Chapter 139 Are you home? Turns out it was my little tiger who was concerned about me…
Shattered Star Sea.
This place is called the sea, but in reality there is no water at all. Instead, there are countless fragments of broken stars, like floating islands, drifting in this boundless dark starry sky.
In the distance, the remains of some enormous, mountain-like void demons could be vaguely seen. Some had been dead for countless ages and slept here for eternity, while others had just perished, their bodies still warm.
Inside a large fragment of a star, a small space had been temporarily created. Zhong Jiuli and Bai concealed all their auras and hid there to rest for the time being.
Several months have passed since they escaped from the Dark Demon Emperor. In these days, powerful demons from all directions have been pouring in every day, launching wave after wave of attacks against them.
The battle never stopped, and their injuries were compounded by new ones. If Zhong Jiuli hadn't improved her cultivation to the Immortal King realm, greatly increasing her strength, and if Xiao Lü hadn't absorbed the World Tree's energy, making her healing even better, the two of them might not have been able to escape all the way here.
"This world is too big... How can there be so many powerful demons?"
Bai muttered under his breath as he manipulated the little green tree, which hovered above Zhong Jiuli's head, while reaching out to unbutton her clothes, revealing the bloody wound on her shoulder.
The wound was a penetrating wound, transparent from front to back, with the flesh already blackened. A terrifying death aura clung to the flesh, eroding Zhong Jiuli's life force and preventing the wound from healing.
This is a wound left from the battle with a Void Poison Scorpion whose cultivation was close to that of a half-step Demon Emperor. That old scorpion was incredibly powerful, and the poison hidden in its stinger was enough to kill even a Celestial King.
In order to finish the battle quickly and avoid being surrounded by more pursuers, Zhong Jiuli had no choice but to endure the poisoned thorn before she could kill her opponent.
Afterwards, the two fled for tens of thousands of miles. Zhong Jiuli fainted, and Bai had no choice but to take her into this fragment of starlight and hide them.
Looking at the shocking wound, Bai felt a pang of heartache and couldn't help but start talking, "Tell me, if I hadn't come to find you, how could you have survived alone in this godforsaken place? Would you still dare to wander around alone in the future?"
"Always thinking about charging forward alone, someone like you can't find a partner where we live, you know? Because we young girls don't like pretty older and stubborn women like you, unless you're very rich. Okay, you are indeed very rich."
"Ye Zai!"
Jiaojiao, who was watching from the sidelines, chimed in, reminding her, "Why don't you wait until Sister Zhong wakes up before you start talking to her? She's unconscious right now, and she won't hear a word you say. Wouldn't that be a waste of your energy?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Would I say these things to her face?" Bai Ye replied without looking up, his hands moving constantly as he carefully cleaned the blackened, corroded flesh from Zhong Jiuli's shoulder.
This poison is extremely potent. The dagger in my hand was only used to cut a bit of flesh and blood before it was corroded and pitted, losing all its luster.
"Tsk, this damn thing is really poisonous." Bai also tossed the dagger aside with disgust, condensed a bit of true solar fire at his fingertips, and burned the dagger and the flesh on the ground clean, leaving not a trace, so as not to be tracked by the demon.
After doing all that, she took out the last bit of medicine, poured it onto the wound, and carefully bandaged it up.
Perhaps the toxins in the wound had been removed, Zhong Jiuli's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she let out a soft groan as she woke up from her unconsciousness.
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw an enlarged face pressed against hers, the other person's warm breath falling on her cheeks, their little mouth chattering incessantly.
"Zhong Jiuli, how are you feeling? I've cleaned the wound completely. Are you feeling any better now? Does it still hurt?"
A series of questions followed. A smile appeared on Zhong Jiuli's pale face. She pushed the head that was too close away and said in a hoarse voice, "Little tiger, you're too close. Your saliva is almost spraying on my face."
"Okay, then lean against me like this, it'll be more comfortable." Bai stepped back a little and helped the person up to lean against him.
Zhong Jiuli nestled comfortably in her arms, her face still a little pale, but much better than before. She said slowly, "When I was unconscious just now, it seemed like there was an annoying little fly buzzing in my ear, making me dizzy. I don't know where it flew from."
Bai Ye stiffened. Could it be that Zhong Jiuli had heard her rambling on while she was unconscious?
Before she could figure out how to defend herself, Jiao Jiao's big mouth rushed up and her little paws pointed at her, tearing her apart: "It's not a little fly, it's Ye Zai! She was so worried about you just now, she kept chattering away."
"Hey, you silly girl, what are you saying? When did I babble? I was just showing my concern for Zhong Jiuli." Bai hurriedly tried to cover her mouth.
Zhong Jiuli watched them playing and asked with a smile, "Oh? So it was my little tiger who was concerned about me? Tell your older sister what he was muttering about just now?"
Bai quickly changed the subject: "It's nothing, I just want to know how big this world is and how far away the Emperor's Tomb is."
"We're almost there. If we just keep going along this Shattered Star Sea, we should arrive. Haven't you noticed that there are far fewer enemy troops blocking our way after we enter the Shattered Star Sea?"
Bai also recalled this carefully. Indeed, the two of them had been in this Shattered Star Sea for more than a month. From the overwhelming attacks of powerful demons at the beginning, they now only encountered attacks once every one or two days. However, the Void Demons they encountered were also much stronger.
Zhong Jiuli continued to explain: "Although these demons have cultivated intelligence, they still follow the instinct of seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune in their bones. They regard this place as a dangerous and perilous place, believing that they will perish if they step into it, so they are unwilling to set foot here voluntarily."
"This universe was shattered by the Great Emperor with his supreme laws, and the slumbering places of those Great Emperors were stained with imperial blood. All the laws of the universe collapsed, and the killing aura and resentment intertwined. Now, after countless ages, it has long become a forbidden land of death. Where would any great demon dare to approach?"
"So... now that there are no pursuers, does that mean we don't have to go into that forbidden area? It sounds terrifying." Jiaojiao asked, peeking out.
"Of course!" Bai laughed and grabbed the little turtle, pulling it into his arms. "We're not tired of living, we're not looking for death. We're running in this direction to find a place where we can catch our breath. Otherwise, if those guys keep chasing and beating us, even if we don't get hacked to death, we'll be exhausted to death."
“Good. No demons are chasing us now, so let’s stay here and restoring ourselves to our peak condition as soon as possible.” Zhong Jiuli said before closing her eyes.
Such relaxed and casual conversation was a luxury for them. Soon, the temporary shelter fell silent, and the two people and the tortoise closed their eyes to regulate their breathing and recover their energy.
Jiaojiao nestled in Bai Ye's arms, sleeping soundly. Despite her seemingly carefree months on the run, she had actually endured just as much pressure as Zhong Jiuli.
As a dragon turtle with astonishing defensive capabilities, she had shielded Bai Ye from countless fatal attacks. If it weren't for her repeatedly standing in front of Bai Ye, that little tiger would have been torn to shreds by the Void Demon Clan long ago.
Where else could I find the energy to heal Zhong Jiuli and banter and joke with Jiaojiao like this?
Several hours passed in the blink of an eye. Just as a layer of granulation tissue had healed Zhong Jiuli's wound, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked into the void.
"Go!" she shouted, grabbed Bai Ye who was meditating beside her, tore open a void passage, and led him into the void, disappearing from the spot.
The moment the two people and the turtle left.
With a loud "boom," a giant hand shrouded in black mist slammed down on the star fragment. The star fragment, which had been hardened by the star storm, was instantly reduced to dust by this blow.
In the starry sky, a figure shrouded in black mist walked through the air. The newcomer was none other than the Demon Emperor with the Demon Eye, who had previously suffered a great loss at the hands of Zhong Jiuli.
Its dark eyes looked in the direction the two had fled, and it let out a cold laugh: "Two ants, humph, let's see how long you can escape."
Before the words were even finished, its figure blurred again and vanished into the void, chasing after the enemy at an extremely fast speed.
Ahead, Bai Ye, who was being carried by Zhong Jiuli through the starry sky at high speed, only came to his senses after running for hundreds of thousands of miles.
She sensed the changes in her surroundings. The star storms here were incredibly violent, like billions of celestial blades cutting through this space. The star fragments, weathered by the star storms over the years, were even sharper.
Even with Zhong Jiuli's current strength as an Immortal King, she appears exceptionally fragile in the face of these star fragments.
Just now, a fragment the size of a fingernail was swept by the star storm and easily pierced through Zhong Jiuli's protective immortal light, leaving a bloody mark on her arm.
Bai Ye stared at the stray fragments of stars hurtling past, a chill running down her spine. She had no doubt that if her own body were to collide with these fragments, she would shatter on the spot.
She asked telepathically, "Is a powerful enemy pursuing us?"
"Yes, it's that ugly thing covered in eyes that's chasing after us," Zhong Jiuli replied telepathically.
"They're not only ugly, but they also hold grudges so much," Bai muttered under her breath. Then she thought of an even more serious problem: "How many demon emperors do they have? Counting that old ape from before, we've already encountered two demon emperors?"
Zhong Jiuli dodged an incoming fragment of starlight, maintaining her maximum speed as she explained, "According to the World Tree's memories, that old ape is one of the two demon emperors left over from ancient times. Although it suffered a Dao injury, its foundation is extremely profound. As for the other one, he may be in a deep slumber."
"The Demon Emperor with the Demon Eye that is currently chasing us doesn't seem to have entered this realm for very long, so its strength isn't that top-tier. Perhaps we can find a way to kill it here."
Bai also sighed deeply: "In other words, they have at least two Demon Emperors, one Half-Step Demon Emperor, and countless super demons who are close to the Half-Step Demon Emperor realm."
If this force were to surge into the Nine Provinces, it would probably be able to flatten the entire land in less than a day.
"Don't worry, I'm here, I'll make sure you're safe." Zhong Jiuli pulled her closer to him, his voice soft but powerful enough to calm anyone's heart.
Bai leaned against her shoulder obediently and said in a low voice, "I'm not worried about myself... I'm worried about you. Every time I see you fighting alone, standing in front of me, and I can't help you, it makes me feel bad."
"Silly girl!" Zhong Jiuli lowered his head and gently rubbed his chin against her fluffy head.
"Who said you couldn't help? If it weren't for you, how could I have obtained the Star Grass to break through my realm, or obtained the World Fruit to heal my injuries? Every time I survived a desperate situation, it was thanks to you."
Upon hearing Zhong Jiuli's words, Bai Ye instantly perked up again. She raised her head, her eyes rekindling with fighting spirit. "You're right. With the two of us together, there's no danger we can't overcome. This hellhole will definitely not be our burial place."
Seeing that the little tiger had cheered up again, Zhong Jiuli felt relieved and stopped talking, focusing on continuing her journey.
Although the two were talking, they did not slow down at all, and in such a short time, she had run tens of thousands of miles.
The star storm here is already extremely terrifying. The violent star storm carries star fragments and dances wildly in this space, omnipresent and almost leaving no way to go.
Even Zhong Jiuli had to concentrate fully and maximize her understanding of the laws of time and her perception at the Immortal King level in order to find a way forward in this space.
Behind them, the aura of the Demon Emperor was rapidly approaching. These star fragments could hinder Zhong Jiuli, but they meant nothing to it.
It charged forward recklessly, but the closer it got to the ancient battlefield ruins, the more a strange thought arose in its mind, as if this place might very well become the place where it perished.
The Demon Emperor paused slightly, gazing at Zhong Jiuli and the other person who were still fleeing at top speed ahead, his heart torn between two conflicting emotions.
To retreat like this? How could it, a mighty demon emperor, tolerate being repeatedly mocked by two ants, even having its demonic eye injured? Such humiliation was unbearable. In the end, anger triumphed over reason.
"You two ants dare to trespass on this mere imperial tomb? What do I have to fear?"
It let out a low growl, and its body surged with black energy, like a black meteorite, closely following Zhong Jiuli as they rushed into the area known as the forbidden zone.
As soon as Zhong Jiuli and Bai Ye stepped into the area where the Emperor's Tomb was located, they sensed how terrifying it was. An extremely cold aura enveloped them, making their backs shiver and their hair stand on end.
Jiaojiao even retracted all four claws and her head into her shell to play dead, using her family's secret technique, the Turtle Breathing Technique, all to feign death.
"What's going on? I feel like I'm being watched. Could this place really be haunted?" Bai asked telepathically, looking around.
Inside the Emperor's Tomb, the starry sky was slightly brighter than the completely dark outside world, with ribbons of stars hanging in the sky, emitting a hazy glow.
Looking around, the scene was extremely bizarre. In the distance were fragmented pieces of land, somewhat indescribable, perhaps like building blocks carelessly tossed about by a child, with no discernible pattern.
To the left lies a shattered continent soaked in dark, blood-red light, exuding an eerie and ominous aura. Not far away, a shimmering river formed from starlight flows. To the side, a churning sea of dark red lava surges, its scorching heat terrifying.
All sorts of oddly shaped pieces of land can be seen here, forming this chaotic scene that is hard to imagine even in a dream.
However, Bai didn't see any wreckage or any creature, but the feeling of being watched was incredibly intense. It was as if countless eyes were staring at her from all directions.
Zhong Jiuli also felt that prickly feeling of being watched. She released her divine sense to scan her surroundings, but found nothing unusual.
"It's alright, perhaps it's just that the Emperor's lingering resentment hasn't dissipated. Let's continue on our way." She calmed herself, took Bai Ye's hand tightly, and led her forward.
Unlike the two's cautious approach, the Demon Emperor with the Eye of Demons, who was chasing after them in a fit of rage, was incredibly imposing. As soon as it stepped into this place, its thousands of demonic eyes locked onto the two people in front of it.
"Insects, let's see where you can escape to!" The Demon Emperor roared, and a huge hand of law arrived in an instant, its imperial might overwhelming, threatening to shatter the two people and the space around them.
Having anticipated this, Zhong Jiuli activated the World Tree Dharma Form the instant it made its move. The emerald green light barrier briefly blocked it, while the laws of time flowed, causing the giant hand to pause for a moment.
Taking advantage of this fleeting opportunity, the two narrowly avoided the attack.
"Hmph, do you think I'll fall for the same trick twice?" the Demon Emperor with the Demon Eyes sneered, his other large hand already approaching.
Just as the two escaped, another massive hand of law descended from the sky, slamming them into the blood-red continent like two tiny flying insects, powerless to resist.
As the giant hand descended, the crimson continent trembled violently. This seemingly eerie and ominous continent actually blocked the Demon Emperor's full-force attack.
"Buzz!"
The shattered continent emitted an eerie red light, and a terrifying will, far more violent and ancient than the Demon Emperor, filled with endless resentment, was awakened by this palm strike, like a slumbering ancient beast.
"Who... disturbed my slumber?" A muffled whisper echoed through the space.
The sound seemed to be a mixture of countless vengeful spirits; just hearing it sent chills down one's spine.
A dark red figure emerged from the Crimson Continent. Its form was extremely distorted, making it impossible to discern its exact shape. Only its blood-red eyes were clearly visible, filled with malice.
The two people who fell onto the land were mangled and their flesh was torn apart. Their bodies were covered in cracks and blood was gushing out. Seeing that the remnant soul of the Demon Emperor had been awakened, Bai no longer wanted to struggle.
She shifted her body, crawled to Zhong Jiuli's side, and lay down against her shoulder, coughing up blood as she said, "Forget it, forget it, that's enough. I'm exhausted, I don't want to run anymore. Now we'll just have to gamble on whether our lives are tough enough."
Zhong Jiuli was also severely injured. She raised her hand and hugged Bai Ye with heartache, saying, "Would you feel sorry if you perished here?"
“What’s there to regret? Dying together with you, I feel it’s not a loss at all. It’s just that I feel a little sorry for my mother. Actually, there’s something I’ve never told you.”
"What is it?" Zhong Jiuli asked, following her words.
Bai was just thinking about how to explain to Zhong Jiuli that she didn't belong to this world and had transmigrated here when she saw that the blood-red figure completely ignored them and went straight towards the Demon Emperor with the Demon Eye in the distance.
A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the Demon Emperor in the distance. It had not expected that the remnant souls of ancient ancestors would still remain here. Out of some respect for the fallen ancestors, it took the initiative to apologize.
"Greetings, senior. I am the current Demon Emperor of the Demon Eye Clan."
"Not bad, not bad, a perfect body, I want it!" The blood-red remnant soul murmured vaguely, carrying a monstrous blood aura, like a vengeful ghost pouncing on its prey, directly charging towards the Demon Emperor with the Demon Eye.
The Demon Emperor was both shocked and furious. He, the current Demon Emperor, was regarded as an ant that could be possessed at will by a remnant soul that had already perished.
"You're courting death!" it roared, its demonic eyes opening and Death Gaze activating as it met the oncoming crimson afterimage with all its might.
Compared to the remnant soul of this demon emperor, those two heavily injured ants were utterly insignificant; it could crush them with a flick of its wrist.
The two great demons clashed on this ancient battlefield. With a wave of their hands, the emperor-level figures could cause the void to collapse and stars to fall. The space became as chaotic as a boiling pot of oil due to their fierce battle.
Bai Ye and Zhong Jiuli, who were lying on the ground waiting to die, were dumbfounded.
"Good heavens..." Bai also spat out a mouthful of bloody foam mixed with fragments of internal organs and chuckled softly.
"This law of the jungle is truly ingrained in their bones; even in death, they don't forget to eat their own kind first. Now I finally understand why the Void Demon Clan dares not come here. Not only do they not gain any benefits, but they are also swallowed up as snacks by their own ancestors."
"Stop looking, let's go."
Despite her injuries, Zhong Jiuli scooped up Bai Ye and, taking advantage of the fact that the two demon emperors were too busy fighting to pay attention to them, fled far away at high speed.
She had some guesses in her mind. Those shattered lands and strange landscapes of various shapes were probably the dwelling places of the remnant soul of the Great Emperor. If that was the case, she had to find the place where the Immortal Emperor fell, so that the two of them might be able to get some protection.
Under the cover of the earth-shattering battle behind them, they crossed the terrifying sea of lava, passed many floating skeletons and fragments of the continent, and arrived at a broken continent that emitted a faint, clear light.
Unlike those continental fragments that exude evil energy, this continent, though equally broken, flows with a peaceful and serene aura. In the center of the continental fragments, a half-collapsed celestial palace, mainly made of white jade, stands quietly.
Upon arriving at this place, Zhong Jiuli could no longer hold on and, along with Bai Ye, plummeted straight down from mid-air, crashing in front of the Immortal Palace, spilling blood everywhere.
"Cough..." Bai coughed up another mouthful of blood. His bones felt like they were about to fall apart. His face was deathly pale, and he really didn't have the strength to speak.
Zhong Jiuli's situation was also very bad. When the Demon Emperor's attack came down, she blocked most of it and was seriously injured. She was able to escape here with Bai Ye only because of her willpower.
At this moment, the two lay on the ground, too exhausted to even move. Little Green dutifully flew out from its dantian, hovering over them and showering them with life essence to heal their wounds.
Behind them, the battle's aftershocks gradually subsided. Zhong Jiuli felt a sense of foreboding; the remnant soul of the Demon Emperor must have been defeated. Even as the Demon Emperor, his remnant soul was ultimately no match for the Demon Eye Demon Emperor at his peak.
"Ah, we need to hide." Zhong Jiuli's voice was hoarse as she tried to get up.
"Mmm," Bai responded weakly.
The two helped each other to their feet and walked into the celestial palace, leaving bloody footprints with each step. Little Taihu appeared and activated its flames to clean up the bloodstains and lingering aura on the ground.
They stumbled into the half-collapsed celestial palace. The interior was very clean, with spotless white jade floors, and time seemed to stand still there.
Bai leaned against a broken jade pillar, panting heavily, and shouted at the top of his lungs into the empty hall, "Immortal Emperor, are you home?"
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