Chapter 1863: World of Soul Dominion

“You want me to go to the World of Soul Dominion?” Lu Yun blinked. “Isn’t that the mental world created by you-know-who?”

He was floored when he heard Myriad Spirit’s proposal of the World of Soul Dominion.

“It’s different from the Soul Dominion trial grounds in the Land of Reincarnation. The world is a true world that is the trial grounds for the entire chief worlds,” Myriad Spirit chuckled.

It was no secret that there was a Soul Dominion in the fourth realm. Although it was becoming one with immortal dao, it hadn’t been closed off. Anyone could still enter through one of its palaces to take part in its tests.

Myriad Spirit had tried it once as well. Being a land of mental evaluation crafted by Mo Yi’s hands, it was vastly different from the World of Soul Dominion. Even he had looked upon it with appreciation after his visit.

However, Soul Dominion contained only the orders of the fourth realm. If Lu Yun wanted to continue his growth, he needed to enter the chief worlds and test himself there.

Ever since arriving in the world of immortals and setting foot on the path of immortal dao, he’d rarely relied on purely his own strength in battle. The battle for governorship of Dusk Province, the Sovereign Ranking, and then the Dragonling Ranking in the Hongmeng… all of those had been demonstration rounds or friendly sparring. They weren’t fights to the death.

He made use of the Tome of Life and Death during other times, or hell, a variety of supplemental dao, and formula dao. Those empowered him to dominate the realms in the Land of Reincarnation—in fact, he was nigh invincible—but those habits wouldn’t work in the chief worlds.

He needed trial and tempering, the fights of life and death. He needed to set aside the Tome of Life and Death, and hell, to hone himself, raising his own strength so that it matched the other two.

Thus, Lu Yun was very receptive to Myriad Spirit’s proposal. He wanted to do so as well, but the chief worlds were so vast in comparison to his breadth of view. He was as if a tiny ant at the foot of the Himalayas, able to see only a speck of dust in front of him. That speck of dust was the chief worlds in his eyes.

The Myriad Spirit Supreme would be his guide.

……

Mo Yi had likely drawn inspiration from the World of Soul Dominion when she created her version. The difference was that the world was a tangible world, not one of the mind.

On this day, Lu Yun and Chu Xingran arrived on the outskirts of the World of Soul Dominion.

“There’s an absolute mess in the fourth realm, multiple messes, in fact. Are you just washing your hands clean of all of them and running off here?” Chu Xingran looked at his companion with disbelief.

Lu Yun had done only two things since the Land of Reincarnation opened to the outside realm. The first was the time boundary that secured an additional twenty thousand years for the land, the second was the Resurrection Talisman. Those gave enough pause to the heavyweights of the chief worlds that they didn’t dare take rash action.

And then… and then Lu Yun did nothing else.

Well, he did consolidate the six hells and craft the origin hell, but that had more to do with his own cultivation than for the good of others.

Dumping his work onto others again?

Chu Xingran had long heard of this annoying habit of Lu Yun’s, but it was his first time witnessing it in person. There was such an enormous mess in the fourth realm, but the young man was perfectly at ease just walking away from it?

“The sole origin hell exists now and that group of wondrous powerhouses is well on the road of recovery. They are sufficient to keep the chief worlds at bay. Combined with Little Yu and the little fox’s stratagems, as well as Wanfeng’s ambitions… it doesn’t matter whether I’m in the fourth realm or not,” Lu Yun cackled.

“Have you never thought of taking over the fourth realm yourself?” Chu Xingran was puzzled by Lu Yun’s decisions. While the young man was known throughout the fourth realm, he was more of a myth or legend than anything. Everyone knew him, but they thought of him with only respect and admiration.

If he stayed in the fourth realm and personally oversaw things, the realm would be his. He would be its emperor without needing to undergo any arduous or finicky process. If he wished to be so, it would immediately be his.

If he left now, that would forever be out of his reach.

Even though Qing Yu, the little fox, and Wanfeng ran things in the world of immortals and fourth realm, their styles made it clear that they didn’t seek to be empress. All they wanted to do was to strengthen immortal dao and send it to the chief worlds.

“Immortal dao… seeks to be carefree and unfettered. If something is grasped tightly in the hand, that would make for such a tiring life,” Lu Yun laughed heartily. “Everyone nurses different ambitions. I don’t like all that random nonsense, whoever wants to be emperor can be it. Just don’t affect me.

“Life revels in freedom of choice. It is up to one’s own strength and fortune if one wishes to reign over all and be master of creation.” Lu Yun clapped Chu Xingran’s shoulder. “C’mon, let’s go and experience this World of Soul Dominion.”

“If you are unwilling to be master of all and emperor of life, then what are you doing here?” Chu Xingran pulled a face.

“Because I don’t want to die.” Lu Yun shook his head with a sigh. “If I don’t want to die, then I must continuously grow stronger. If I am caught in a vortex and unable to break free, then I must grow strong enough to destroy the vortex.”

“Alright, the two of you should head inside. I escorted you here not to hear you wax philosophical about life.” The Myriad Spirit Supreme had finally had enough. “Remember, Lifeline and Resurrection Talismans are ineffective in this world. Someone’s already conducted that experiment. You have only one life—you are completely dead if you die. Don’t think about relying on the Resurrection Talisman.”

Lu Yun’s expression shifted and he nodded wordlessly. He and Chu Xingran strode into the hazy red world in front of them.

The sky and earth beneath their feet were identical shades of dark red. They seemed to be stained by fresh blood and a grave killing intent filled the air.

“Be careful, this isn’t a forgiving land. Let’s find a place to hide first.” Chu Xingran quickly took in their surroundings and pulled Lu Yun over, vanishing on the spot.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Three arrows shot from an unknown direction the moment they disappeared, nailing the spot where they’d just stood.

Hidden behind a tiny hill, Lu Yun’s back was wet with sweat. If it hadn’t been for Chu Xingran, he’d probably already be dead.

“A powerhouse of thirty levels sequence?” he asked. “Does this world want candidates to kill each other?”

“It’s not that crude,” Chu Xingran shook his head. “Surviving for a year, no matter the method, means completion of the trial. The world’s orders will send us out then.”

“That easy?” Lu Yun blinked.

“You think that’s easy?” Chu Xingran chuckled. “If you don’t see me at the place we entered after a year, I’m probably dead. You can leave without me then.”

He faded away as he spoke, ultimately vanishing before Lu Yun’s eyes. Of course, it was Lu Yun who faded away to Chu Xingran.