Chapter 420: Exploring the Dispute, Emperor Wu's Plea for Help

The "Boundless Ocean" points mission could not be continued for the time being. Zhao Xing then began "island fishing" and "deep-sea treasure hunting."

Deep-sea treasure hunting primarily involved acquiring Five-Element Origin Stones and Yin-Yang Origin Stones. These could be exchanged for points in Seaweed City or used personally.

The buy-back price, however, was only half the selling price, so most people chose to keep them for personal use.

Island fishing was similar: using his Dao field as a fishing rod and spiritual power as bait. The fish caught, if exchanged for extra points, also yielded only half of their selling price.

On an uninhabited island in the Primordial Ocean.

A faint fishing rod drifted with the waves. Spiritual energy flowed down the rod and line into the sea, with the other end connected to Zhao Xing on the island.

Whoosh! Zhao Xing sharply pulled up the rod. A large fish with distinct scales and bony segments broke free of its bonds and tore through the void. Then, it turned its head toward the island, its cold, pale eyes reflecting Zhao Xing’s figure, a hint of murderous intent flashing within them.

“This is truly against the natural order! A Five-Element Dao Domain realm fish trying to eat me?”

Just as Zhao Xing was about to make a move, a tiny gray light emanated from the sharp barb on the scale-bone fish's head. It swiftly tore through the void and vanished into the horizon.

This was because it saw colorful fish bones scattered next to the human, almost forming a small mountain. Many of these were even its natural predators. Behind the mountain, there was also a strange tree with eye-like leaves and a vine. Its instinct made it abandon the hunt and choose to flee.

“It got away again! What a cunning fish!” a boy dressed in scholar’s robes exclaimed from within the Mirage Tree. “Emperor, why are the fish in the Primordial Ocean so slippery? They’ve practically become spirits!”

Zhao Xing replied, “That’s normal. The Primordial Ocean has existed for so long, and countless people have fished here. They’ve learned their lesson.”

The Mirage Tree chuckled, “Haha, the Emperor is right. To break free from the Emperor’s Dao field, this scale-bone fish is truly a prodigy among its kind. Seeing so many bones of its own kind, and even those of its natural enemies, piled at the Emperor’s feet—this scale-bone fish must have been terrified. I wonder how it will spread the word about this scene when it returns to its tribe.”

Zhao Xing couldn’t help but smile as he listened to the Mirage Tree’s words. How indeed would it spread the word? Perhaps, “I, the Fish Emperor. Ascension is a human trap; do not take the bait, do not take the bait!”

Fishing for Dao fish was now impossible. After the scale-bone fish escaped, it surely alerted the surrounding waters. This was also the challenge of fishing: if even one fish got away, there would be no fish to catch around the island for a month or so, and he would have to move to a different spot.

With a thought, Zhao Xing summoned a large number of his avatars from his Origin Space. They stepped out and dove into the ocean. If the fish were startled, then it was time to search for treasures on the seabed. In any case, he couldn't leave empty-handed today.

Swish, swish, swish! Plop, plop! The Giant Sun Golems leapt into the sea, beginning their search for origin stones on the seabed.

“In the Primordial Ocean, specifically the 90,000-nautical-mile region, Five-Element Origin Stones are relatively densely distributed, while Yin-Yang Origin Stones are scarcer.”

“The difficulty of deep-sea treasure hunting in the Primordial Ocean is also immense. The water pressure near the seabed is enough to crush the physical body of a Five-Element Dao Domain realm martial artist. During descent, one might encounter hidden currents, submarine volcanoes, and other hazards, whose destructive power is even more terrifying.”

“If encountered, they could even completely shatter a Giant Sun avatar.” However, Zhao Xing had a considerable number of Giant Sun avatars, so as long as a small portion avoided the current's impact, he could still gain substantial rewards.

A few months later.

The avatars emerged onto the shore, carrying origin stones that glowed with five colors. “This time, I found 520 Five-Element Origin Stones and only 34 Yin-Yang Stones, whereas my first attempt yielded over 10,000. It seems it’s almost time to leave.”

Under the Mirage Tree, Zhao Xing opened his eyes.

“Acquiring points in the early stages is relatively easy,” he thought. “However, if one’s strength doesn’t continuously improve, reaching the Coral rank by treasure hunting is impossible. Deep-sea treasure hunting in the first 100,000 nautical miles of the ocean can yield approximately 1.5 million points.”

The Primordial Realm regulates itself; there is a limit to easily acquired resources. If Zhao Xing continued to harvest origin stones, his luck would worsen significantly, eventually preventing him from acquiring even a single one.

“It’s time to go,” he decided. “The Primordial Ocean offers little benefit to me at my current stage, unless my strength advances another level, allowing me to enter regions beyond 100,000 nautical miles.”

Zhao Xing had now spent 58 years in the Primordial Ocean. The diligent Zhao Xing had worked almost ceaselessly, and his Giant Sun avatars were almost completely destroyed. However, he had also collected a total of 250,000 Five-Element Origin Stones and 1,000 Yin-Yang Origin Stones, a haul that matched Zhao Xing’s strength. Having exhausted the current value of the Primordial Ocean, it was naturally time to leave.

Whoosh! Zhao Xing immediately chose to leave the Primordial Ocean and return to Seaweed City.

When Zhao Xing returned to Willow Tree Courtyard, Bagel and Xinda immediately came forward to greet him.

“My Lord.”

“Bagel, Xinda,” Zhao Xing greeted them.

“My Lord, how was your trip to the Primordial Ocean?” Xinda asked curiously.

“Not bad,” Zhao Xing said, waving his hand, and immediately a small mountain of origin stones appeared.

“What? So many?” Xinda and Bagel stared, stunned, at the mountain of origin stones piled on the manor lawn. The dazzling Five-Element Origin Stones almost blinded them.

“Approximately 250,000 Five-Element Origin Stones and over 1,000 Yin-Yang Origin Stones—it seems My Lord’s strength is already close to the Yin-Yang Dao Domain realm,” Bagel exclaimed in awe.

“Resource gains in the Primordial Realm are always commensurate with one’s strength. To acquire so much in 58 years, My Lord definitely possesses that level of power,” Xinda also praised.

“Truly impressive. I recall it took me 500 years to exhaust the first stage’s value when I went to the Primordial Ocean.”

“Me too,” Bagel added.

Everyone knew the Primordial Realm offered numerous benefits, but members below the Coral rank could only stay for a little over two thousand years. The time was too short; if one couldn’t eventually stay, the resources consumed would be quite limited. Within the allotted time, how many resources a genius could absorb in the Primordial Realm depended entirely on their capabilities!

Judging solely from Zhao Xing’s trip to the Primordial Ocean, his potential was more than 10 times that of Bagel and Xinda. The two sparring partners were naturally very impressed.

“My Lord, if these origin stones of yours were exchanged for extra points, they would be worth approximately 1.75 million points,” Bagel calculated. “If you exchanged them, you could reach Seaweed Rank Six. If your Origin Space has been upgraded to its limit, you could exchange them for points. However, if you still have a need for them yourself, I suggest it’s better to use them personally.”

“Mhm,” Zhao Xing nodded.

Five-Element Origin Stones sold for 10 points each, and Yin-Yang Origin Stones sold for 1,000 points each. However, their buy-back prices were only half. If there was still a demand for them, exchanging them for points now would clearly be a significant loss. Only those who had undergone reincarnation and whose Origin Space had reached a bottleneck, no longer requiring Five-Element Origin Stones, would exchange them for points. Figures like Tuosen, Puguang Rui, and Fairy Youling generally no longer needed them, so they exchanged their points early, quickly upgrading their status and now all reaching Seaweed Rank Nine.

Zhao Xing still had needs, so he naturally wouldn’t exchange them now. Using them to accelerate the progress of his Primal Chaos Realm cultivation was the optimal choice.

After returning from the Primordial Ocean, Zhao Xing entered secluded cultivation in Willow Tree Courtyard.

Boom! 250,000 Five-Element Origin Stones and over 1,000 Yin-Yang Origin Stones floated like stars in his Origin Space. As they circulated energy in conjunction with the World-Stabilizing Pagodas, a phantom image of the Primordial Ocean was outlined in the void.

“Life originates from the Primordial Ocean. The first layer of the Primal Chaos Realm aims to capture the essence of the primordial stage. Thus, an illusory Primordial Ocean first forms within the Origin Space.”

As Zhao Xing observed the four Primal Chaos diagrams, he simultaneously constructed his Origin Space. The Five-Element Origin Stones and Yin-Yang Origin Stones, transformed into stars, cast down numerous lines. These lines connected with the earth, eventually forming a murky, desolate ocean.

“Primal Chaos World Stabilization, Primordial Ocean, complete!” Zhao Xing formed hand seals, and the primordial soil suddenly surged like boiling water. The four World-Stabilizing Pagodas emitted brilliant golden light, and the cultivation progress of the Primal Chaos Realm, which had been stagnant, began to surge, instantly breaking through the 100 threshold.

“The first layer has broken through; the Primordial Ocean has formed,” Zhao Xing mused.

In its perfected state, the 'Origin Sea Realm' already had a prosperous Origin Space, complete with spirit mountains, earth veins, and lakes—much like an inner world. However, with the first layer of the 'Primal Chaos Realm' completed, the entire Origin Space became a scene of soil covered by seawater, as if the path of the True Self had just begun. The difference in cultivation methods became immediately apparent.

Zhao Xing’s divine sense stirred. Boom! The desolate ocean quickly began to boil, as if infused with vitality. It resembled an ocean with a living consciousness, waves constantly expanding its boundaries, and the Origin Space stretched wider accordingly.

“The first wave of impact expanded the Origin Space to 1.5 stellar units.” A stellar unit is the True Self sect's standard for measuring Origin Spaces and inner worlds, similar to a martial artist’s 'extreme' body size. Typically, an Origin Space only reaches 1 stellar unit upon reaching the Five-Element Dao Domain realm. Before this, when Zhao Xing cultivated the 'Origin Sea Realm,' he hadn’t even reached 0.001, so he couldn’t even use this measurement standard.

Splash! As the first wave of impact ended, the second wave began. However, the second wave was much weaker, expanding it by only 0.5. Zhao Xing circulated the Primal Chaos diagrams, and the process continued for a total of four waves. After the four waves, his Origin Space had expanded to approximately 2.3 stellar units.

“With the first layer of the Primal Chaos Realm completed, the next step is to continuously expand the framework of the Origin Space, preparing for the future creation of worlds,” he mused. “As the primary cultivation method for the 'Troop Swarm' style, reaching the fourth layer of the Primal Chaos Realm means entering the Life-Death Dao Domain realm, with a record limit of 10,000 stellar units. In terms of Origin Space size, it far surpasses other cultivation methods.” Zhao Xing sighed with emotion, “Looking back at the Origin Sea Realm, it truly was a trash cultivation method.”

While Zhao Xing was cultivating in the Primordial Realm, in the Red Star Empire’s northwest territory, at Jiachen Pass 14... This formidable pass was one of the crucial checkpoints isolating the 'Moon Master' desolate region, and it also served as the empire’s final line of defense against desolation.

Outside Jiachen Pass, numerous large and small dynasties acted as buffer zones.

At that moment, at a realm-boat port within Jiachen Pass 14, a dilapidated realm-boat swayed precariously as it flew in.

After passing the checkpoint, it seemed to finally give way, crashing headfirst onto the ground. The realm-boat docking port, built by the Primordial Hill, was naturally incredibly sturdy; the ground remained unscathed, but the realm-boat itself disintegrated.

Swish, swish, swish, swish! As the realm-boat scattered, dozens of figures swiftly emerged from the spiritual energy dust. They proactively cleaned up the debris, restoring everything to order, to avoid being fined by the port officials.

Shortly after the realm-boat disintegrated, a small flying craft arrived. Martial Emperor Ji Che quickly appeared before everyone.

“Your Majesty, your humble servant is incompetent. I beg Your Majesty to punish me,” Grand Minister Lu Ying said, kneeling on the ground with a touch of shame, seeking Ji Che’s punishment. The civil and military officials on both sides were all exhausted, having lost their usual vigor; some even had to be placed in medical pods.

The Martial Emperor swept his gaze over them, then helped Lu Ying to his feet. “Minister Lu, without you piloting the realm-boat, they might not have returned alive from the ‘Starfall Corridor.’ How could I blame you?” He continued, “However, what exactly happened?”

King Shen Luo gritted his teeth and said, “Your Majesty, it was the Empire’s Carlos family! The forces they control ambushed us. We must avenge this! The thirty-six star cities of Great Zhou cannot be lost in vain!”

Long Xiao said with red eyes, “Your Majesty, the despicable Carlos family set an ambush! Your Majesty, let us immediately gather our domestic forces and fight back!” Behind him, he carried a medical pod containing Xia Jing, who was missing half his body. Behind Lu Ying, a spherical medical pod was protected, containing the official Ji Si.

Ji Che looked at the Great Zhou’s important ministers. The martial generals clamored for revenge, but a portion of them remained silent, such as Lu Ying, and two of the Agricultural Ministers, Ling Tianchen and Chen Shijie.

Ji Che took a deep breath. “Revenge must be exacted, but the immediate priority is to treat the injured. Cui Chengzhi, Li Fuhan, first account for the injured and take them for treatment.”

Great Zhou’s Grand Imperial Physician and Chief Physician immediately took charge of the medical pods. The group returned to their quarters within the star pass, and only then did the Martial Emperor summon the survivors for a detailed inquiry.

Half an hour later, Ji Che said with a grim expression, “Lu Ying, are you certain it was the Carlos family that ambushed our territory?”

“Your Majesty, it is absolutely true. The forces that ambushed us are under the control of the Carlos family,” Lu Ying replied.

“Did you make your identities known?” Ji Che continued to ask. Exploration outside imperial territories was popular, and many engaged in inter-stellar voyages, not just Great Zhou. Under normal circumstances, internal imperial factions wouldn’t attack each other, unless the stakes were too high or the power disparity too great, leading to no fear of offending the other party. Although Great Zhou wasn't a major power, in terms of backing, Liu Tianning had become a disciple of Lord Qianhua, and Zhao Xing had even entered the Primordial Realm to apprentice under a demigod.

“Yes,” Lu Ying replied. “After Senior Ji discovered the enemy’s identity, he immediately used the great divine ability, Wheel of Life Soul, to address the enemy leader. Senior Ji invoked Lord Qianhua, Liu Tianning’s patron, but the enemy showed no reaction. He then invoked the name of the Grand Minister of Agriculture, but instead, the enemy launched an even more severe and swift attack.”

Ji Che’s brows furrowed. “It seems my elder brother’s name didn’t fail to deter them; rather, the stakes were so high that it had the opposite effect...” Wiping out thirty-six star cities in one go clearly indicated an intention to silence witnesses; otherwise, they would have simply looted and fled. “The Carlos family... I wonder what on our territory caught their eye.” The Carlos family was a very powerful and renowned first-rate faction within the Empire.

Ji Che thought far ahead. Now that Great Zhou had offended the Carlos family, with their foreign territories seized, would the conflict extend domestically and affect Great Zhou’s internal development?

“You may all withdraw,” Ji Che said, dismissing everyone, and then he quietly pondered alone.

Ultimately, he still took out his Star Mirror and sent a message to the distant Primordial Realm.

Within the Primordial Realm, in the Hundred-Ren Void region.

A white flying craft drifted aimlessly in the void, as if it could be swallowed by the violent spatial turbulence at any moment.

Zhao Xing piloted the flying craft, simultaneously casting spells to constantly resist the crushing pressure of the spatial turbulence from all directions.

Whoosh! A wave formed purely of spatial energy struck, and Zhao Xing felt his World Law instantly compress back into the craft’s body. “Not good!”

Golden light shimmered around the perimeter of the white craft. The next moment, Zhao Xing, unable to resist, appeared directly outside the entrance to the Hundred-Ren Void.

At the edge of a profound black hole, Zhao Xing checked his Star Mirror.

“Seaweed-rank member Zhao Xing, you persevered for three ke (ancient time unit) in the second ren of the ‘Dao Manifestation Layer’ within the Hundred-Ren Void. A new record has been set, and you have gained an additional 150,000 points.” “Three ke, not bad,” Zhao Xing nodded with satisfaction.

The Hundred-Ren Void was also a popular spot for ‘leveling up.’ However, his previous visit was under the protection of Emperor Chen Jiu, allowing him to directly enter the third ren for cultivation. Now, relying solely on himself, he could only venture into the second ren. “After completing the first layer of my Primal Chaos Realm, using World Law to resist spatial turbulence, my proficiency in Yin-Yang Division has been steadily increasing. Once Yin-Yang Division reaches Great Divine Ability Rank Four, I can attempt to enter the third ren of the Dao Manifestation Layer.”

Zhao Xing remained on the craft, beginning to process his recent gains.

Suddenly, the Star Mirror began to tremble violently.

“Hm?” Zhao Xing’s expression shifted slightly.

“It’s Ji Che’s urgent communication.”

Zhao Xing only wanted to quietly absorb nutrients in the Primordial Realm, so he had categorized his Star Mirror communications. Generally, when cultivating, he would block all social interactions and receive no messages. Only a select few had the authority to send him ‘urgent messages,’ capable of bypassing this block. Martial Emperor, Ji Si, Liu Tianning, and Yun Tiandao all possessed this authority. Since he had granted this authority to the Martial Emperor, the latter had never used it once.

A premonition of ill omen arose in his heart, and Zhao Xing immediately opened the Star Mirror.

Whoosh! Ji Che’s phantom image appeared before him.

“Elder Brother, Great Zhou has encountered trouble.”

“Fifth Brother, has something happened to Great Zhou during its external explorations?” Zhao Xing asked. When he returned to Great Zhou from Erliang Slope, the Martial Emperor had already led people to the empire’s northwestern star pass for external exploration, which by now had been nearly four hundred years. After he entered the Primordial Realm, it was unlikely for Great Zhou to encounter major trouble within the Northern River Galaxy; the only possibility was something arising during exploration.

“Yes,” Ji Che sighed. “I didn’t want to disturb your cultivation, Elder Brother, but during our external pioneering efforts, we offended a first-rate imperial faction, the Carlos family.”

“What? The Carlos family?” Zhao Xing’s heart sank. “What exactly happened?”