Chapter 788: Coordinate Condition

Li Yi did not know he had been marked by Tianyue, the Demon King of the Demon God Realm, nor that this Demon King intended to descend at the first opportunity and personally exterminate him, leaving Li Yi no chance to survive.

At this moment, Li Yi was still cultivating inside the Immortal Dao warship.

In these few days, his Primordial Spirit manifestation had been refined to near perfection, for observing and sculpting a manifestation was a simple matter—if anything was amiss, it could be corrected immediately with no cost.

But once the Primordial Spirit manifestation began to gestate, it could no longer be changed; from then on, your Primordial Spirit would forever remain this form.

Thus, Li Yi was extremely cautious, striving to make it flawless.

Yet his Primordial Spirit manifestation was unusual; to fully gestate it would likely require a very long time.

Fortunately, Li Yi held a coordinate that, upon reaching it, would accelerate the flow of time and shorten his cultivation period—but before setting out, he must first obtain the coordinate of World #36.

As for entering the battlefield, that was merely a side matter.

That morning.

The AI Red Ji within the Immortal Dao warship suddenly activated.

"Master, Xiao Jianguo is attempting to establish contact with you. Shall I accept?"

"Hmm?"

Li Yi, who had been cultivating, was startled upon hearing Red Ji's voice. He had indeed come to the Earth Defense Line seeking Xiao Jianguo, but he had not yet taken any action—why had Xiao Jianguo contacted him first?

Yet soon, Li Yi guessed the reason.

It must have been Ye Jingtian who helped.

Only he knew Li Yi was searching for Xiao Jianguo.

"Red Ji, connect me to Xiao Jianguo," Li Yi said.

"Understood, Master. Establishing connection," replied the AI Red Ji.

At the same time, Li Yi halted his cultivation.

Then a beam of light illuminated downward, and a three-dimensional projection appeared before him—a middle-aged man in uniform, expression stern and serious, radiating authority.

But upon seeing Li Yi, Xiao Jianguo's face immediately broke into a smile: "Li Yi, it's me, Xiao Jianguo. We met before on the Demon God Realm defense line. Others told me you wanted to see me? What is it? If I can help, I will."

Before contacting Li Yi, Xiao Jianguo had already researched the situation—he knew Li Yi had joined the Earth Defense Line and was preparing to fight for Earth and his homeland, so he treated Li Yi with great respect, for he was a man of merit.

"I need a cross-realm coordinate. Can you help me obtain one?" Li Yi cut straight to the point.

"A cross-realm coordinate?"

Xiao Jianguo paused, then mused: "Officially collected cross-realm coordinates are absolute secrets—nearly impossible to grant to individuals, especially now, during this critical period. Even you, Li Yi, would find it nearly impossible to acquire one."

"You know, Earth faces countless powerful enemies. Each cross-realm coordinate represents a world. If leaked, it would be a catastrophic blow to that world. Moreover, many of these worlds have already been designated as escape destinations."

"This concerns the safety of millions—even tens of millions—of lives. Li Yi, I don't know why you want a cross-realm coordinate, but I cannot fulfill this request. I'm truly sorry."

Li Yi said: "Hard to do doesn't mean impossible, does it? There are always exceptions."

He had caught Xiao Jianguo's implication.

Simply put: during this critical period, cross-realm coordinates are priceless, and obtaining one demands a heavy price.

Xiao Jianguo spoke again: "I do have the authority to access cross-realm coordinates, but the official conditions are stringent. For others, I would refuse without hesitation—but for you, Li Yi, I can consider it. Which world's coordinate are you interested in?"

Li Yi said: "I only want the coordinate of World #36."

"World #36?" Xiao Jianguo thought back. He had no strong impression of World #36, for it was not a priority world—if there had been any cross-realm plan for it, he would have known.

Since it was not a priority, World #36 must have some massive flaw, which is why it was abandoned by the higher-ups.

If so, granting its coordinate to Li Yi would not affect the overall situation.

Still, the conditions had to be stated.

"How about it? Any problem?" Li Yi asked again.

Xiao Jianguo said: "World #36 is a dangerous world, unsuitable for cross-realm travel. Its coordinate has been sealed. If you want it, I can get it for you—but there's a condition."

"What condition? Say it. As long as I can do it," Li Yi said.

He knew obtaining a coordinate demanded a price, and he had already prepared himself.

Xiao Jianguo said: "If you earn sufficient battlefield merit, I can apply for you to obtain World #36's coordinate—even if someone investigates, I can defend you."

"Battlefield merit?" Li Yi nodded slightly. "That's reasonable. But how much merit exactly do I need to earn to get the coordinate?"

Xiao Jianguo said: "On the Earth Defense Line battlefield, our greatest threats are Great Demons and Mahayana cultivators. If you kill five Great Demons or five Mahayana cultivators on the battlefield, I will immediately secure World #36's coordinate for you."

"Five heads for one cross-realm coordinate? Fair enough. Alright, I accept. Prepare the coordinate. When I've done it, I'll contact you again," Li Yi agreed without hesitation.

For others, this demand might be difficult—but for him, it was simple.

After all, during his time on Earth, he had already killed three Great Demons and two Mahayana cultivators.

"Don't push yourself too hard. The battlefield is full of peril. Don't risk your life chasing glory. You have great potential. With more time, you'll become one of Earth's defining figures, reshaping its current order," Xiao Jianguo added.

He did not wish to see such a promising cultivator perish on the battlefield—he hoped Li Yi would go far.

After all, in this era, top-tier warriors willing to stand and fight for Earth were few; most had already crossed realms and fled.

"I know. I'll be careful. Thank you for your concern," Li Yi said. "Since it's settled, I'll return to cultivation."

"Alright, I won't disturb you further," Xiao Jianguo said.

Soon.

The connection severed; the three-dimensional projection vanished.

Li Yi was pleased with the news—at least, obtaining World #36's coordinate now seemed possible, and he was confident that with his strength, once on the battlefield, gathering five heads would be effortless.

He did not resume cultivation. Instead, he left the Immortal Dao warship and stored it inside the Crimson Gold Five Elements Bracelet.

He planned to stroll through the Earth Defense Line and inquire about the battlefield, preparing himself in advance.

Stepping on auspicious clouds.

Li Yi flew above the Earth Defense Line, arriving near the Black Great Wall, then circled along it, observing the surroundings.

Though the area around the Black Great Wall was desolate, there were still cultivators stationed and patrolling—though patrols were sparse, and many areas remained unmonitored.

Clearly, manpower shortages here were severe.

Li Yi spotted a cultivator stationed on the Black Great Wall, wounded, leaning against the wall, spitting blood—but he remained silent, his eyes filled with hatred as he stared toward a distant direction.

"What happened? Are you alright?" He landed and asked.

The wounded cultivator, upon seeing Li Yi, was startled, then wiped blood from his lips: "I'm fine. Won't die. Ambushed by a Tribulation Crossing cultivator from the Xuan Immortal Continent. He used a Primordial Spirit attack—damaged my soul."

"These cultivators keep appearing near the Black Great Wall, using underhanded methods to wear us down and probe our strength. You're Li Yi? New here? Then you should rest well these days—another war could break out at any moment."

He had identified Li Yi's identity through the AI system and confirmed he was not an enemy.

Often, Great Demons disguised as Earth cultivators would approach and launch surprise attacks.

Seeing this, Li Yi said nothing—only flicked his finger, sending a drop of Life Water into the wounded cultivator's mouth.

"Swallow it. It will help."

The cultivator, thinking Li Yi meant to attack, instinctively prepared to retaliate—but upon hearing those words, he relaxed. Then he felt a surge of potent life essence flooding through his body.

His wounds and fatigue vanished instantly. His entire body underwent transformation—even the soul injury he had just suffered began to heal.

Though Life Water was not primarily for healing soul wounds, it still had some effect, for the life essence was immense and could indirectly nourish the soul.

Sensing the change, the cultivator exhaled deeply, regaining his composure after a long while, then said: "Thank you for your help. My injuries have improved greatly."

He stood up, his body glowing faintly, as if on the verge of another evolution.

"No need to thank me. Just a small favor," Li Yi said.

He had abundant Life Water—this drop or two meant nothing to him—but to some, it could mean life.

"One question—have you ever been to the battlefield?" Li Yi then asked.

"I've never been," the cultivator shook his head. "My strength isn't enough to enter the battlefield. You know—the gap between cultivation levels is immense. For the weak, going to the battlefield is meaningless; even the residual shockwaves can kill."

"The Earth Defense Line primarily counters the Demon God Realm and the Xuan Immortal Continent. To enter the battlefield, you must at least match a Great Demon in strength—so the number of combatants is always kept minimal."

"I remember the last time the battlefield opened: our side deployed twenty elite warriors. We suffered heavy losses—over half died. Only six or seven returned. But there was no choice. The enemy had twenty Great Demons and twenty Mahayana cultivators, all coordinating against us. Surviving six or seven was already good."

The cultivator sighed.

Li Yi remained silent, gradually understanding the nature of war through this cultivator's words.

(End of Chapter)