# Chapter 3416: Shang Lu
The universe is vast, boundless and without end.
The Yellow Spring Star River carries the Ten Clans of Hell and countless smaller clans, with over a hundred billion stars emitting light and heat. If one does not travel through space wormholes, Space Teleportation Arrays, or Ancient God Paths, relying solely on flight, even a King or Venerable would find it difficult to cross.
Any cultivator placed within it would feel like "a mayfly floating between heaven and earth, a single grain lost in the vast ocean."
Being inside the mountain, one cannot see the mountain.
Yet, such a grand and vast expanse of the universe, Zhang Ruochen and the others could now see its complete outline. Like a yellow river, or like a yellow dragon at the edge of their vision.
How far away must they be?
Yu Yao sighed, "Heaven and earth are vast, ancient and modern times are long. Even a Great God is but a single grain under the vast starry sky, a single drop in the eternal river of time."
"Summer cicadas know nothing of winter snow! After ten Eons, who will remember us? Unless we become a Heavenly Venerable, become an Ancestor, leaving an eternal mark in the world." Qiangu Nüdi said.
Chi Xingtian said, "Can we still go back? If we rely solely on flight, solely on Divine Spirit Steps, can we return in a hundred thousand years?"
"You won't fly back even by the day your lifespan runs dry. However, I know of a few space wormholes that can cross several stretches of the starry sky, shortening the time to return."
Qiangu Nüdi told everyone that she had once traveled to the Illusory Extinction Star Sea.
Because, in that battle a hundred thousand years ago, the Heavens of Kunlun Realm fell, and Ten Calamities Wentianjun stained the starry sky with blood. But later, Princess Shenba claimed that at the extreme southern edge of the universe beyond the heavens, through bloodline connection, she sensed the aura of Wentianjun.
The extreme southern edge of the universe beyond the heavens naturally could not be the Southern Universe ruled by the Demon God Realm.
It should be a border universe even further south than the Southern Universe, and this direction could only be the Illusory Extinction Star Sea.
Apart from Princess Shenba, no other cultivator sensed Wentianjun's aura, including the Heaven Round No Lack ones of the Heavenly Court. For this reason, everyone believed that she could not accept the cruel truth and had developed hallucinations.
For a hundred thousand years, Qiangu Nüdi had established the Wujian Pavilion, facing various dangers alone. Naturally, at certain moments, she harbored illusions in her heart.
If Wentianjun were truly still alive, finding him would make rescuing her grandfather somewhat easier.
This was the reason she had come to travel through the Illusory Extinction Star Sea.
Unfortunately, she found nothing.
Chi Xingtian said, "Bai Zun and Nine Chi Divine King and the others definitely don't know that outside is the Illusory Extinction Star Sea. In the short term, they probably won't dare to step out of the Void World."
"Do not underestimate these King and Venerable level figures. How many years have they cultivated? To reach their current level, to survive until now, they lack neither courage, boldness, nor wisdom. As long as they can't sense the Seven Mourning Qi and your divine soul fluctuations for a long time, they will definitely try to enter the Real World." Yu Yao said.
Regardless, for now, they were safe.
As long as they got through these few days, once Chi Xingtian refined the Seven Mourning Qi, the Nüdi recovered from her injuries, and Zhang Ruochen condensed the Four Symbols, then they would no longer need to fear Nine Chi Divine King.
Within Qiangu Nüdi's Time Divine Formation, Chi Xingtian did not take long to completely refine the Seven Mourning Qi within his body, and his injuries steadily recovered.
He looked at Zhang Ruochen.
He saw that the Taiyin "Jade Tree Ink Moon," Shaoyang "Divine Mountain," and Shaoyin "Divine Sea" had become increasingly mysterious and unfathomable. The aura emitted by any single Symbol was comparable to a Divine King or Divine Venerable at the initial stage of Qiankun Infinite.
The place where his body sat cross-legged was golden light for ten thousand zhang, very much like a round of Divine Sun.
The Sun was continuously condensing.
Chi Xingtian swallowed a mouthful of saliva, saying, "Isn't he too strong? If the Four Symbols truly reach perfection, I think he could contend with Bai Zun at her peak. Breaking through a realm, and he matches twenty-eight thousand years of cultivation in the Infinite Realm?"
Yu Yao and Qiangu Nüdi were both healing their injuries, and no one paid him any attention.
"Whoosh!"
Just then, within the entire star region, a violent energy tide appeared. Cosmic wind arose from a certain direction, stirring the Heaven and Earth Rules, making them violent and raging.
Where the cosmic wind passed, in the starry sky, stars one by one went out.
The originally brilliant and bright starry sky, dense with stars, suddenly all disappeared.
It wasn't true disappearance, but rather a loss of light, returning to darkness.
Chi Xingtian knew some legends of the Illusory Extinction Star Sea, but truly appearing in this star region and experiencing the legends, his heart was still shaken.
Countless stars, some far apart by millions of billions of li, tens of millions of billions of li, some close by hundreds of millions of li, too numerous to count. Yet they were extinguished one by one. Such means, even the Heavens could not achieve.
Qiangu Nüdi opened her eyes and said, "The Illusory Extinction Star Sea, one year extinguishes, one year brightens. Like a star region-sized living being breathing, between one inhale and exhale, two years pass."
"The Dark Year has come!"
Chi Xingtian said, "I've heard that the Illusory Extinction Star Sea is extremely dangerous, especially during the Dark Year."
"Dangerous for other cultivators, for a Divine Venerable, it's manageable!" Qiangu Nüdi closed her eyes and continued healing.
Chi Xingtian grinned. Were Divine Venerables so great?
"What I mean is, when Zhang Ruochen breaks through to Infinite, the commotion will definitely be enormous. What if it attracts the dangers within the Illusory Extinction Star Sea? Shouldn't we make some preparations in advance?" he said.
Qiangu Nüdi said, "Zhang Ruochen walks another path, cultivating himself, himself being a heaven and earth. This is different from other Infinite cultivators. He can control many things himself, and may not necessarily produce a startling celestial manifestation in the world."
"Besides, even if the fluctuations are really great, am I not still here?"
Qiangu Nüdi had already communicated with Zhang Ruochen through divine thought.
Now, they were not in Lihentian or the Void World. Her thirty percent Time Esoterica was no longer constrained by anything. This was not the Heavenly Court Universe or the Yellow Spring Star River where many Heavens stood side by side.
In the border universe, Qiangu Nüdi had great confidence, and the Divine Venerable aura she unconsciously emitted was very oppressive.
Chi Xingtian felt very uncomfortable. Thinking back, he was a Tai Xu Great God, and Hua Ying Qingchan was just a little girl, unable to walk steadily, wobbling.
A hundred thousand years had passed, the seas had changed, and he had been completely surpassed.
He seemed already hard to find an opponent below the Infinite Realm, only one step away from the Infinite Realm. But, that one step was a gap between heaven and earth.
Time passed, and the brilliance erupting from Zhang Ruochen's body grew stronger and stronger.
The range covered by the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram continuously expanded, reaching a diameter of a million li, like a dazzling star being born, extremely conspicuous in the darkness.
Qiangu Nüdi had already released the Wujian Divine Sword, suspending it above the universe.
The space power emitted by the Wujian Divine Sword covered hundreds of millions of li of void. It was precisely because of Qiangu Nüdi, this Divine Venerable's absolute control over space, that the outside world could not see the brilliance on Zhang Ruochen's body.
Even if there were living beings hundreds of millions of li away, before their eyes there would still be darkness, unable to sense the powerful divine power fluctuations from Zhang Ruochen.
Gradually, the Four Symbols took initial shape and began to operate.
Qiangu Nüdi stopped healing and began to be vigilant in all directions.
The aura on Zhang Ruochen's body grew stronger and stronger, and she could no longer completely conceal it.
Such strong fluctuations would inevitably alarm some powerful beings in the Illusory Extinction Star Sea.
Bai Zun and Nine Chi Divine King were also huge variables.
"Zhang Ruochen's accumulation is deep. Before condensing the Fourth Symbol, his physical body and divine soul were already stronger than many existences at the initial Qiankun Infinite stage. Condensing the Fourth Symbol so smoothly can be considered a case of thick accumulation yielding thin hair, water flowing naturally." Yu Yao said.
Qiangu Nüdi said, "It's not that simple! Now, his Four Symbols are only in their initial form. The other three Symbols have manifested concretely in the forms of Divine Mountain, Divine Sea, and Jade Tree Ink Moon, but the Sun is still a chaos."
"This final stage will inevitably be accompanied by danger and difficulty."
Zhang Ruochen's spirit was completely focused, forgetting both himself and the world.
Various yang attribute rules of heaven and earth were swept over by the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram, especially Space Rules and Light Rules.
The commotion was too great, affecting the entire star region where the Illusory Extinction Star Sea was located. The stars that had gone out were covered with a layer of dark red light and shadow, as if they were about to be re-lit.
Chi Xingtian said, "This is what you call a small commotion? I suspect my perspective is too small. Once he breaks through, he might be stronger than Bai Zun. Too abnormal!"
"A Divine Venerable breaking through a realm is a major event in the universe, inevitably affecting the heaven and earth energy and rules of the surrounding star region."
Qiangu Nüdi had already refined most of the Great Calamity Divine Thunder, so she appeared very calm, her divine thought always extended outward, covering a vast star region of billions of li.
The movements of all living beings in the star region could not escape her perception.
In the eastern deep space.
Inside a star with a diameter of three million li, a spider crawled out.
The spider was burning with purple divine flame, its head the size of a mountain, emitting an extremely powerful aura, demonic energy covering the entire star.
"Hmph!"
Qiangu Nüdi let out a deep snort.
Divine sound crossed the endlessly distant star region, exploding in the spider's mind.
The spider, which had been about to go investigate, immediately transformed into human form, becoming a seductive woman in purple clothes, her face very pale, bowing to the heavens beyond, saying, "Little god pays respects to Divine Venerable!"
The woman in purple did not even dare to have the thought of sending a message to other powerful beings in the Illusory Extinction Star Sea, immediately returning inside the star.
The abnormal fluctuations of heaven and earth rules alarmed many powerful beings in the star region, but they were all intimidated by the Divine Venerable might erupting from Qiangu Nüdi, and they all went into hiding.
"Which faction's giant has come to the border universe?"
"Space Rules and Light Rules are the most active. It's most likely a Divine Venerable from the Heavenly Court Universe, very possibly from the Western Universe of the Heavenly Court, the Paradise Realm faction!"
"Better not be an Ancient Chaos Demon God... To be safe, should we go report to the Ancestor now?"
"Don't panic. If it were an Ancient Chaos Demon God, they would already be slaughtering. The other party is currently staying in place without moving, only speaking to intimidate those who want to approach. Perhaps they have no hostile intent. But we must still send a message, informing the Ancestors of each clan about this matter."
The star region of the Illusory Extinction Star Sea near Zhang Ruochen's breakthrough location was in complete turmoil. Many powerful beings were communicating through divine thought, very terrified.
Yu Yao and Chi Xingtian captured part of the divine thoughts and found that although they were far away in the border region, they still had some understanding of the Heavenly Court Universe and Hell Realm.
They even knew about the Ancient Chaos Demon God's emergence!
...
The Illusory Extinction Star Sea had a planet called "Dark Star," located in a remote area. Even in the border universe, it appeared extremely ordinary, with only a few hundred million humans living on the planet.
On Dark Star, there was a white sea.
Even as the Dark Year entered, the seawater still emitted a faint white light, providing illumination for the plants on the land by the coast.
These few hundred million humans all lived in the five-hundred-li life belt along the coast.
"Thank you, Divine Doctor Shang. If not for your treatment, my old man definitely wouldn't have made it through this month." A woman wearing a blue cloth jacket repeatedly expressed her thanks, kneeling to the ground.
Divine Doctor Shang, named Shang Lu, was the name of a Chinese medicinal herb.
She was simply dressed, appearing to be in her thirties. She quickly helped the woman up, saying, "Don't perform such a great ceremony. I'm just doing what I can."
The woman was so grateful she wept, immediately going into the house and taking out a bundle filled with money and grain, wanting to thank Divine Doctor Shang.
But, the room was already empty.
"Divine Doctor Shang is truly a Bodhisattva who saves the suffering!"
The woman knelt at the door, performing three kowtows and nine prostrations, not rising for a long time.
Divine Doctor Shang walked out of the woman's house and immediately sensed the abnormal fluctuations of heaven and earth rules, especially the Light Rules, which fluctuated strongly.
Her heart tightened, and she immediately hurried home.
Her home was by the sea, built from wood.
Outside the house, green vines wrapped around fences, hanging with melons and fruits.
The wooden house was eerily quiet, even the sound of the waves was much softer than usual.
Divine Doctor Shang was cautious, calling out, "Yun Qing, Yun Qing, mother is back, are you home?"
No response.
Divine Doctor Shang stopped walking, the palm of the hand behind her back glowing with a golden light. In the center of the light, a needle was wrapped.
"Creak!"
The wooden door opened by itself.
From inside came a voice both familiar and unfamiliar, very old, with a hint of laughter: "Since you're back, come in!"
In the wooden house, an oil lamp was lit.
Divine Doctor Shang stepped into the courtyard. By the lamplight, she saw the old man in the wooden house, a cold light flashing in her eyes, saying, "Uncle Master, we've both retired to the border. Why must you still pursue and kill to the end?"
The old man wore a linen robe, with a red mole between his eyebrows. He held an eight or nine-year-old child in his arms, playing with him.
He laughed, saying, "Peach blossoms cold and beautiful most kill people, Shang Lu's simplicity saves all beings. What a pity, what a pity. Once a killer of Tian Sha, always one! Change your name, change your appearance, practice medicine to help the world, and you can wash away everything from the past? How can you be so naive!"
Divine Doctor Shang was precisely the killer who had gone into seclusion with A Le, Peach Blossom.
Peach Blossom knew her identity could no longer be hidden. The other party had crossed endless star regions to find her here, and would absolutely not let her go.
She released her divine might, and the golden needle flew out from her palm.
But, before the golden needle could fly into the wooden house, it immediately stopped.
Because the old man's fingers, like iron pincers, tightly gripped the neck of the little boy in his arms. The child who had been laughing and playing just a moment ago immediately suffocated, his legs kicking wildly, his neck bones making a "crack crack" sound.
"Let go of Qing'er! What exactly do you want?"
Peach Blossom bit her lip, her eyes containing both boundless killing intent and the pain and weakness of having her weakness seized.
She was no longer a killer, and her heart was no longer cold.
She had a husband who loved her most, and a child she doted on. These things were ten times, a hundred times more precious than her own life!
Yin Yuanchen appeared silently, outside the courtyard, standing ten zhang behind Peach Blossom, saying, "Our target is not you, and you are not qualified to make us spend so much effort to come to the border universe. Tell me, where is your husband? Say it, and Qing'er won't have to die. I can even give you a more merciful death!"
"You should understand very well how terrifying it is for Tian Sha to make someone wish they were dead. There's no way around it, traitors must die. This is all I can promise you!"
Yin Yuanchen picked a green melon from the fence, took out a small sword, and began to peel it.
He took a bite. The taste was not bad.
He was not in a hurry.
Because he knew that this choice was very difficult for Peach Blossom and required time to consider.
When dealing with people, one must always understand the other party.
(Chapter End)