Chapter 274: Carrying the Wind Across the Sea, Mars Stands Still at the Heart

Several seconds passed.

Zhang Baimu finally snapped out of it, sizing up Jiang Jian as if he were some rare creature: “The Yinshan Wonder Realm? That’s the place of reincarnation and rebirth recorded in the Sutra of the Ten Wheels of the Earth Store!”

“Such a grand wonder realm, formed from void into substance, holds unimaginable power—it can greatly increase the chance of glimpsing the Spirit Platform!”

“You just said you wanted to swap your reward?”

His eyes widened, his face still etched with disbelief.

Jiang Jian fell silent for a moment, then said: “Vice Director Zhang, I was already one of the ten favored ones of Yinshan.”

Zhang Baimu immediately shook his head: “You mean you intend to compete for it yourself?”

“The other favored ones are almost all Nascent Soul cultivators!”

“You’re only at the Surge Spring realm—you’re no match for them!”

He paused, then added.

“Moreover.”

“You’ve accomplished a great deed by delivering the World’s Origin.”

“This reward was personally designated by the higher-ups, specifically to ensure you receive Yinshan.”

“Such a generous gift is unprecedented.”

Shuodaozheli 。

Zhang Baimu’s earlier expression of envy now turned to resignation.

War is currently underway; the Earth-Moon situation shifts by the moment.

Most of the top forces on the surface are trapped within the Ninefold Realm.

If Shen Xi’s proposal succeeds,

the Tianjing Central Hub within the Ninefold Realm, along with the noble clans and sects beneath it, can break free ahead of schedule.

The overall combat power of the surface world will surge instantly!

This would provide unimaginable aid to the Yu Xing Palace in coordinating the overall strategy and arranging surface defenses.

As the architect, Shen Xi, and as the executor, Jiang Jian, naturally deserve the foremost credit.

Jiang Jian, moreover, is himself one of the favored ones of Yinshan.

Given these circumstances, the higher-ups specially granted this generous reward—though it seems like a coincidence, it is entirely reasonable.

As the two spoke,

the black aerial vessel pierced through the clouds, ascending rapidly toward the Ninth Realm.

The Ninth Realm is where the Tianjing Central Hub resides, closest to Earth’s stellar ring.

At the same time,

it is also the largest fragment of Earth’s primordial stellar ring.

Its current form is peculiar: it hovers above Earth, beneath the stellar ring, as a semi-dimensional space.

Around it,

there lies a sea, shifting between real and illusory, encircling it.

The seawater is pitch-black, infinitely deep.

According to records,

this sea is called the “Sea of Suffering.”

Centuries ago, the Black Robe King of Assassins used immense spiritual power to condense boundless resentment into this sea.

Any living being that accidentally falls into it is instantly corroded by resentment, their spirit and soul dissolving away.

Even stranger rumors claim that within the depths of the Sea of Suffering dwell unknowable beings that feed exclusively on human souls—terrifying beyond measure.

The Sea of Suffering is Tianjing’s strongest barrier.

If the Tianjing Central Hub had not been trapped within the Ninth Realm,

and if it activated its grand array, triggering a tidal wave of the Sea of Suffering, the pitch-black waters would cascade down from the heavens,

even capable of fully shielding the entire Chang’an Prefecture!

“We’ve arrived.”

After a long while, Zhang Baimu suddenly spoke.

Jiang Jian ended his cultivation, opened his eyes, and looked out the window.

The sight before him was profoundly shocking!

The pitch-black sea stretched endlessly, suspended high above the heavens, impossibly deep!

Below, the darkness grew ever more ethereal,

until it fully merged with space, becoming transparent—strange beyond words.

Looking upward, one saw the boundless expanse of Earth’s stellar ring.

The ring’s luminous band seemed close, as if hovering just above their heads, shimmering and flowing.

Yet in truth, the distance was immense.

At the center of the pitch-black sea stood a hundred-zhang pavilion.

Majestic, towering, magnificent and noble.

This pavilion is called “Shouxin Pavilion.”

It is the gateway to the Ninth Realm, the entrance to the Tianjing Central Hub.

The plaque above it was inscribed in the personal hand of the Chang’an Lord, the True Lord of the Surface.

At this moment,

the black aerial vessel slowed and came to a halt.

“I can only take you this far,”

Zhang Baimu said to Jiang Jian. “Someone will meet you at the shore of the Sea of Suffering.”

The cabin door opened.

“Understood.”

Jiang Jian replied, stepping off the vessel.

This was the edge of the pitch-black sea, where countless arrays interwove to form a floating airfield.

Looking out,

the airfield was dotted with all manner of warships.

These vessels varied in function and type—not only the most advanced star-piercing ships, but also colossal sky-shrouding aerial titans.

Many of these types had never appeared in textbooks.

“Jiang Jian.”

A cold, clear voice came from ahead.

Jiang Jian turned his gaze toward the sea.

A girl in a star-woven silk robe, head slightly raised, stood upon a small skiff, approaching him.

A few seconds later,

the skiff halted before him, stirring ripples in the pitch-black sea.

Strangely,

whenever these black waters of the Sea of Suffering surged onto the airfield’s stone platform, they instantly vanished into nothingness.

“I’m Lu Qingqing.”

The girl in the silk robe spoke softly, brushing her robe aside with a graceful turn.

The hem of her robe fluttered, embroidered with woven stars—exquisitely beautiful.

Jiang Jian’s gaze sharpened slightly; he stepped forward and boarded the skiff beside her.

This girl’s spiritual essence was the same as his own—both at the Surge Spring realm.

Yet Jiang Jian sensed a faint threat emanating from her.

This sense of danger was one even Zhang Baimu, a Nascent Soul cultivator, had never evoked.

“Her own spiritual essence, though solid and profound, should not be enough to threaten me.”

Jiang Jian’s eyes narrowed in thought. “This feeling of danger must come from an external source.”

The skiff stirred, carried by the wind across the sea, heading toward Shouxin Pavilion.

Yet neither of the two on board spoke.

Lu Qingqing stood at the bow, gazing ahead, her star-woven robe fluttering gently, releasing faint, sweet scents.

As the skiff rocked,

the pitch-black sea surged, nearly reaching their ankles.

“I never intended to give up on Yinshan,”

the girl suddenly spoke. “But now, I’ve changed my mind.”

As she spoke,

she never turned around.

Jiang Jian stood behind, watching her back, silent for a moment.

The meaning behind her words was unmistakable.

This unknown girl, Lu Qingqing,

is also one of the favored ones of the Yinshan Wonder Realm.

"How so?"

Jiang Jian asked.

Lu Qingqing turned slightly, her tone calm: "Guess."

Her profile was beautiful.

A strand of black hair clung to Bai Xi’s ear, falling downward.

Yet deep in her eyes lay mist, obscuring what lay within.

(End of chapter)