Chapter 1493: The World Isn't Just Mountains and Seas

The ravenous black tide, once a fearsome onslaught against the divine barrier, now ebbed and flowed with a weariness that spoke of spent might.

Outside the central mountain, the scene remained one of apocalyptic fury, yet viewed from this side, it possessed a strange, terrible beauty. The sky, a canvas of black snow, painted an eerie, otherworldly tableau.

Such is the way of the mortal realm. To some, it is a time for fireside comfort and appreciation of the snow; to others, a period of chilling endurance in threadbare clothes. Understanding remains elusive between such disparate experiences.

Wang Changji, Yue Tiannu, Zhu Weiwu, Kui Shan, Dou Zhao, and Jiang Wang. These six individuals, who had never before joined forces, some meeting for the very first time, required no lengthy parley.

Their prodigious strength allowed for effortless execution. Their exceptional combat prowess manifested in offensives that flowed like water, each blow, each movement, colliding to unleash a dazzling array of lights. Blade light, sword shadow, spear thrusts, fist strikes, footwork, descending divine intent – it was an aesthetics of battle! Witnessing such a clash was akin to admiring a grand, unrestrained brushstroke by a master, or hearing a peerless zither melody from the human world, the resonance lingering long after. It was an indescribable romance, an unspeakable ease.

Silently observing the fray, Zuo Guangshu felt a profound yearning. He lamented his inability to instantly breach the Outer Building realm and join their ranks, to contribute to this magnificent symphony of combat.

The entity known as ‘Ge Fei,’ inhabiting the form of a powerful cultivator, was undeniably formidable. At this level, weaknesses were all but nonexistent. Yet, this collective of six, absolute paragons of the Outer Building realm, had managed to carve out openings, to expose vulnerabilities. Every strike, every thrust, every movement – all were delivered with uncanny precision, not only maximizing their individual brilliance but also meticulously crafting and seizing opportunities in the heat of battle.

Just as Jiang Wang’s sword momentum turned with divine inspiration, Dou Zhao’s Heaven-Human Five Decays seamlessly filled the void. And how could Yue Tiannu’s covering Buddha palm not be paving the way for Zhu Weiwu’s ultimately brilliant *Xin Jin Spear*?

The very body of ‘Ge Fei’ was perhaps its sole vital point, but without such a formidable group of Outer Building absolute tops, trading blows and killing until the heavens turned dark and the earth turned black, how could that fatal weakness have been exploited?

The phrase "adapt to changes" is simple to utter. Facing an ant, one can easily adapt. But how many can maintain their composure and showcase their abilities under the oppressive might of a divinely empowered being?

This battle was simply flawless in every aspect, thrilling at every turn. With Zuo Guangshu’s discerning eye, having witnessed countless renowned and lesser-known conflicts, this one could be hailed as the quintessential battle of the Outer Building cultivation realm. If recorded and passed down, it would undoubtedly be etched in history as a thousand-year-old legendary game!

A pity… Only then did Zuo Guangshu awaken as if from a dream, realizing he had not even thought to activate his shadow stone beforehand. After all, before the sudden commencement of the battle, he hadn’t anticipated that he wouldn't even find an opportunity to strike.

The chasm between the Inner Mansion and Outer Building realms is indeed often bridged. However, that is primarily due to the existence of divine powers, leading to an incredibly high upper limit in the Inner Mansion realm. Furthermore, the Sages anchoring the Four Spirit Star Domain and transmitting various Dao lineages have made the ascent to the Star Building less of a nine-deaths-one-life ordeal. While expanding the boundaries of cultivation, this has also significantly lowered the lower limit of the Outer Building realm.

Amongst the ranks of top-tier heavenly talents, the disparity in cultivation is a stark reality, a gap large enough to crush spirits.

As another bystand to this battle, Fang Heling’s feelings were different. Many of the battle’s intricate details eluded his sight, and the rationale behind certain combat choices remained unclear to him. It wasn't until he witnessed the divinely empowered being being beaten into a falling human skin that he was jolted into the awareness of the battle's conclusion.

Yet, the sights he had seen, the moments he had remembered, were enough for him to ponder for a long time. Thus, his eyes also held the elation of victory.

People are fundamentally different. In the same world, what they see, experience, and feel all vary. Though living a single lifetime, they possess ten thousand different experiences.

Clang, clang.

Dou Zhao, his *Tianxiao* knife held at a jaunty angle, casually tapped a block of mountain stone at his feet. "Who can tell me," he asked, "what is the deal with this Ge Fei?"

As a magnificent battle concludes, every participant experiences an indescribable sense of exhilaration. To fight shoulder to shoulder with individuals of top-tier combat talent is truly a pleasure. Every fighting intention is understood, every move met with cooperation. Your every strike lands at the most comfortable angle. No matter how elusive or unpredictable a technique, there are responses as wondrous as if crafted by the heavens themselves. You can fully unleash your entire talent. In such a situation, ten percent of your fighting strength can be magnified to at least twelve percent.

Dou Zhao's body language, too, was significantly lighter. Of course, he was clearly looking at Jiang Wang, in fact, addressing Jiang Wang, but his peculiar habit of asking without naming names was very much in his characteristic Dou Zhao style.

Jiang Wang indeed held the most authority on this question. After all, 'Ge Fei' had come to the central mountain without anyone else noticing, engaging in "cordial discussions" with him alone on several occasions.

"At that time, I only killed Wu Ling and let Ge Fei escape. I don't know what happened to him afterward." Jiang Wang shook his head, then looked towards Wang Changji: "Brother Wang, you said he was Hun Dun or Zhu Jiuyin?"

At this moment, 'Ge Fei' was already dead. Only a human skin, floating on the turbulent fluid. The back of the ancient stone tablet had all nine chapters of the jade wall embedded. The divine light barrier, like a tangible golden bell, appeared solid and unbreakable. No matter how the black tide outside surged, it could not approach again. A crisis, it seemed, had concluded.

But Jiang Wang, who had personally ventured into the Diao Nan Abyss, naturally dared not be careless.

"I could not see clearly," Wang Changji said. "I only saw, in a deep sea domain, before a black jade wall, a bear-like strange beast sitting alone, its body covered in long hair, its belly distended. I also saw, on a precipitous floating mountain, a red strange beast with a human face and a snake body, quietly coiled on the mountaintop."

"The first one you mentioned is Hun Dun, we saw it inside the Diao Nan Abyss," Zuo Guangshu said. "The latter one is Zhu Jiuyin, recorded in the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*."

"But I am not sure where the power manipulating Ge Fei came from," Wang Changji said. "This world is too chaotic now, everything is in turmoil. I only, during the fighting process, captured the rule channel transmitting that power, and then slightly interfered."

He spoke lightly. But even someone as arrogant and dismissive as Dou Zhao couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"By common sense, the entity controlling Ge Fei's body should undoubtedly be Hun Dun," Jiang Wang said. "It is determined to overturn this world, and the central mountain is a place it must attack. Now that the nine chapters are gathered, the central mountain appears unbreakable. I don't know what it will do next."

"The uncommon sense situation, huh?" Zhu Weiwu asked with interest.

Jiang Wang said: "In this chaotic time, Zhu Jiuyin might also find ways to bypass the rules to deal with us. For example, by borrowing Ge Fei's body? At a critical moment against Hun Dun, the nine chapters of the jade wall in its hands are more reliable than in ours. As the maintainer of world order, stability is always paramount. And its style of action already has precedents."

Zhu Weiwu pondered for a moment, then looked towards Wang Changji: "There was also a monster in the black tide just now. I am sure I wounded it, can you see who it is?"

Fortunately, he didn't ask Jiang Wang about the precedent of Zhu Jiuyin's acting style, otherwise, he would immediately realize who had caused his cooked duck to fly away.

Wang Changji was silent for a moment, then said: "I don't know which one you are referring to, because the monsters within the black tide... are not just one."

This sentence made hearts leap, a sentence that also seemed to sound the horn of war.

No sooner had Wang Changji's words fallen than earth-shattering roars echoed from within the boundless black tide!

From the death of Huang Wei Zhen's true body and the opening of the mountain and sea realm to the heavenly talents of Great Chu, nine hundred-plus years had passed. Yet, the history of the mountain and sea realm was not merely nine hundred years.

In the vast mountain and sea realm, there were originally no boundaries within boundaries. But a great power, in this extreme southern corner, drew a line, thus creating the Diao Nan Abyss. Ancient Zhu Jiuyin governed the alternation of day and night, the rotation of the four seasons. Equally ancient Hun Dun sat here, tidying the world's negative energies.

Living beings are born and then die, plants wither and then flourish. The world is constantly developing, and also constantly dying. All the negative, the powers of death, flowed towards the Diao Nan Abyss, allowing the rest of the world to have a more vibrant appearance, to develop more rapidly. Of course, in this process, there were inevitably some painful parts, some... sacrifices.

The word "sacrifice" is uttered with a wisp of divine light! It originally referred to livestock used in sacrifices to gods. Later, it referred to giving up something for the sake of another. It falls lightly from the lips, two simple strokes on paper.

However, those who were sacrificed had to truly endure that prolonged pain, to carefully feel that sleepless long night. Those millions of drops of blood and tears... ultimately cannot be easily wiped away.

In such moments. The boundary of the Diao Nan Abyss had long since been breached, but that tower piercing the high sky, the white tower that broke the heavens, still held a metaphor of a boundary. A metaphor that this was the southern end... a place that the vast majority of mountain gods and sea gods in the mountain and sea realm were unwilling to speak of.

But now, look at this world. Completely collapsed heaven and earth Yuan force, resentment power wandering everywhere, seemingly endless heavenly disasters... At this time, where in the heaven-dark, earth-dark mountain and sea realm was not the Diao Nan Abyss?

The Diao Ling Tower had long since stopped expanding, but the sky located at that extremely high place was still falling, falling. Further south from the Diao Ling Tower, the once turbulent, dim, oppressive sea domain of the Diao Nan Abyss was now unexpectedly clear. The resentment insects deposited in this domain, deeply hidden in every drop of water, had long since rampantly rushed towards the mountain and sea. After the release of hatred and anger, even darkness is clean.

"Born for whom? Die for whom?" In the darkness, a voice spoke like this, asked like this. "Zhu Jiuyin obscures day and night, but what difference is there between day and night?" This voice was wandering, wandering between the mountain and sea.

"Heaven grants me a divine name, but I only feel entangled by a noose, I cannot breathe, cannot speak a word from the heart!" "Outside of divine duty, we in this world have endless freedom—but what is freedom?" This voice was spiraling, spiraling amidst the wind and snow high above.

"I speak without an audience." "I speak without an audience hearing." "This is the rule of this world." "I possess freedom, yet without freedom." "All the gorgeous and brilliant are bubbles, this world is like a giant reptile, it is excreting in the Diao Nan Abyss!" "The innocent are struggling in the dung pit, and it is called resentment." "But is the world outside the Diao Nan Abyss truly clear and brilliant?"

This voice was not resentful, but rather appeared impassioned, grand, sacred. Like a light, illuminating the path ahead. "You are the Lord of Mount Tian, you are the Mountain God of Zhang E Mountain, you are the Water Master of Huang Water... and you, you, all of you! Tell me where your divine duties lie? Tell me what you need to contribute? Tell me what remains after you die!" "You have nothing, because you are nothing. You are dust, illusions, bubbles, fundamentally tiny things that are not cared about and it doesn't matter if they exist or not—I am also so!"

"We are born in the mountain and sea, this is our world." "Those nonsensical people wander here, we accompany them for a journey, send them off for a journey." "What are we?" "We are sand and gravel, we are insects. We have meaningless births and deaths!"

"Why have I abandoned my divine name, grown grass on my body, accumulated dust into mud, imprisoned here for nine hundred years?" "Why do I want to break this sky?" "Why do I want to overturn this world?" "Because I do not recognize it!" "I do not recognize any heavenly will, I do not believe in destiny. Even if heaven and earth submit, I do not submit! Even if the whole world ministers, I do not minister!"

"Hun Dun can die, but it cannot die silently without a sound." "Finally, I must make you all know... the sky is not only clouds and smoke, the world is not only mountain and sea." "We are born like this, but we can be more than this." "We are born in a cage, we will absolutely not die in a cage!"

Rumble!

The entire mountain and sea realm, in all directions, sounded as if war drums were beating. Like arrays of thunder, but far more than mere thunder. The Diao Ling Tower, more than the central mountain, seemed to be supporting the heavens.

And Hun Dun's voice, at this moment, had already spread throughout the mountain and sea. Jiang Wang heard it, Zhu Weiwu heard it, Dou Zhao heard it. The mountain gods and sea gods of the mountain and sea realm... all heard it! These voices were originally impossible to be heard, yet now it was impossible not to hear them, and this was the embodiment of the alternating of world authority.

This world was waiting for a voice. And that Zhu Jiuyin, who obscured day and night, who breathed winter and summer... yet remained silent. This kind of silence inevitably instilled fear in the many mountain gods and sea gods guarding the mountain and sea! When a world has only one kind of voice, who can contend with it? For over nine hundred years after Huang Wei Zhen's death, Zhu Jiuyin had precisely controlled this world in this manner. Now, the situation was reversed.

The black tide surged, already surrounding the central mountain. Within it, roars were endless, evil thoughts emerged.

And in the depths of the Diao Nan Abyss, a certain extremely calm sea surface. The shadow of the sky, the shadow of the sea, all overlapped here. The mountain and sea realm was undergoing earth-shattering changes, yet this place had become a pure land. Inevitably, there was a touch of irony.

A colossal black phoenix on the sea surface, dead for who knew how many years. Its corpse lay quietly there. Like a silent mountain. It had an extremely beautiful posture, and exceptionally gorgeous wings. Those remnant souls and evil spirits who had once desecrated this noble corpse had long since abandoned this "empty nest."

But at a certain moment, this black phoenix... suddenly opened its eyes!