Chapter 1121: The Origin of the Middle Earth Realm

At this moment, he no longer harbored any contempt. The young man before him displayed almost supernatural astuteness and incredibly potent methods.

He hastily arranged, "What are you all staring at? Bring out the best food and drink our Black Cloud Fortress has! Let's properly entertain our benefactor!"

Hearing this, Jiang Fan quickly waved his hand. "No need to trouble yourselves," he said. "We'll just ask a few questions and then depart."

The people of Black Cloud Fortress appeared wretched and mostly emaciated, suggesting they had little good food. How could they possibly offer anything substantial?

However, when his table was laden with various spiritual items brimming with spiritual energy, Jiang Fan couldn't help but stare in disbelief.

There were fruits he had never seen before, along with vegetables and roots resembling medicinal herbs. There was even spiritual meat from unidentified creatures. Most of these were rare resources, comparable to spiritual pills in effect for those at the Core Formation stage. A portion also had a beneficial effect on cultivation for those at the Nascent Soul stage. If regularly consumed by early to mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, improving a realm within a month would be effortless.

Gu Xin'er, meanwhile, had eyes glittering with excitement. Her eyes had practically turned into golden coins. These items would be incredibly valuable if brought back to the Central Lands.

Dharma Seal Vajra also looked surprised. Clearly, both he and Jiang Fan had assumed they were short on resources, only to find the opposite was true.

Jiang Fan looked at Ming Ye and voiced his confusion: "Fortress Master Ming Ye, did providing this food and drink put you in a difficult position?"

Ming Ye, seasoned and astute, naturally understood their thoughts. He raised his arm and gave a slight shake. A wisp of pure Yin energy emanated from him.

"For us Asuras to be strong, we require the nourishment of Yin energy," he explained. "These spirit-filled items are probably very useful for you beings from the Central Lands. However, for us, they only barely satisfy our hunger."

Jiang Fan suddenly realized. It was similar to how Yin-infused vegetables were favored in the Hell Realm. Yet for humans like Jiang Fan, prolonged consumption of Yin energy would be detrimental to their bodies. The Black Cloud Fortress wouldn't gather these spiritual items at all if it weren't for mere sustenance.

His eyes darted about, and an idea sparked in his mind. However, it wasn't the right time to voice it.

He nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality, Fortress Master," he said. "I have a few questions I'd like to ask you."

Ming Ye nodded, having anticipated Jiang Fan's questions.

"Why does the Giant King not dare to trespass even a single step into Black Cloud Fortress?" Jiang Fan asked. "Is there a Soul Transformation stage cultivator within your fortress, or something else dangerous that intimidates them?"

Ming Ye's expression indicated his lack of surprise. He had already anticipated this would be Jiang Fan's first question. Thus, he gave his prepared answer without hesitation: "Neither. It's due to rules."

He raised a finger and pointed to the nine linked suns in the sky. "I've heard that your Central Lands realm was created by nine Ancient Sages. They must have established many rules for your world."

Jiang Fan nodded slightly. That was true. The various great states operated in perfect order, coexisting peacefully without any wars. Invisible rules must certainly be binding them.

A thought struck him. "Are you saying..." he began. Before he could finish, Ming Ye nodded slightly. "Exactly," he said. "The Southern Heaven Realm also has its own creator. Though not quite the same as your Ancient Sages, they also established rules for the Southern Heaven Realm. One of these rules dictates that, except during specific periods, no one may trespass a single step into any fortress. If that Giant King had dared to send his fist wind into our fortress just now, the laws of heaven and earth would have descended to turn him to dust."

Jiang Fan's heart was shaken. Yet, he didn't doubt it. He had personally witnessed how Hua Xin's remnant soul was almost shattered and destroyed merely for discussing the Hell Realm Lord. He had also felt the unfathomable divine might of the Ancient Sage who had been observing him. For such a creator, obliterating a Venerable would be but a flick of the wrist!

His eyes showed confusion. "Why does the Southern Heaven Realm's creator protect you?" he asked.

"Protect?" A hint of bitterness and desolation appeared on Ming Ye's aged face. "When you humans raise cattle and sheep, you drive away jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards. Is that ultimately to protect the livestock? Or is it so you can have more cattle and sheep to eat at the end of the year?"

Jiang Fan's pupils contracted. In a low voice, he said, "You mean you're being protected so you can reproduce."

Ming Ye sighed, looking up at the sky: "Aside from those exempt from hunting, the Hell beings trapped in the Southern Heaven Realm are merely livestock bred by the Ancient Giants. Every hundred years, the Ancient Giants are permitted a month-long hunting period. That month is the darkest time for all the fortresses."

Jiang Fan was utterly stunned. The Hell beings residing in the Southern Heaven Realm truly lived in a hellish existence. They lived in constant dread. For a moment, he was speechless.

Ming Ye, however, chuckled lightly, easing the somber mood. "We've grown accustomed to it; this is the fate of us Hell beings living in the Southern Heaven Realm."

Jiang Fan was once again surprised. "By the way, why are beings from the Hell Realm here in the Heaven Realm? If I understand correctly, the Central Lands Realm separates the Hell Realm and the Heaven Realm, doesn't it? How did you get to the Heaven Realm?"

Ming Ye stroked his beard in thought, frowning after a long moment. "To explain that would take a very long time," he said. "I heard my grandfather mention it once. It's said that in a very distant era, the Central Lands realm didn't exist. There were only the Hell Realm and the Heaven Realm. The two realms were constantly at war. Eventually, our Hell Realm achieved a great victory and occupied the Heaven Realm. However, for some unknown reason, both the Heaven Realm and the Hell Realm simultaneously plunged into a great, mysterious upheaval. What the Hell Realm has become now is unknown. But during that great chaos, the Heaven Realm fractured into four separate realms: East, West, South, and North. It was precisely during this great chaos in both realms that nine human Ancient Sages suddenly emerged. Seizing the opportunity afforded by the turmoil, they carved out portions of both realms. This allowed them to establish the Central Lands Realm."

At this point, Ming Ye gave Jiang Fan a rather peculiar glance. The implication was that a portion of the Central Lands Realm had been 'stolen' from their Hell Realm.

Jiang Fan was swept up in a torrent of information, leaving him disoriented. So, this was the origin of the Central Lands Realm? It took him a long while to recover his senses and try to process this earth-shattering revelation.

"So you are the descendants of the expeditionary force who couldn't retreat to the Hell Realm back then?"

Ming Ye slowly nodded. Jiang Fan had finally resolved a long-standing doubt in his mind.

Then, he gravely recounted the shocking news he had heard from Shan Feng: "Are the Ancient Giants transformed Hell beings?"

If that were true, it would be truly terrifying. Black Cloud Fortress alone had six Asuras at or above the mid-stage Nascent Soul. All of them could potentially transform into Ancient Giants! And there were far more fortresses like Black Cloud Fortress! If a thousand Ancient Giants were to transform, aside from the Three Divine Sects, every other sect would be instantly annihilated! Coupled with the Ancient Giants' millennia of accumulation, and an unknown number of Ancient Giant armies... Could this battle even be fought?