The Ink Palace’s mechanical carriage traversed mountains and plains, bringing them from a remote border town to the vicinity of the capital, Changle, in just a single day.
“Though the distance between the two places isn’t overwhelmingly vast, covering it in just one day is still rather shocking,” remarked Zhu Tianming, the more observant among them, unable to resist sending a mental message to the group.
Mao Jin chuckled. “Well, why else would this be called the Nightmare World?”
Having experienced countless battles and traversed many different types of reincarnation worlds, they were long accustomed to such anomalies. Throughout the journey, they focused on tempering themselves and absorbing every detail of this world.
Unfortunately, time was too short—barely enough for them to grasp the basics and form a general impression.
At this moment, Yu Jinghua, who had been resting with her eyes half-closed, suddenly spoke up. “We’re about to arrive in Changle. Since we’re all veterans, I won’t waste words. Just one thing—do not make immediate contact with the Prince of Jin’s household. First, find your own means of livelihood or opportunities, establish a clean record in the capital, and only then plot your way into the Prince of Jin’s circle.”
“You must have noticed—the Six Paths only mentioned lying low for at least half a year but didn’t specify a deadline for infiltrating the Prince of Jin’s residence. This is to give us ample preparation time to avoid exposing ourselves. Of course, don’t think you can exploit this loophole to gain an advantage over the Six Paths. They’ve never cared about face and could impose additional conditions at any moment.”
Yu Jinghua’s words were prudent, and Mao Jin immediately voiced his agreement. Just as the others were about to ask for more details, they felt the mechanical train slowing down—evidently approaching its destination.
Through the windows, they could see a towering, majestic city ahead, its imperial grandeur unmistakable, befitting the capital of the Great Zhou. Even from a distance, Mao Jin and the other veteran reincarnators felt an inexplicable pressure—the radiant brilliance of countless souls striving forward in unity.
Beside the city stood an even more imposing altar, divided into nine tiers, each seemingly carved with different figures. Surrounding it were five smaller altars, colored red, blue, yellow, white, and black.
“The Fengtian Altar,” Yu Jinghua stated with certainty.
She had studied Changle’s records more thoroughly than the others, going beyond just a general impression.
Luan Yaqian laughed in realization. “So this is the Fengtian Altar? I’ve heard it described extravagantly on the forums but never looked into it closely.”
Mao Jin, Zhu Tianming, and Jiao Li were in a similar state of half-knowledge.
Yu Jinghua’s gaze dimmed slightly. “The Fengtian Altar—a grand altar of human virtue, prepared over tens of thousands of years. It’s said that if fully completed, it could unify the heavens under human governance, enfeoffing celestial deities and immortal officials. As of now, it’s partially functional, controlling earthly authority, capable of appointing star officials, city gods, mountain deities, land spirits, and celestial soldiers—granting them corresponding powers.”
“Seriously?!” Jiao Li blurted in disbelief.
After all the dangers they had endured over the years, others could simply be granted comparable—or even far greater—power through an edict?
Yu Jinghua replied simply, “If you don’t believe it, you can ask the City God of Changle yourself later.”
“This… how can this be…” Mao Jin shook his head, suddenly feeling drained, as if all motivation had left him, replaced by frustration and despair.
Yu Jinghua nodded firmly. “Though the number of star officials is limited, city gods and land spirits are everywhere.”
A heavy silence fell among them, as if all their past struggles had been rendered meaningless in an instant.
Was this the Nightmare World?
It seemed designed to erode their very will from the foundation!
After a while, as the train came to a complete stop, their tempered spirits gradually steadied.
“Enfeoffment relies on external forces—it can be revoked at any moment, leaving one to fall from grace. Our step-by-step progress is far more reliable,” Mao Jin was the first to speak up.
Luan Yaqian added, “I’ve noticed that martial artists in this world remain vigorous and dedicated to cultivation, seemingly unaffected by the allure of enfeoffment. This suggests it has inherent flaws. Unless one’s path has truly reached a dead end, few would choose it.”
“Well said. We mustn’t belittle ourselves,” Zhu Tianming exhaled.
“Exactly! If we can ascend to the level of gods and demons—like the ‘Primordial Heavenly Venerable’ of the Immortal Path or the ‘Celestial Emperor’ of Mythology—and break free from the cycle of reincarnation, we’ll surpass them by far!” Jiao Li declared fiercely.
Mao Jin had fully recovered, his expression resolute. “Moreover, we have the secretive Six Paths. Though shameless, they’ve given us ample opportunities to obtain wonders beyond our peers. As long as we survive, the ‘Primordial Heavenly Venerable’ and ‘Celestial Emperor’ are our role models—far superior to those reliant on enfeoffment.”
Yu Jinghua nodded slightly in agreement, adding, “This journey is also a tempering of our minds. Now, it’s time to disembark.”
Without further discussion, they found a simple but clean inn to settle in. The mental turbulence had left them spiritually exhausted, too lethargic to move.
Yu Jinghua and Luan Yaqian sat in chairs, leisurely browsing the Myriad World Mall and various forums to unwind.
Suddenly, Luan Yaqian gasped. “Turns out the Six Gates once published a *Great Zhou Defense Manual*.”
“*Great Zhou Defense Manual*? What’s that?” The others were puzzled—the name sounded odd.
Luan Yaqian withdrew her gaze, smiling. “It’s a compilation by the Six Gates on the Great Zhou’s hostile forces, meant for martial artists and citizens to identify enemies and stay vigilant. For us, it’s a shortcut to understanding the Great Zhou, saving us the trouble of piecing together information.”
“Ah, something like that. Excellent, truly excellent,” Mao Jin praised, then grinned at Luan Yaqian. “Why don’t you read it to us in the ‘Elven Chant’ style? It’ll help dispel our negative emotions and mental fatigue.”
Without refusal, Luan Yaqian’s voice shifted—ethereal and melodious:
“…The Demon Sect, formed from the unification of the former Nine Evil Paths—the Annihilation Heaven Sect, Blood Garment Cult, Asura Temple, and Joyous Temple—was consolidated under their current leader, the ‘Demon Master’ Han Guang.”
Their minds cleansed by the pure voice, they all relaxed, even Yu Jinghua wearing a serene expression.
Luan Yaqian continued, “Han Guang, alias ‘Demon Master,’ is also the ‘Celestial Emperor’ of Mythology…”
“Huh?” Mao Jin, who had been swaying slightly, froze. What had she just said?
Luan Yaqian stopped, bewildered, staring at him. The others were equally confused.
Mao Jin frowned. “Repeat what you just read.”
Luan Yaqian nodded:
“Han Guang, alias ‘Demon Master,’ is also the ‘Celestial Emperor’ of Mythology… uh, Mythology? Celestial Emperor?!”
Her eyes widened. Where had this “Celestial Emperor” come from?
Yu Jinghua, rarely stunned, exchanged glances with Mao Jin. The notoriously mysterious and formidable “Celestial Emperor” was just… printed in a so-called “defense manual,” known to all?
It felt like they’d painstakingly uncovered a secret, only to step outside and find it plastered on every wall.
Han Guang is the “Celestial Emperor” of Mythology. Han Guang is the “Celestial Emperor” of Mythology. Han Guang is the “Celestial Emperor” of Mythology!
“What the hell is this?!” Jiao Li cursed.
Yu Jinghua regained her composure. “Could it be a different ‘Mythology’ organization?”
Luan Yaqian scanned further, then read dazedly: “‘Mythology’ is an evil faction founded by Han Guang, built upon the Six Paths Reincarnation Space (details on the Six Paths Reincarnation Space can be found on pages 19 to 22)…”
She couldn’t continue.
The Six Paths Reincarnation Space was explicitly mentioned—with a cross-reference!
“But isn’t leaking the Six Paths punishable by erasure…?” Mao Jin muttered, more bewildered than Luan Yaqian.
In their minds, the Six Paths Reincarnation Space was a closely guarded secret—yet here it was, part of a public manual. Like committing a perfect crime, only to find their wanted poster on the opposite wall!
Silence. Then, abruptly, Yu Jinghua said, voice strained, “Read pages 19 to 22 first!”
In their panic, they even forgot they could check their own Myriad World Tokens.
Luan Yaqian flipped to page 19 and read rapidly:
“The Six Paths Reincarnation Space is an organization established by certain ancient factions, forcibly recruiting individuals, threatening erasure, and luring them with divine skills and treasures to complete specific tasks for unknown purposes. Further details follow.”
“Currently confirmed Six Paths Lords include: Devil Buddha, Peerless Demon Lord, Daoist Lu Ya, Emperor Fengdu, Seven Killings Daoist, Water Ancestor…”
Luan Yaqian’s mouth hung open, staring at her teammates in horror. Even the identities of the Six Paths Lords were publicized?!
This was outrageous!
Would knowing this get them erased?!
How had they stumbled into this?!
And the phrasing made it sound like “currently confirmed criminals include: Devil Buddha, Peerless Demon Lord…”
“Mother of—just a random booklet exposes the Six Paths’ identities. The Nightmare World is terrifying, absolutely terrifying…” Jiao Li shook his head violently, dazed.
Yu Jinghua remained stunned for a long moment before speaking in a low voice, “Wait—shouldn’t the Six Paths have erased such content to prevent us from reading it?”
“Right! What is the Six Paths thinking? Or is the information false?” Mao Jin’s eyes reddened.
“Hold on—I think I’ve heard of Devil Buddha and Peerless Demon Lord…” Yu Jinghua mused. “Devil Buddha appears in legends across many worlds, a supreme being on par with the true Celestial Emperor, far beyond god-demons. Peerless Demon Lord and the others are also legendary figures!”
“I get it!” Mao Jin clapped. “The Six Paths left this in to show us how powerful ‘They’ are.”
Luan Yaqian exhaled, then continued reading: “Devil Buddha… currently sealed…”
The others’ expressions hardened again.
Thump. Thump. Only their heartbeats filled the room, breaths held.
Finally, Luan Yaqian mustered the courage to finish:
“Peerless Demon Lord, having committed atrocities against the Great Zhou, was forced to awaken prematurely, losing an arm…”
“Emperor Fengdu—unknown.”
“Daoist Lu Ya—unknown.”
…
“What the actual hell is going on?!” Mao Jin exploded, his spirit shattered.
No one answered. Silence.
After an eternity, Yu Jinghua checked her Myriad World Token, adjusted her glasses, and spoke weakly, “I understand now.”
“You do?” the others chorused.
Yu Jinghua took a deep breath. “The reason the Six Paths didn’t erase this is simple. Since the Six Paths isn’t a single entity but a coalition, there’s internal strife. Perhaps those marked ‘unknown’ wanted to embarrass the others, reducing their influence over reincarnators.”
“Also, I skimmed the manual—there’s no mention of ‘Immortal Trace.'”
Mao Jin’s eyes lit up. “You think it’s the work of ‘Immortal Trace’?”
“Exactly. Exposing ‘Mythology’ and the Six Paths requires deep familiarity with reincarnation. The prime suspect not implicated is ‘Immortal Trace,'” Yu Jinghua nodded.
“But… wouldn’t ‘Immortal Trace’ fear erasure?” Luan Yaqian asked, stunned.
Yu Jinghua paused. “Perhaps their ‘Primordial Heavenly Venerable’ has reached a level where he can challenge the Six Paths.”
Mao Jin and the others were speechless again.
To rival the Six Paths? What kind of monstrous strength was that?!
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