Chapter 1557: 26 Realms Under The Heavens

"Start from your homeland..." said Fang Chen.

A trace of reminiscence appeared in Xin Zong's eyes. He began, "I was born in a small village town. It was only later that I learned that my small town was a tiny corner of the world, situated on a very remote planet in the Moluo Realm.

"There are twenty-six realms under the heavens, all under the rule of the Abyss of Demons. Aside from occasional friction between minor races, it is actually far more peaceful than the Nine Mortal Realms."

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Upon hearing that, realization dawned on Fang Chen.

The Abyss of Demons? Little Immortal Honglian also came from the Abyss of Demons. No wonder Ji Tianjun calls her 'Your Highness.'

In just a few short sentences, Xin Zong had given him a rough picture of the other side.

With twenty-six realms under their rule, their territory was clearly far broader than the Nine Mortal Realms. With such an enormous expanse ruled by a single supreme power for countless years, its accumulated foundations would naturally surpass those of the Nine Mortal Realms many times.

"I began my cultivation from that little corner of the world. In truth, our path of cultivation is quite similar to that of the one here in the mortal world, only the names differ." Xin Zong sighed. "In order to revive my clan, I cultivated desperately. After many years, I finally reached the True Demon Realm."

"The True Demon Realm corresponds to the Immortal Path on your side," the Corrosive Dragon King added.

The moment he said it, he was hit with a wave of relief, and the erosion of his yin energy stopped.

Xin Zong glanced at him, then continued speaking to Fang Chen. "When I reached the True Demon Realm, one day I suddenly received a summons from the Abyss of Demons, ordering me to cooperate in a mission. Later, I learned that the mission demanded that I commit suicide, reincarnate into the Nine Mortal Realms, and become a seed of my race here."

"So when you attained the Dao, your people had already seized the Reincarnation Mirror from the Underworld?" Fang Chen asked calmly.

"That's right. That matter was already far before my time, so I know very little. But even then, I heard another piece of news," shared Xin Zong, expression grim. "Only when the Abyss of Demons summoned me did I learn that war had already broken out across the twenty-six realms. Even more powerful existences were attempting to seize our territory. This war had already raged for countless years. But before I became a True Demon, access to information about that conflict had been beyond me. I had known nothing of it at all."

Fang Chen nodded. It seemed this man's seniority over there was not particularly high; he knew little about even earlier events.

Fang Chen was not afraid of lies. Under the power of the decree, lying was tantamount to annihilation.

He asked, "How does the Moluo Realm compare to the Nine Mortal Realms?"

A look of pride suddenly appeared in Xin Zong's eyes. "The Moluo Realm ranks only mid-to-lower among the twenty-six realms. In my era, many powerful figures had already perished in that great war. But even so, when I reincarnated, the Moluo Realm had sixteen ninth-transformation True Demons as its guardians!"

Xin Zong chuckled. "When it comes to the Nine Mortal Realms, we don't even need to consider the Lower Six Realms, where even seventh-transformation Ancient Immortals are vanishingly rare. As for the Upper Three Realms, it naturally has ninth-transformation immortals, and combined, they could outnumber the ninth-transformation immortals of Moluo Realm, though it wouldn't be by much."

A faint smile also appeared on the Corrosive Dragon King's face. "Even enduring war and showing signs of decline, it still had sixteen ninth-transformation True Demons guarding it...."

Fang Chen's heart jolted. "And if we count all 26 Realms together... plus the Abyss of Demons..."

No wonder only a few of them had come back then, yet managed to throw the Nine Mortal Realms into such lasting chaos. The other side's foundation... was simply too vast.

Seeing the two of them showing pride, Fang Chen knew they were merely proud of their homeland's strength, yet he still felt somewhat uncomfortable. He said flatly, "Have you forgotten? You two are now part of the Nine Mortal Realms as well. Why speak of that place with such pride? Besides, your side is almost on the verge of being wiped out, isn't it? If not, why would you need to scheme against the Nine Mortal Realms, trying to seize this place as your refuge?"

This cold splash of water jolted them awake. Both fell silent.

"Do your ninth-transformation True Demons face no path restrictions?" Fang Chen asked.

At this moment, Xin Zong and the Corrosive Dragon King, who had already yielded, suddenly showed resistance once more. Their yin energy began to erode once more.

Fang Chen noticed immediately, and his expression darkened.

"N-no... There are no path restrictions. The cultivation of True Demons resembles yours, but in essence, it is still somewhat different..." Xin Zong answered in a low voice.

After a pause, he continued, "As for that experiment—"

"Wait," Fang Chen interrupted him.

Xin Zong and the Corrosive Dragon King did their utmost to hide their expressions.

"If your cultivation path has no restrictions, then those who broke the womb's veil in ancient times and re-cultivated along this path... could they already have become ninth-transformation True Demons, lying dormant within the Nine Mortal Realms?" asked Fang Chen in a low voice.

The two exchanged a glance, their faces filled with dejection.

Xin Zong nodded. "That possibility does exist. But our status is too low, we cannot come into contact with beings of that level. We truly do not know the specifics."

After saying this, he waited for Fang Chen to speak, but even after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Fang Chen said nothing.

They understood. The revelation had shaken him deeply. He had fallen into thought.

Xin Zong thought,

What a pity... If we could have kept hiding this, our chances would surely be greater. Now that he knows... But it doesn't matter. The great figures have already done what needed to be done. Even if someone tries to stop it now, it will be useless.

Besides, there are the Sealing Arts left behind by our ancestors. Among the cultivators of this world, there are barely a few who can even learn about all of this.

Fang Chen sighed softly. "You're right. There are barely anyone in this world who know of your existence. I can't even speak of certain things. If I do, my memories will be sealed again."

Xin Zong was horrified. "Y-you.!"

He can even hear my thoughts?!

"Before me, Underworld True Gods can hold no secret," Fang Chen explained.

Then he frowned slightly, looking troubled. "This really is troublesome. In the Upper Three Realms, and perhaps even the Lower Six Realms, there may be ninth-transformation True Demons lying dormant. And if we also count those ninth-transformation immortals who may already have broken the veil of the womb, the Nine Mortal Realms may truly fall into your hands, with no ability to resist at all."

Xin Zong was overjoyed but said in a hurry, "You can become one of us! All it takes is intermarriage with our race! Also, I've heard the Immortal Realm has a Pool of Transformation. You could walk the True Demon path anew. With your background and origins, you could surely become a ninth-transformation True Demon one day. Isn't that better than contending for a ninth-transformation spot on the Immortal Path, which is probably already occupied? Clearly, joining us offers far better prospects!"

"No need to try to convert me." Fang Chen shook his head with a smile. "Some things, even if defeat is certain, still must be done. Otherwise, wouldn't the resistance of the Yang Gods of the Nine Realms back then have been meaningless?"

He looked at Xin Zong calmly. "Now, you may speak about the details of the experiment."