Chapter Sixty-Seven: Bait

Beneath the river, Xu Zhe stood with untainted clothes, his feet planted firmly in the muddy riverbed as if on solid ground.

A radiant shield of righteous energy encircled him, expanding outward to keep all water at bay and block the prying eyes of those on the riverbank.

With a sweeping motion, Xu Zhe brushed aside the silt at his feet, forming a seal with his hands before pointing lightly ahead with a fingertip.

Whoosh!

Beneath the sand, a vortex appeared, perfectly still and nearly circular, about ten meters in diameter.

A fierce fluctuation of void energy surged from the heart of the whirlpool.

“A naturally formed Celestial Domain Passage?”

Xu Zhe was taken aback.

There were no direct connections between Celestial Domains. To visualize it, imagine two spheres, each shrouded by a barrier of void, enclosing their respective worlds. When these spheres touch, friction between their barriers can accidentally create a passage, allowing travel between their interiors.

The passage before him seemed to have formed precisely this way. The vortex’s presence felt natural, as if it had appeared without forceful penetration or the use of supernatural arts.

“Interesting... In ten thousand years in the Vast Heaven Domain, there’s never been mention of a passage to the Azure Heaven Domain. How did Ji Dali’s ancestors ever discover this?”

Xu Zhe crouched, placing his hand gently on the center of the vortex.

Boom!

Instantly, the vortex began to churn, no longer still. The riverbed quaked with increasing intensity, as if struck by an earthquake.

Xu Zhe’s hand slipped through the center, and a powerful force seized him, pulling his entire body into the passage.

With a swish, Xu Zhe vanished, leaving only his still-glowing shield of righteous energy behind.

...

On the riverbank, everyone felt the tremors and their faces changed.

“The Burial River is awakening?”

“What’s happening? The Burial River only awakens three days before the secret realm closes. Why has it started early?”

“Is this related to Xu Zhe?”

“What exactly is he doing?”

Many frowned, but none dared enter the river.

There were no treasures surfacing now, and once the Burial River awakened, anyone entering would be torn apart by its mysterious power.

They had only come to seize treasures by striking the water with their techniques, causing items to fly out for them to snatch.

But with Xu Zhe in the river and the Burial River awakening ahead of schedule, many exchanged odd glances.

“Should we warn him?”

Wu Zheng, a disciple of the Golden Radiance Sect who had previously shown goodwill to Xu Zhe, looked at the others and asked with a frown.

“I’m not good in water,” Lin Yue’er, the robed woman from the Veiled Moon Sect, replied instantly.

“Lin Yue’er, don’t lie so blatantly. The Heavenly Secrets Sect once caught you in a swimsuit at the Northern Continent’s island festival,” someone sneered.

“I attended, but that doesn’t mean I swam,” Lin Yue’er’s face darkened. Curse those busybodies from Heavenly Secrets Sect.

“But I heard you were thrown into a wine pool by a certain prodigy, and you and he... enjoyed quite a swim,” Wu Zheng said with a half-smile, his gaze sweeping over her.

“I’m not good in water—wine is another matter. Besides, wine and water are not the same,” Lin Yue’er shot Wu Zheng a cold glare and fell silent.

The others laughed, no one bothering to expose her further.

All present were shrewd; they understood the risks. No one would foolishly jump in to warn Xu Zhe—the moment they entered, someone would likely seal the surface, and when the Burial River awakened, wouldn’t they die a pointless death?

Besides, what good would it do to warn him? Better to wait for Xu Zhe to perish and hope his treasures floated out of the river for the taking.

Some had already produced their Universal Jade Slips, sending out messages continuously.

...

Meanwhile, beneath the riverbed.

Inside the Celestial Domain Passage, all was void—Xu Zhe found himself adrift in utter darkness.

His entire body floated, hands gripping the edge of the vortex to avoid being sucked further in.

Around him drifted countless rusted magical implements, long-withered spirit herbs dulled of all luster, and fragments of broken treasures, even rare and precious materials twisted and severed.

All these items seemed to have survived a perilous journey, only to become lodged here.

“Just as the books say: these Celestial Domain Passages are unlike the ones ascenders use—they’re filled with peril. Beyond the void blade winds, there are countless unknown dangers.”

Xu Zhe’s expression was grave; he dared not underestimate this place.

Though the passage was pitch-black, everything seemed to urge him forward, toward a bottomless abyss exuding a faint, terrifying presence that made his scalp tingle.

Xu Zhe recalled a saying: When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back. But if you’re handsome enough, the abyss awkwardly looks away.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a streak of light shot from Xu Zhe’s sleeve—the little bronze sword.

It radiated a brilliant glow and seemed almost excited, darting about.

With a hum, it vibrated.

Instantly, fragments of broken treasures and rare materials floating nearby were drawn toward it.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sharp sounds of metal striking metal echoed through the void.

“Devouring and refining?”

Xu Zhe was astonished.

The little bronze sword was devouring those treasure fragments and rare metals, frantically absorbing their lingering essence.

Soon, the verdigris on the sword began to flake away, revealing a fresh silvery sheen.

“Even rummaging through a junk heap brings you refinement—truly impressive.”

Xu Zhe couldn’t help but praise it.

The bronze sword ignored him, floating in midair as it continued to feed.

“Pity my body isn’t strong enough, nor my cultivation high. Otherwise, with the right methods, I might actually force my way through this passage and return to the Vast Heaven Domain.”

Xu Zhe glanced into the depths of the passage, a hint of regret in his eyes.

Still, this journey wasn’t without gain; if he reached the Soul-Merging stage in the future, and his body attained the third refinement of the Tyrant Physique, he’d be able to break through the Celestial Domain Passage by force.

“But wait, the secret realm won’t open for another fifty years. By then, even if I reach Soul-Merging, if the realm’s not open, won’t I be trapped here?”

Xu Zhe realized a major issue: with the interval between secret realm openings, there was no way to return to the Vast Heaven Domain in a short time.

To force the secret realm open would require at least the Immortal Lord stage!

“What a shame.”

Xu Zhe shook his head. The timing of this secret realm was truly unfortunate.

If it opened in ten years, he could suppress his cultivation to sneak in, and maybe he’d make it through.

Now, even with the passage’s existence confirmed, it was a wasted trip.

“But perhaps it wasn’t for nothing. I might try sending out some family secret orders. If the passage leads to the Vast Heaven Domain, the message might reach them directly.”

Xu Zhe’s eyes brightened as he took out several storage rings—one from Qi Ming, one from a disciple of the Jade Pool, and one from the woman of the Shenhou Palace.

Each contained a number of talismans, and Xu Zhe gathered them all, regardless of type.

“Over three hundred... If even one gets through, it’ll be a success, though the odds are slim. I’ll try.”

Counting the talismans, he freed one hand and tossed them into the air, controlling them with his divine sense so they hovered before him.

With a twist of his fingers, spiritual power surged forth. As his fingertips danced, intricate seals were inscribed onto each talisman.

Once finished, the seals glowed briefly before fading into invisibility.

“Go!”

With a wave, Xu Zhe sent over three hundred talismans shooting into the passage like a meteor shower, vanishing from sight.

Each talisman bore a secret order only main members of the Immortal Emperor’s family could receive.

Xu Zhe included a message, stating only that there was a passage from the Vast Heaven Domain to the Azure Heaven Domain, that he was a member of the Immortal Emperor’s family and unable to return, and that there were very wicked people here, urgently requesting aid. He left his identity vague, unsure who might receive it.

His efforts complete, whether the news would get through was left to fate.

“Let’s leave a sliver of hope,” Xu Zhe smiled faintly.

He turned to the pile of floating broken implements and withered herbs.

Though he didn’t know who in the Vast Heaven Domain kept tossing things into the passage—rubbish, perhaps—but with his current strength, many items here were still useful.

Xu Zhe quickly sorted through, picking out some hidden weapons, magical tools, and a few withered but usable spirit herbs. He even pried two palm-sized pieces of rare material off the bronze sword.

The rest, too broken to salvage, he gathered together.

“Perfect for bait.”

Reaching forward, Xu Zhe reopened the vortex passage and tossed the entire heap of “waste” out.

...