Chapter 1406: Nine Clans, Three Realms

"What?!"

After the Aquarius Bureau Chief finished sharing his discovery, before Li Ang could even open his mouth to ask, the female cleaner beside him couldn't help but exclaim:

"How can that be? Hasn't the Stone Marrow Realm already been sealed off? It should be impossible to get there now, right?"

"That was a sealing, not a complete filling."

The Aquarius Bureau Chief in the small mirror said helplessly:

"Besides, although the Stone Marrow Realm has been stripped away, it was at least part of the main plane to begin with. How could it be so easily sealed off completely?

Sigh... I felt back then that the path from the Earth's Core to the Stone Marrow Realm would eventually be opened sooner or later, but I didn't expect it to be this fast. It's only been a few years, and we already can't hold it."

"But... but if that's the case..."

Looking at the helpless expression of the Aquarius Bureau Chief in the small mirror, the female cleaner couldn't help but purse her lips tightly, her expression quite complex as she said:

"If the Stone Marrow Realm couldn't be sealed off at all, then why back then did we have to..."

"Sorry, excuse me."

After watching the grandmother and granddaughter, whose expressions had changed drastically inside and outside the mirror, Li Ang, who was completely confused, couldn't help but ask:

"Where is the Stone Marrow Realm? What is its relationship with the Earth's Core? Could you explain it to me a little?"

"I'll handle this..."

Among the three branch bureau chiefs who were listening intently, the short, middle-aged woman raised her hand, then explained with a complex expression:

"When we sealed the Earth's Core back then, our Sky Cat Branch also sent two people, so we know a little bit about the situation... Lord Li Ang, the Stone Marrow Realm is also one of the subsidiary planes of the present world.

It's just that, unlike the Dead Realm or the Dream Realm, which you automatically go to when you meet the conditions, the Stone Marrow Realm was self-sealed by the Earth Three Clans living inside it. You can only reach it through the Earth's Core, which connects to the Stone Marrow Realm.

Additionally, the way the Stone Marrow Realm exists is different from the Dead Realm and the Dream Realm. The Stone Marrow Realm was once part of the Earth's Core, so it wasn't completely separated from the present world. Instead, like a train carriage, it was 'hooked' into the Earth's Core of the present world by the Earth Three Clans."

"..."

So it means the "Stone Marrow Realm" was once part of the Earth's Core, but was later cut off by the "Earth Three Clans," and then they forbade humans from entering or leaving? So what are the Earth Three Clans? Why does it feel like after your explanation, the things I need to understand have increased again?

"The Earth Three Clans are one of the indigenous peoples of this world."

Seeming to see Li Ang's confusion, the Aquarius Bureau Chief in the small mirror blinked, then began to recount:

"You should already know that we humans were not the first to come to this world. Before we arrived, this world was inhabited by quite a few indigenous races. The Earth Three Clans were the three largest land-dwelling races among them. Besides the Earth Three Clans, there are also the Sea Three Clans and the Feather Three Clans.

Later, after several rounds of war broke out as everyone fought for living space, we humans, as the final victors, occupied the surface with the best conditions, while the indigenous peoples of this world chose to retreat voluntarily.

Among them, the Earth Three Clans retreated into the Earth's Core, the Sea Three Clans chose to sink into the Sea Eye, and the strongest Feather Three Clans voluntarily flew into the high sky, occupying the Cloud Township closest to the sun.

And as the three largest forces among the indigenous peoples, according to the agreement with the Cleaning Bureau, these nine indigenous races were able to each cut off a piece from the present world and change it into three small planes that belonged only to them.

The Earth Three Clans were the first to create the Stone Marrow Realm and reconnected it to the Earth's Core; the Sea Three Clans followed suit, cutting off a part of the Sea Eye to create the Tidal Realm; while the Feather Three Clans took a different approach. They didn't split off and cut away the Cloud Township, but instead set up the Mirror Sky Wang Zuo above it, though they also locked it off to the outside, not allowing entry or exit."

"..."

Good heavens, hearing it like this, it seems our human ancestors weren't exactly great people, chasing others up to the sky and down to the earth... After silently slandering them a couple of times, Li Ang, having roughly understood the situation, couldn't help but curiously ask:

"Then what happened later? Didn't they think about counterattacking?"

"They tried a few times, but it wasn't very successful. After all, the Cleaning Bureau at that time was truly terrifyingly strong. After discovering there was really no chance, they slowly accepted it."

Hearing Li Ang's question, the Aquarius Bureau Chief in the small mirror narrowed his eyes slightly, then recounted calmly:

"After being forced to leave the surface permanently, the Feather Three Clans had the best life and were the first to choose reconciliation with humans. Although they rarely came down from the Cloud Township, they occasionally had exchanges with the Refraction Kingdom and the Thunderstorm Kingdom.

The situation of the Sea Three Clans was slightly worse, but humans themselves cannot survive in the ocean, so the deeper parts of the sea areas and the far-off ocean regions away from the coast were slowly left to the Sea Three Clans, and their relationship with each other could be considered harmonious.

As for the remaining Earth Three Clans, their living environment was the worst. The Stone Marrow Realm was truly too monotonous and stuffy, and coupled with their longing for the surface and the sun, they often engaged in some relatively intense behaviors, and their relationship with the Cleaning Bureau was quite tense."

When he said this, the Aquarius Bureau Chief in the small mirror couldn't help but glance at the female cleaner beside him, then said somewhat vaguely:

"About ten years ago, the Earth Three Clans selected more than two hundred volcanoes from the entire surface, preparing to detonate them all at once to completely open the path between the Earth's Core and the surface.

This plan of theirs completely angered the Cleaning Bureau, so the duty-bound Aquarius Director gave the order. While requiring each branch bureau to suppress the volcanoes, he assembled two directors and four Zodiac Bureau Chiefs to go deep into the Earth's Core and directly seal the entrance and exit of the Stone Marrow Realm."

Hearing this, Li Ang's eyebrows couldn't help but lift slightly.

So... you were one of them back then, but because you went down to seal the Stone Marrow Realm, the Aquarius Branch had no Zodiac Bureau Chief to hold the fort, and the female cleaner's mother sacrificed herself in the mission to suppress the volcanoes within the territory?

Looking at the female cleaner's somewhat dejected expression, and having roughly guessed some of the situation back then, Li Ang didn't ask any further, but instead took the initiative to change the subject:

"Bureau Chief Balto, so the people from the Lu Wang Society this time aren't planning to act directly against the Northern Kingdom, but want to go to the Earth's Core through the lava tunnels under Heat River City. Are they preparing to undo the Bureau's seal on the Stone Marrow Realm and release all the Earth Three Clans?"

"Pretty much."

The Aquarius Bureau Chief in the mirror nodded, his expression quite serious as he said:

"Besides this, I can't think of any other reason for them to go to the Earth's Core."

"So is there anything I can do?"

Looking at the old man in the mirror, whose expression was quite weary, his whole body soaked through with water vapor, and a head of blue hair plastered wetly against his temples, Li Ang couldn't help but ask with respect in his eyes:

"Lord Balto, do you need me to go down to Heat River with you?"

"No need."

Hearing Li Ang's words, the Aquarius Bureau Chief in the mirror smiled, then asked gently:

"When you came, the directors should have promised you that as long as you send a signal, they can urge the 【Sun Dial Plate】 to provide you with one second of sunlight at any time, am I right?"

"Yes."

"But the problem this time is underground. The sunlight intercepted by the 【Sun Dial Plate】 cannot reach directly, so your strongest trump card is effectively half-wasted. Dealing with the people from the Lu Wang Society should be quite difficult."

After pointing out the problem with the 【Sun Dial Plate】, the Aquarius Branch Bureau Chief said earnestly:

"Also, the people from the Lu Wang Society have already entered the lava tunnels and have been walking toward the Earth's Core for some time. Even if you go down now, you definitely won't make it in time. So, it's better to stay on the surface and guard the Aquarius Branch for me instead.

And with you helping to watch the situation on the surface, I won't have to worry about whether the Lu Wang Society is planning to lure me away and then take the opportunity to sneak attack Heat River City, allowing me to continue chasing them downward with peace of mind... What do you think of this arrangement?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1407 =====

(End of Chapter)