Chapter 1035: The Candlelight in the Photo

The Boundary Source Secret Realm is located in Eastern Mohu and is renowned for its immense benefit in helping Wunshen cultivators shape their own new worlds.

Its location is seven thousand miles north of the Lan family territory, in the Boundary Source Barren River.

From the outside, this barren river appears as desolate mountains, treacherous waters, rampant fierce beasts, rising toxic miasma, and a powerful seal that prevents any cultivator from attempting to intrude.

Even if a powerful individual could forcefully break through the seal and enter by their own strength, it would be futile.

Without the Lan family's token, personally crafted by Emperor Mingyan, anyone below the Emperor realm would be unable to perceive its true nature and would only get lost in the desolate mountains and treacherous waters, gaining nothing.

However, if one possesses the Lan family's token, the moment they step into the Boundary Source Barren River, everything they perceive will completely reverse.

What they see will no longer be desolate mountains, rampant fierce beasts, or rising toxic miasma, but instead a colossal basin.

At the center of the basin stands an object!

This object is astonishingly large, approximately ten thousand feet tall, and overall elongated, with numerous runes carved upon it.

Anyone seeing this object for the first time would experience a roaring shock to their mind, evoking endless ripples.

Because this is a jade slip!

To be precise, it is an ancient recording jade slip.

Its owner is unknown, but judging by the size of the jade slip, its owner must have been extraordinarily terrifying.

As for its origin, records in the Mohu Sacred Land indicate that during the era of Ancient Emperor Xuan You, it arrived from beyond the heavens, landing in the then-Mohu tribe, and was subsequently borrowed by Ancient Emperor Xuan You.

Many years later, after the Mohu tribe's Emperor at the time strived for its return with countless military merits, the jade slip was finally reclaimed from Ancient Emperor Xuan You.

Subsequently, this jade slip became a sacred artifact of the Mohu tribe.

Until the arrival of the Imperfect Face, the Mohu tribe followed Ancient Emperor Xuan You and left to construct their own sacred land beyond the heavens. After several twists and turns, this object became exclusively possessed by Emperor Mingyan.

Ultimately, it became an artifact of the Lan family.

Its peculiarity lies in a recorded image sequence imprinted within it.

Holding the Lan family token and stepping into this jade slip allows one to transition from reality into illusion, from the present world into that recorded image.

As for the specific content of that recording...

Some refer to it as creation.

For many years, this secret realm has been exclusively controlled by the Lan family. Outsiders wishing to enter must pay a significant price, and even then, whether they ultimately succeed depends on the Lan family's disposition.

If the Lan family is unwilling, no matter how great the price paid, it will be in vain.

And at this moment, outside this Boundary Source Barren River, where all that is visible are desolate mountains and treacherous waters, Xu Qing's figure suddenly approached with a whoosh, halting in mid-air and looking down.

This place was sparsely populated and unguarded.

After all, few qualify to enter this secret realm, and its peculiarity means it doesn't require supervision.

After a few breaths, a faint, eerie glow appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. He raised his hand, took out the token given by the Empress, and without hesitation, stepped towards the barren river below.

It was like passing through a water curtain, filtering out all mountains, rivers, fierce beasts, and toxic miasma.

The next instant, the colossal basin and the astonishingly vast jade slip within it materialized before Xu Qing's eyes.

He stepped into the recording.

Xu Qing gazed at the massive jade slip, sensing its ancient aura and the profound sense of time, finally letting his gaze fall downwards.

Roughly thirty percent of this jade slip was buried underground; only about seventy percent was exposed.

What kind of being would require such a large jade slip?

And what kind of being could record the act of creation?

A hint of anticipation appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. Although he had a general understanding of this secret realm from Xuechenzi's memories, he had not seen it with his own eyes.

While he had experienced many secret realms in his life, one like this was a first.

So, after confirming that the surroundings were safe and the giant jade slip was functioning normally, Xu Qing didn't hesitate. Holding the token, he headed straight for the jade slip.

He approached instantly, without the slightest pause. The moment he touched the colossal jade slip, his figure abruptly vanished.

He didn't merge into the jade slip; rather, he seemed to be erased.

In a bizarre manner, he disappeared from the present world!

When he reappeared, he was already inside the recording!

Upon clearly seeing the scene before him, Xu Qing, now in this recording, felt an uncontrollable surge of emotion in his mind.

This was...

Xu Qing's breath hitched.

For the well-traveled Xu Qing, this reaction was uncharacteristic, but the scene he witnessed was simply too astonishing.

This was a void!

In the depths of the void, Xu Qing saw a colossal red candle, burning.

As it burned, the candle's flame illuminated all directions, causing the entire void to shimmer. In the flickering light and shadow, countless stars and countless worlds were forming from coalescing dust.

Their number was immeasurable.

He could only see that on the periphery of the light aura, those stars and worlds instantly completed their formation from dust, only to collapse the very next instant, as if reaching their peak, transforming back into dust and scattering in all directions.

During this process, as worlds and stars formed, countless rules and laws were born within them, only to be destroyed along with them and reintegrate into the dust.

This cycle repeated endlessly.

In just the single glance Xu Qing took, at least hundreds of thousands of worlds appeared and were destroyed.

But this was only confined to the periphery of the light aura.

The closer one got to the red candle, the slower the formation of stars and worlds within it became. And with slower formation came equally slow destruction.

Therefore, as Xu Qing looked, near the flame of the red candle, he could see many nearly complete stars.

This scene...

Xu Qing took a deep breath. He didn't know if this was true creation, but he could clearly feel that this recorded scene was filled with an extremely rich aura of worlds.

Rules, laws, origins—everything was omnipresent here.

But it was all illusory.

Xu Qing's gaze swept over everything as he murmured.

But he knew very well that although everything was illusory, and he himself had now entered an illusion, for Wunshen cultivators, this would be an unparalleled place for enlightenment.

However, danger also existed.

Xu Qing's spiritual sense spread, encompassing all directions. His body flickered, and he cautiously moved forward.

According to Xuechenzi's memory, the canyon where his fate changed was located on a star in the middle of the candle's light aura.

Xu Qing was unsure if that star had collapsed into dust over the past few months.

So, he wasted no time and swiftly moved through this recorded world.

As he neared the light aura, Xu Qing felt a sensation of heat, a heatwave emanating from the burning red candle in the distance. He also felt the embryonic changes of countless rules and laws within it.

He carefully avoided collapsing worlds along his path, steadily approaching his destination.

After half an hour, Xu Qing finally saw, from a distance, the star from Xuechenzi's memory.

This star was in the process of collapsing.

However, due to the relatively slow passage of time in its region, it hadn't completely collapsed yet; it was only halfway disintegrated.

Though there was danger in approaching, there was at least hope.

Seeing this, Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief, about to proceed, but the next instant his expression darkened. He suddenly raised his right hand and fiercely grabbed at his side.

A chilling sensation swept across his palm.

There was nothing there.

In Xu Qing's eyes, the Authority Daoist Mark shone as he gazed around, recalling information from Xuechenzi's memory about a dangerous entity present in this Boundary Source Secret Realm.

It was a peculiar existence.

Their specific form and exact number were unknown to Xuechenzi.

He only knew that while these entities couldn't be seen, when approached, one could sense their chilling presence due to the heat contained within this place.

Thus, they could be perceived.

Though their true forms were unknown, Xuechenzi knew their origin.

These peculiar chills were once cultivators.

This related to another danger within this secret realm.

That was assimilation.

Within this recorded world, if one stayed too long, or approached the central red candle too closely, there was a certain probability of being assimilated by the environment.

After assimilation, the cultivator would be erased, transforming into an unknown form, and eternally trapped within this illusory recording, unable to return to the real world.

Although most cultivators who came here knew this beforehand, as time passed, some eventually became assimilated due to various reasons, remaining here.

As for their form after being erased—whether they were in a soul state or some other level—perhaps an Emperor knew, but Xuechenzi clearly did not.

So, after Xu Qing's gaze coldly swept the surroundings, his body boomed as his vital energy diffused. His unique physique gave him confidence that these strange entities could not contaminate him.

He looked around, then continued to speed towards the collapsing star, drawing closer.

Soon, the moment he approached, Xu Qing stepped forward, directly setting foot on this star.

The instant he landed, the sensation of heat vanished, and an endless chill permeated from all directions.

Although the view was empty, Xu Qing's perception vaguely sensed countless strange entities all around him!

This was, in fact, a star filled with those peculiar existences!

Meanwhile, outside this Boundary Source Secret Realm, in the western part of Eastern Mohu, within Western Mohu, the sacred dao platform resembling a wing now shone with dazzling light.

Within the dao platform, at its highest point, a figure sat cross-legged on an octagonal altar.

Their body was blurred, the specifics indiscernible, only a silhouette visible.

Though merely a silhouette, the fluctuations emanating from this person and their indescribably terrifying aura caused all who came to pay respects to tremble in their minds, daring not to look directly.

As was the case now, a West Mohu Overlord knelt beside the altar, his inner self trembling uncontrollably as he spoke in a low voice.

"Great Emperor, during this period, we have searched all areas of the entire Sacred Land, both east and west. Aside from Emperor Mingyan's cultivation retreat, we have not found the object you mentioned anywhere else."

Mohu Great Emperor remained silent.

The kneeling Overlord waited for a long while before rising respectfully and excusing himself.

Much later, a low voice from the silent altar emanated from the Mohu Great Emperor.

"Does this object truly exist?"

As his words echoed, the sound of chains clanked above the altar, and a black-robed figure, bound by chains that corroded its flesh, descended from the void.

The black-robed figure showed no abnormality, seemingly unconcerned, and spoke calmly.

"I told you long ago, this Wishing Face possesses its own spiritual intelligence. It is never found by others; rather, it seeks out suitable individuals.

If it does not wish for you to find it, even if it appeared before you, you, with your cultivation, would not see it.

And your prolonged search, still without finding it, sufficiently indicates... you, Mohu Great Emperor, are not the suitable individual."