Chapter 569: Only You Can Save the World

The unexpected twist arrived, right on cue.

Chen Dong felt the Sands Realm continuously collapsing, dragging him deeper and deeper. Even his escape via bodily transformation was not enough to break free from this descent.

What followed was endless Dark Spiritual Qi.

The entire world was devoid of any impurities, containing only Dark Spiritual Qi. He also felt that the rate of Spiritual Qi consumption here was completely beyond his expectations. In a normal world, his own Spiritual Qi reserves could sustain the bodily transformation for a month or two without a problem. But here, he felt he could only last for an hour.

As time passed, he realized it wasn’t that this world had an unusually high rate of Spiritual Qi consumption, but rather that the Dark Spiritual Qi could devour Spiritual Qi of other attributes. ‘No wonder my own Spirit Root rejects it.’

The hour passed in a flash, and the Spiritual Qi in Chen Dong’s body was nearly depleted.

‘If I can’t refine this Spiritual Qi, I’ll be crushed to death.’

‘When you’re dying of thirst, you’ll even drink filthy water if it can save your life.’

Chen Dong braced himself and did his best to refine this new Spiritual Qi. As a wisp of Dark Spiritual Qi entered his body, he felt the light in his sea of consciousness dim, yet the entire world within it sprang to life.

‘Among all the spiritual attributes, only darkness was missing.’

Suddenly, Chen Dong found that refining this type of Spiritual Qi wasn’t as difficult as he had thought.

With that, the final pillar of light in his sea of consciousness—the Path of Advancement for the Six Paths Technique—roared to life.

Chen Dong immediately understood the origin of the Six Paths Technique. It had been created based on the Realm Spirit Heart of the Jiuzhou Realm. All spiritual attributes were indispensable, as were the myriad forms of all living beings.

Back then, after obtaining the Realm Spirit Heart of the Jiuzhou Realm, he had begun creating the Six Paths Technique by simulating the Spirit Heart’s structure. Over time, as the technique took shape, he had forgotten his original purpose.

Now, while the Six Paths Technique was not yet complete, it had taken its initial form. Similar to a Realm Spirit Heart for a realm, Chen Dong could now control the laws within his own sea of consciousness.

There were mountains and water, light and dark, metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, ice, lightning, electricity, and clouds.

The only thing missing was life itself. With the technique now formed, forty-nine golden lotuses bloomed in the Golden Lotus Pool within his sea of consciousness. His Divine Sense surged, now bordering on the power of the Enlightenment Stage. Aside from not having yet passed the Divine Soul Tribulation, his divine soul was identical to that of a peak Divinity Transformation Stage cultivator—perhaps even a fraction stronger.

After this epiphany, Chen Dong moved through the Dark Spiritual Qi like a fish in water.

Just as he was reveling in his breakthrough, Liu Ling pulled him out.

“Your bodily transformation is now strong enough to ensure your survival. It’s time for you to go save the world!”

Chen Dong winced. ‘Saving the world… just thinking about it is a headache. All I ever wanted was to live a quiet life, but these kinds of messes always land on my plate.’

“Why me?” Chen Dong asked, dejected.

Liu Ling said, “Because you have obtained a Realm Spirit Heart before. You are the only one who can snatch the Floating Shadow Realm’s Realm Spirit Heart back from the Demon Lord!”

Chen Dong frowned. “Getting a Realm Spirit Heart was from a past life, many, many lifetimes ago. I don’t even know how long it’s been. Don’t you think choosing me for that reason is a bit arbitrary?”

Liu Ling shook her head. “What do you take a Realm Spirit Heart for? Something you can obtain just by wanting it? Even the Yuqing Immortal Technique requires a destined affinity, to say nothing of a Realm Spirit Heart. If it doesn’t want you to obtain it, you never will.”

“Then why was the Demon Lord able to get it?”

“Because of the Demon Race’s Spirit Devouring Technique. A Realm Spirit Heart has its own spiritual essence, the strongest in the world, in fact. The Spirit Devouring Technique can naturally track it down.”

“In that case, why not just find someone stronger to cultivate the Spirit Devouring Technique?”

Anger began to surface on Liu Ling’s face. “That thing is forbidden! Anyone who cultivates it will eventually have their mind devoured, degenerating into one of the Demon Race!”

Chen Dong shook his head, his headache returning.

Liu Ling suppressed her anger and kindly continued to explain, “The Realm Spirit Heart of the Floating Shadow Realm is unique due to its nature: it leaves traces, yet remains elusive. It is here, in this world, but people simply cannot find it. Even if it were right before your eyes, you would be unable to see or touch it.”

“Then what’s the use of me going? I’ll just be another person who can’t see or touch it!”

Liu Ling stomped her foot in frustration. “I was talking about other people, not you! In the entire Floating Shadow Realm, besides the Demon Race, you are probably the only living being who can see it.”

“Why?”

Liu Ling, trying to remain patient, explained, “There are two reasons. First, your Cultivation Technique forms a world unto itself. To a Realm Spirit Heart, you are an equal existence. Second, the unique properties of the Floating Shadow Realm’s Spirit Heart are useless on you. The laws of the Floating Shadow Realm cause people to forget, but you have a knack for remembering things you’ve forgotten. Therefore, if the Realm Spirit Heart appeared before you, it would be impossible for you to forget it.”

“But I still…” Chen Dong didn’t even get to voice his refusal.

Liu Ling could no longer contain her anger. The inscription of the Celestial Dao Contract flared between her eyebrows as she commanded in a cold, forceful tone, “I am your master. When I tell you to go, you go!”

The corresponding inscription flickered into view between Chen Dong’s brows. Though clearly unwilling, his body adopted a posture of absolute obedience. “Yes, my master.”

A smile touched Liu Ling’s lips. “That’s more like it.”

She took Chen Dong’s hand, and with a flash of brilliant light, they teleported elsewhere.

The armies of the Human Race and the Demon Race had formed a three-sided pincer, surrounding Rising Demon Pass, the gorge before Demon Abyss City.

The armies of the two races dared not let down their guard. Beyond Rising Demon Pass lay Demon Abyss City. They knew that if they were the Demon Race, they would defend Rising Demon Pass to the death.

The three armies communicated with one another; they were separated by no more than a thousand li. For experts at the Divinity Transformation Stage, a thousand li was an extremely short distance.