Chapter 1016: The White Life Hidden Realm

Xiao Nanfeng was deep in thought when the primordial altar said, "This opportunity will only come once. If you don't act now, you won't get another chance."

"Can you tell me about the details?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Very well. I have imprisoned the Superior, but he has also sealed my power. His world of the heart and my roots have merged to form a hidden realm known as the white life hidden realm. He even managed to split off an avatar containing a fragment of his will and have it escape, but I cut off his avatar's ability to draw strength from his world of the heart. Now, I can't enter the white life hidden realm myself, but his avatar can send things in."

"The white life hidden realm..." Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

"He is extremely cautious. In the past, after he escaped, he spread Body of Yin throughout the world. Those who reached the upper echelons of the technique were all drawn into that hidden realm. I don't know exactly what he's doing inside, but it's all undoubtedly part of his plan to break free. Ten thousand years ago, three peerless cultivators noticed something suspicious. They captured him and sealed him back into the white life hidden realm. He struggled immensely before managing to escape again at tremendous cost. In fact, he only succeeded a few years ago."

"I am aware of this. Those three peerless geniuses were the three Qing Grandmasters. According to legend, the Superior taught them, but they ultimately worked together to seal him within the primordial altar." Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

"Over ten thousand years ago, the rampant spread of Body of Yin drew the attention of the Darkborn. Perhaps the Superior left them some information. That was when Sathia broke the seals on the nine domains of heavenly law. I suspect this was another part of the plan for the Superior's escape."

"So that's how it is."

"I don't know of his machinations within the hidden realm, but I do know that time is running out. I can't keep watch over it constantly. If I do, I run the risk that he'll track me down. If he manages to pinpoint my location and inform his clan of the details, we'll lose our last chance of turning the tables."

"What's your plan?"

"After he began spreading Body of Yin, I was able to discover what kind of people he needed. He has been sending individuals into the white life hidden realm for ten thousand years, and he continued to do so even after his escape. This is our opportunity to strike."

"You want someone sent into the realm to possess the Superior's physical body?"

"Indeed. I've selected certain individuals whose souls possess the unique traits that the Superior desperately needs. I provided them with special treasures to prepare for this moment. They successfully infiltrated the hidden realm after being sent there by the Superior's avatar, but none of them have succeeded in taking over his main body yet."

"What makes you think I would succeed?"

"I'm uncertain that you will. Your strength gives you more of a chance, and your spiritual aura is unique. It may yield unexpected results," the primordial altar replied.

"My spiritual aura is unique?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

The Superior's deduction that his soul came from the Milky Way had left him shaken. Now, even the primordial altar was sensing something unusual about it.

"Indeed. In the past, I used spatial power to extract various treasures from deep within the universe's great Immortal domains, giving them to those I sent into the white life hidden realm. One of these treasures carried an aura very similar to your truesoul."

"Oh?"

"If my guess is correct, your truesoul must have been drawn in along with that treasure when I extracted it from a distant Immortal domain. I later gave that treasure to a couple. You also carry their bloodline," the primordial altar continued.

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes widened. "What? My parents are in this hidden realm too?"

"It looks like you must have been their son. Indeed. They carried my treasure into the white life hidden realm."

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. He had thought that his parents were trapped in some hidden realm belonging to a cursed effigy. To think that that hidden realm would turn out to be the white life hidden realm...

"Will you enter this hidden realm? The timing is perfect. Once the Darkborn descend in earnest, no such opportunity will surface again. Furthermore, your body is seeded with hidden traps that the Superior devised in secret. If this confrontation goes poorly for him, he will surely destroy your body rather than let you have it," the primordial altar warned.

Xiao Nanfeng took a deep breath, his gaze resolute. "How do I enter that hidden realm?"

"I'm glad you've made your decision. This is your only chance. The Superior's spiritual moon serves as the medium for the conduit, and your candleflame powers invoke a certain degree of spatial authority that can obscure my presence. I will help you extract the candle cursed effigy and meld it with your soul. Then, you simply need to touch the Superior's spiritual moon. I will then activate my spatial power to send you inside."

"Will the Superior's avatar chase me in?"

"It won't. Once he enters, he won't be able to leave—not without great effort. The Qing Grandmasters have already sealed him in once, after all."

"Very well. Let's do it," Xiao Nanfeng said. "Will you help me leave a message for my loved ones?"

"I cannot. I can only communicate with you because of the imprint I placed on you. Right now, I can't risk reaching out to anyone else. Any trace of my presence could allow the Darkborn to track me down."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. He had recently come up with coded signals with his three wives to prevent any impersonation. If the Superior tried to deceive them, they would immediately recognize him as a fake. However, he had made no such preparations with anyone else.

"Very well. Could you tell me more about what causes the calamity that takes place every ten thousand years?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"I am bound to the fate of all living beings, as well as to the Superior's main body. If all living beings perish, I will also be destroyed. If I perish, the Superior's main body will also be annihilated. The Darkborn conduct mass exterminations every ten thousand years to prevent the rise of individuals who could threaten them. However, they don't dare wipe out all life completely, as that would cause both me and the Superior's main body to vanish together."

"Thank you for the information. I have no other questions. Time is short. Let's act quickly before the Superior notices anything."

"Very well. I will begin the extraction and subsequent melding. Once you enter the white life hidden realm, you'll be on your own. I won't be able to communicate with you thereafter."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

Just then, space rumbled around Xiao Nanfeng.

The Superior quickly grew alert, thinking that Xiao Nanfeng was about to unleash some ultimate technique.

"You're activating your candleflame powers? What are you planning?" the Superior demanded.

Xiao Nanfeng ignored him.

The Superior began to draw on the candle cursed effigy as well. "It's useless. I can manipulate your physical body and share in your candleflame powers. You won't be able to control it fully."

Before long, however, his eyes widened. "What have you done? How can my control have weakened? Impossible!"

Xiao Nanfeng's body shook as beams of red light were emitted from it.

"Damn it, what have you done?!" the Superior roared.

He pounced toward Xiao Nanfeng in anger, only for a red screen of light to appear before Xiao Nanfeng. He passed through and vanished.

"How could you have such control over space? This is impossible!"

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Xiao Nanfeng had flashed into the air, to the side of the Superior's spiritual moon. He touched it with a palm, causing the moon to vibrate with blinding white light.

"The primordial altar's power? Damn it, when did you come in contact with the primordial altar? Why wasn't I aware of it? Stop what you're doing right now!" the Superior roared.

A radiant portal appeared beside the silver moon. Wisps of frost gushed out from it.

Without any hesitation, Xiao Nanfeng shot within.

His Deific Yin realm blinked out of existence as the stars and his three moons vanished.

"You intend to enter the white life hidden realm? Dream on! Get back here!" the Superior roared, chasing after him.

An explosion resounded from the portal as the Superior seized a bundle of golden light, but Xiao Nanfeng had already vanished into its depths.

The Superior flashed toward the portal but forced himself to come to a halt. His eyes burned with fury. "Get back here, you bastard!"

Unfortunately for him, there was no response from within.

He twisted his head. "Primordial altar, do you think sending Xiao Nanfeng into the white life hidden realm will stymie me? Do you think he can possess my physical body? Dream on! Your tricks are useless. He'd only die within. My subordinates are coming, and no one will be able to stop me from breaking free. Then, I'll kill you."

He was trying to provoke the primordial altar into revealing itself and striking against him, but the primordial altar simply ignored him outright. He was infuriated.

With a wave of his hand, he sealed the portal. He unclenched his palm to reveal a bundle of golden light—the shattered remains of Xiao Nanfeng's golden tree.

Then, he sat cross-legged in meditation as he recuperated while keeping an eye on his surroundings.

Even by the time he finally recovered the bulk of his strength, the primordial altar didn't reveal itself.

With a final glare, he waved his hand, dispelled the Deific Yin realm, recalled his spiritual moon to his mindscape, and seized control of Xiao Nanfeng's physical body.

His face was cold and severe, and killing intent radiated from him.