gu Santong and Wuya Daoren led the way, stepping onto the light path and entering the radiant gate.

"Interesting!"

Ye Chen and Xiao Lingwa stowed the thunder warship and followed, with the others trailing behind.

Once through the gate, they entered an entirely different world—a vast spatial realm spanning over ten thousand zhang. Ancient trees towered, streams murmured, mist swirled in the air, and spiritual energy was abundant, creating a serene and harmonious paradise, like a hidden refuge in turbulent times.

"This place is really something."

Ye Chen stroked his chin, activating his immortal eyes to scan the spatial realm, uncovering numerous hidden restrictions pulsing with ancient power.

"There's a massive ancient formation maintaining this spatial realm."

Xiao Lingwa remarked thoughtfully.

"From inside this spatial realm, we can see the outside Xinghai, but not vice versa."

Ye Chen glanced outward, clearly viewing the vast sea of stars. "It's concealed by powerful secret techniques."

"The one who created this spatial realm must have been at least a Quasi-Emperor level expert."

Xiao Lingwa pondered. "To establish a spatial realm in the Xuanhuang Xinghai, it could even be a Quasi-Emperor at the peak."

As they spoke, figures appeared ahead—around three hundred people, mostly the elderly, women, and children, clearly the families of Gu Santong and his group, with modest cultivation levels.

Gu Santong and Wuya Daoren's followers rushed forward, many embracing their children with warm smiles. In these chaotic times, such moments of warmth were truly precious.

"We live like this normally. The elderly, women, and children stay here, while we go out to raid."

Wuya Daoren stroked his beard. "We're just scraping by, but it's peaceful enough."

"But this time, we really took a loss."

Gu Santong shot Ye Chen and Xiao Lingwa a dark look. "Our only dozen or so warships—blown to pieces by you two, not a single one left."

"Are you blaming us?"

Xiao Lingwa retorted, "If you hadn't run off, none of this would have happened. We had to blast you to get you to stop."

"It was only because we hadn't unsealed our memories—who knew it was you?"

The two shrugged.

"Since we're here now, you won't need to be pirates anymore."

Ye Chen chuckled, waving his hand to produce over a hundred large storage bags that hovered in the air before exploding.

Instantly, chunks of source stones rained down, piling up into a towering mountain. Along with them came spiritual pills, countless in number, all at least five-pattern grade, gleaming like stars.

"Wow!"

The children tilted their faces upward, their big eyes blinking with innocence and joy.

Gu Santong, Wuya Daoren, and their followers were stunned, as were everyone present. This was an enormous fortune—something they'd never amassed even through a lifetime of raiding.

That wasn't all. Xiao Lingwa spat out another hundred storage bags, filled with spiritual herbs and fruit trees that spread out across the entire small world, like an endless sea of greenery.

In an instant, the spiritual energy in the spatial realm surged several levels. What was once a secluded paradise now transformed into a true immortal realm, brimming with treasures everywhere.

Cheers erupted, especially from the elderly, women, and children, their eyes brimming with tears of emotion. With such wealth, their families no longer needed to risk raids, and they wouldn't have to live in constant fear. Everyone could now enjoy a stable, peaceful life.

"Which sacred ground did you two raid for all this?"

Gu Santong and the others gaped, staring at Ye Chen and Xiao Lingwa as if they were monsters, unaware that the pair carried such vast riches.

"What sacred ground? We just casually visited the Baiyue Shenjiao, picked up a few things."

Xiao Lingwa picked at his teeth. "Can't deny we were a bit fired up that day."

"We'd love to know if there's anything left in their treasury that you didn't take."

"Don't kid around—we leave everywhere we hit completely bare."

"Nicely done."

"These cultivation materials should sustain you for at least a hundred years."

Ye Chen smiled. "Stay put in this spatial realm for that time. No more risky raids on the Xinghai."

"With this wealth, who'd go out looking for trouble?"

Gu Santong and the others grinned widely.

"Endure for a while, and one day we'll take you back to your homeland."

"Don't worry, we get it."

Gu Santong and Wuya Daoren laughed heartily. "Come on, let's drink."

The scent of wine soon filled the entire spatial realm, and the atmosphere grew lively. Free from the burdens of survival, they drank freely until they were thoroughly drunk.

As night fell and everyone slumped into sleep, the spatial realm fell silent.

Ye Chen rose, leaving behind immortal fire, heavenly thunder, and Shengti Yuanyuan to refine the bloodlines of those asleep, while he wandered the area, planning to leave at dawn in search of reincarnated souls.

The night in the spatial realm was exceptionally quiet. As Ye Chen walked, he truly appreciated how extraordinary this place was, with layer upon layer of hidden restrictions, interconnected and intricate. Even with his insight, some were beyond his comprehension—truly profound.

He was certain that the creator of this spatial realm was an unparalleled powerhouse.

Hmm?

Passing by a rocky wall, he paused, turning his head with narrowed eyes to stare at the mottled surface—or more precisely, at the ancient characters etched upon it.

It was a poem, melancholic and sorrowful:

The soul fades with falling leaves under evening flowers and moon,

Remnant stars age quickly, bringing easy sorrow and chill.

Lonely winds drift in desolate rain,

Forget-me-not flowers bloom amid worldly scars.

What does humanity wish for? What does the heavens resent?

Once I gazed upon your shadow on the Wangchuan Bridge,

Yet found no trace of your name on the Sansheng Stone.

Ye Chen furrowed his brow, staring intently at the poem, each stroke heavy with age and weariness.

In a fleeting moment, he recalled a lonely figure, not from the mortal world, but from the Six Paths. For in that era, the mortal world was in Da Chu, and only someone from the Six Paths could have written this.

In that instant, he seemed to grasp something. This spatial realm was likely created by the Six Paths. In his dazed state, he had forgotten his purpose in this time, but like in the mortal world, he remembered a woman named Chu Xuan, leaving behind this heartrending poem.

A breeze stirred, carrying a surge of dragon energy as Xiao Lingwa approached unsteadily.

"Their bloodlines have been fully refined. We should hit the road— we've delayed long enough on this trip."

Ye Chen said nothing, giving the rock wall one last look before turning away. He sacrificed a divine sense, imprinting it in the spatial realm, laden with many words. If the Six Paths returned one day, the divine sense would automatically activate to explain everything, preventing any harm to Gu Santong and the others.

Xiao Lingwa followed, casting a puzzled glance at the ancient poem on the wall before they left.

The two departed in the dead of night while everyone slept, unaware that two pairs of murky old eyes watched them go—belonging to Gu Santong and Wuya Daoren.