Chapter 576: Beast Tide

"So, is this when Baili Qingfeng and Baili Zhu's story began, setting the main plot in motion?" Li Pin asked.

"Yes," Zhao Tiangang replied. "The main plot can be divided into five phases... or four, depending on how you look at it."

He paused, thinking for a moment. "Actually, three phases might be more accurate. No one has ever survived the fifth phase. By the fourth phase, the Void Emperor's strength would rival that of an Astral God, even if he isn't one."

He added, "I mean the Astral God's true form, not their avatar."

"The Astral God's true form..." Li Pin murmured, his voice filled with awe.

To wield such power without becoming an Astral God. How is it possible? Is the Transcendent path truly that formidable?

He longed to know more.

Zhao Tiangang continued, "I'm only a Silver Pioneer. I haven't participated in the main plot often. The start of each cycle is particularly harsh. We're sent to the underground world of the Twin Moon Domain, this very region.

"It's filled with powerful beasts and cavern dwellers. The moment a human appears, they're attacked. Most pioneers don't survive this phase. They end up in another cycle, trapped in stasis for hundreds of stellar years."

Zhao Tiangang let out a bitter smile. "The teleportation is almost entirely random. Even the elites can end up near a commander-level beast, with no chance of survival."

Commander-level beasts were equivalent to tier nine martial artists. Baili Zhu's definition of an ordinary person was someone who could withstand the gravity of the Twin Moon Domain and move freely.

In the Wasteland Domain, such individuals would be considered tier four martial artists. This explained why Li Pin found his current body strong, with notably dense bones.

However, a tier four martial artist was still far from matching a tier nine monster. Even Li Pin, who had perfect control over his strength, had struggled against six tier five Blood Wolves. Other pioneers, thrust into this world before they could even begin their cultivation, would be lucky to kill one or two tier five creatures.

"Speaking of which, do you have any of this world's cultivation techniques?" Li Pin asked.

"Yes." Zhao Tiangang nodded. "This world's cultivation system is divided into several paths. The simplest is the Twelve Primordial Creation Technique.

"Above that are the Nine Divine Ascension Paths. Then there are two unique methods: the Three Thousand Dao Scriptures and the Origin God-Demon Infernal Body.

"These two have a progressive structure. Unless you reach a certain stage, even if you obtain the complete versions in advance, you won't be able to cultivate them. The rules forbid it."

He paused. "But the most difficult and mysterious is the Void Arts, the direct lineage technique of the Void Emperor. It's said to lead to ultimate power, but no one has ever succeeded in cultivating it."

Li Pin's interest was piqued. "Ultimate power?"

"I'll transcribe it for you," Zhao Tiangang offered.

"Call me Li Pin," said Li Pin. "No rush on the transcription. Have you made any progress on escaping this divine treasure world?"

"I've worked with other pioneers. Based on the plot, we've identified a few key points. The first is to prevent Baili Zhu, the divine treasure world's owner, from meeting the Void Emperor, Baili Qingfeng. If they never cross paths, it might change everything."

Zhao Tiangang's mouth twitched. "But that creates another problem. We'd have to ensure Baili Zhu returns safely to the Twin Moon Domain. Even then, we'd face pursuit from the Immortal God Emperor. If she dies, this cycle ends."

"The Immortal God Emperor?" Li Pin's eyes narrowed. "Does he wield the Supreme Demonic Sword?"

"Yes," Zhao Tiangang nodded solemnly. "The Supreme Demonic Sword is an ancient Divine Weapon of immense power, arguably the greatest in the Twin Moon Domain, unmatched in its destructive capabilities. From what I've learned from other pioneers, Baili Zhu is both its seal bearer and new wielder.

"She will obtain it in the third phase and grow into an unstoppable force, second only to the Demigod of the Wasteland Domain and the Void Emperor himself. By the fourth phase, she will surpass the Demigod and become the second strongest being, just below the Void Emperor."

He sighed. "According to pioneers who've experienced multiple cycles and know more about the main story, it's only because of that sword that she could even challenge the Void Emperor.

"He defeated her countless times, yet she always managed to escape unscathed... until the fifth phase, when she was imprisoned for eternity. Even as the Astral World collapsed, she never regained her freedom."

Li Pin asked thoughtfully, "In the third phase, the Void Emperor was already a Demigod and had embarked on the Transcendent path. So, when Baili Zhu escaped unharmed, was it truly her own doing, or did the Void Emperor let her go?"

"It's likely... the latter," Zhao Tiangang replied hesitantly. "Baili Zhu was essentially raised by the Void Emperor, Baili Qingfeng.

He continued, "Over time, she developed feelings for him, but from what the Gold Pioneers have hinted, he never reciprocated. This unrequited love turned into hatred.

"By the late third phase and into the fourth, when the Void Emperor sought to create a perfect world, she became his greatest opponent."

"So they fought? That's a full-on brawl," Li Pin said in surprise. "Then why did she come to us, acting like the victim and asking us to judge?"

Zhao Tiangang responded tentatively, "Perhaps... because she lost?"

Li Pin considered this, then nodded.

Zhao Tiangang continued, "By the late third, fourth, and fifth phases, the Void Emperor had fully demonstrated his overwhelming power.

"No one could sway him. Merely approaching him meant certain death. That's why the first, second, and early third phases are our only chances to alter the course of events.

"From what I've gathered, there are two key points to breaking this cycle. First, we must prevent the Void Emperor and Baili Zhu from meeting. Second, we need to pursue Baili Zhu."

At this point, Zhao Tiangang felt a headache coming on. "But during this period, Baili Zhu was still just a young girl, and the Void Emperor had already taken the lead. Trying to intervene would be difficult. Any attempt might be seen as having ulterior motives and result in being eliminated outright.

"The third option is to prevent conflict between them and push them together, allowing them to live in harmony. But this brings up another issue, the Void Emperor's legitimate wife...."

He laid out his thoughts one by one, while Li Pin listened patiently.

Overall, Zhao Tiangang had summarized everything that needed to be addressed. To appease the owner of the Void Divine Treasure World, these pioneers had truly gone to great lengths, but it all seemed for naught.

"Is the method you came up with really appropriate?" Li Pin asked.

Zhao Tiangang asked, "What do you suggest, Pioneer Li?"

"To me, this doesn't seem like a lovers' quarrel. In fact, Baili Zhu might be the only one who sees it that way. Has the Void Emperor ever acknowledged her feelings? Their so-called quarrel feels more like a child throwing a tantrum. In such cases, a good beating should do the trick."

Li Pin paused. "If one beating isn't enough, then two. Her mistaken beliefs need to be corrected."

"That method..." Zhao Tiangang's expression turned odd. "Let's not even mention that Baili Zhu's feelings for the Void Emperor didn't start until the second phase. Even if you wanted to confront her, do you think the Void Emperor would allow it?

"By then, you'd be dealing with someone who already has Legendary-level strength, growing stronger with every fight, and possibly even unlocking his 'Omniscience and Omnipotence' state."

Li Pin asked, a bit surprised. "He was already on that path by then?"

"Even if he hadn't fully stepped onto it, he was close," Zhao Tiangang replied with a hint of resignation. "Push him even a little, and he'd break through, becoming even more powerful."

He paused before adding, "And let's be honest. Do you really think beating Baili Zhu a few times would make her admit she was wrong?

"Suppose the Void Emperor tried to imprison her to force her to face reality. It clearly didn't work. She never gave in, not even until the Astral World collapsed and she died. So, would beating her really solve anything?"

Li Pin fell silent, realizing just how stubborn Baili Zhu was.

Rumble, rumble!

Suddenly, a low rumble echoed in the distance, followed by the roars of countless beasts.

Tension gripped Zhao Tiangang's face. "A beast tide?"

He turned to Li Pin. "How many people are entering the Void Divine Treasure World this cycle?"

"About 130,000," Li Pin replied.

Zhao Tiangang drew a sharp breath. "That many!?"

130,000!? Before this, the number of pioneers in the Void Divine Treasure World hadn't even reached 50,000. Factoring in those who had died of old age, fewer than 40,000 remained. Now, 130,000 more had been thrown in all at once....

"The Void Divine Treasure World isn't like other divine treasure worlds. Any storyline involving the Void Emperor tends to trigger strange twists.

"Many pioneers who try to exploit his weakness end up dying in bizarre ways. Sometimes, so many perish that the Void Emperor himself might not even notice. And now, with the beast tide erupting...."

A flicker of fear crossed Zhao Tiangang's eyes. "This must mean a large number of pioneers are targeting the still-weak Void Emperor. It triggered the story correction mechanism, causing the beast tide."

"Is that how it works?" Li Pin asked, hearing this for the first time. "Is this also the power of the rules?"

"Clearly. Otherwise, there are too many coincidences to explain it."

Zhao Tiangang spoke urgently. "We need to stay as far away from the Void Emperor as possible. The closer we are, the higher the chance of something going wrong."

After a moment of thought, he added, "Let's head in the opposite direction, exit through Tianzhu Plains and return to the Wasteland Domain. At least there, we'll be safer."