Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

Beside her was two ladies, both twins that were near mirror images. The only exception was the color of their outfits. They were Xinya and Chenya. Xinya was dressed in a light blue and Chenya had a dark orange outfit. They had similar designed, but were modest and showed very little skin or assets. Despite this, their countenance was astonishing and mesmerizing indicating they weren’t average in any area.

Qiao Qinya had her brows furrowed as she watched the events with her mother and aunt. The events at the banquet weren’t shown, but the 33 Heavenly Steps, Mortal Bridge, and Slaughtering Array were shown completely. The events left many shocked, especially Xiantu Yu’s cultivation deviation.

When she looked at the screens, her gaze was looking for Yan Zaizen’s figure. She believed that Yan Zaizen should be participating. However, as she watched more and more and came to a realization that he wasn’t there, she was shocked. Looking towards her mother, her gaze was lost and misty.

Xinya shook her head slightly, "As I said before, it’s possible it wasn’t him." Earlier, when Yan Zaizen left Sky Heart City, Qiao Qinya was worried that Yan Zaizen was the person that was prophesied.

At her birth, her aunt, Linya, comprehended a glimpse of heavenly destiny. During which, she prophesied that a young man who will be her future spouse shall stir the very heavens with his achievements and talents. Unfortunately, the only clue she had was one fact: This person will participate in the Xiantu Dao Trials during her generation.

This was her generation.

"Then...who?" Her eyes looked at the scene, feeling lost and chaotic. To have, at birth, be told that your future had been set felt infuriating, but if this person could truly stir the heavens, then perhaps he was worth it.

Perhaps.

-----

Yan Zaizen and crew was soaring through the Xiantu Realm heading away. On the deck of the ship, Yan Zaizen held a white orb in his hand with an unfathomable expression. This was the Regalia of Mimicry.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Almost certain," Pinaka responded.

Yan Zaizen had suspicions but he wasn’t certain but he recalled Shin Xuanji’s age and law comprehension and couldn’t help but believe in the possibility. Shin Xuanji had a Regalia of Blood in his possession.

Pinaka’s ability to sense laws and her personal understanding exceeded many, and when Yan Zaizen was personally interconnecting his dao to Shin Xuanji’s soul, she was almost certain that Shin Xuanji had a regalia within his body. Specifically, it was a drop of black blood in his heart.

Its aura was constantly strengthening his blood and aiding his comprehension into the conceptual law. This was far too different than Yan Zaizen’s Immortal Herculean Method. It wasn’t merged into his body, it was within his body. Stored there safely and quietly.

"Regalia of the soul, blood, and mimicry...This realm doesn’t seem ordinary." Yan Zaizen mentioned. Specifically, the Fallen Stars Continent was unordinary. Not only did it have two regalias, it also had the Deep Mines that seemed endless with endless materials within.

Even today, Yan Zaizen had deep curiosity towards the Deep Mines. His instincts faintly screamed danger whenever he would send his spiritual sense inside. Even from here, his spiritual sense could reach and cover half the continent, and yet when he reached the Deep Mines...he quivers uncontrollably.

"One day, I’ll see what’s so special about the Deep Mines." Yan Zaizen promised himself, but at his current age, his current cultivation, he had very little desire to do so. Initially, he was willing to accept the Xiantu Emperor’s proposal, but his instincts just sensed something off about the situation.

It’s possible his intention or goal wasn’t the Deep Mines. It could’ve been something different altogether.

Putting all these thoughts to the back of his mind, Yan Zaizen stared back at moons and planets in the far off distance. The Xiantu Realm was his home and now he was leaving it. Turning to look at the vast blackness of space, Yan Zaizen felt the endless possibilities.

Checking his parents’ corpses, Yan Zaizen’s eyes glimmered with sadness but also expectation. He had a feeling that one day, a day that may not be too far away, he may be able to revive them in body and soul. If that day happens, he’ll be able to see them again.

This wish was deeply embedded in his heart.

They continued to fly for several days in the Heretical Lightning Skyship before they reached the edge of the realm territory. What lied ahead truly left one feeling the inconsequential size of their existence - The Border Expanse. It truly was an expanse of empty space.

"The Border Expanse, the space between realms." Softly muttering, Yan Zaizen felt astonished in his heart. From what he researched, the Border Expanse was a vast amount of literal nothingness. In it, there was no air, essence, moisture, or heat. There was only faint dim light from other realms and empty space.

It was an uninhabitable location that couldn’t give birth to standard lifeforms. However, it could give birth. Somehow, the Border Expanse can give birth to unique creatures that weren’t beast, human, or spiritual lifeform. Instead, they could be called void creatures.

Their shapes were random and their abilities even more so. Some are as weak as a mortal but others can be as strong as the heavens itself. However, they could only exist within the Border Expanse. They were like fish in water, take them out of it, and they’ll die. However, the Border Expanse wasn’t completely empty.

The Border Expanse actually was similar to a realm, having people live there and work. They were pirates, scavengers, and runaways. Many individuals would take it as their profession to hunt travelers, who are loaded with preparations for long travel and take their possessions. Quite often, they’ll take more than just that.

Scavengers would look for broken sub-realms or planets that floated within the vast space looking for treasure. These planets would turn into floating asteroids and comets one sees from the myriad realms. Most of their profits were taken from broken skyships that were destroyed in combat by pirates or corpses that floated endlessly after death. The corpses were often sold as puppets or for other means.

Runaways escaped their realms to hide in the vast expanse, hiding like rats and avoiding pursuit. Oftentimes, these people would become pirates for a living. They survived by stealing what belonged to others.

Tao arrived next to Yan Zaizen, "The Border Expanse...the start of our journey." His voice contained excitement as he looked at the dark space. Yan Zaizen nodded slightly.

His sense checked on Bai Lufeng who went below to ’cultivate’. Currently, Guan Yao was listlessly in a cage while Bai Lufeng was curled up in a fetal position. His hands clenched tightly around his knees and his eyes filled with agitation.

Yan Zaizen’s eyes flickered. Tao only experienced a brief period of servitude, but Bai Lufeng essentially experienced the torture of the body, soul, and a collapse of his psyche. Even if Yan Zaizen healed it, pieced what could back together, and saved him, this wasn’t something to shrug off easily.

It was over forty years ago and yet...

Tao could sense Yan Zaizen’s worries. As someone who stayed with Bai Lufeng for those forty years, he knew better than anyone the shift in personality that event caused. "He needs time." Saying this, they both remained silent.