Chapter 69: Nine Heavens Layout

Hearing this, Duan Wutian's expression straightened slightly, he set down his wine cup, and spoke freely, telling all he knew.

"Since you've asked, Young Friend Ye, I'll give a rough overview."

"Let's not mention the Ten Lands for now; in terms of resources and overall strength, they are considerably inferior to the Nine Heavens. We'll mainly talk about the Nine Heavens."

His tone carried a hint of solemnity.

"The Nine Heavens are not parallel equals; according to their age, the perfection of heavenly laws, resource abundance, and overall strength, they have implicitly been divided into three tiers since ancient times……"

"The Lower Three Heavens, the Middle Three Heavens, and…… the Upper Three Heavens, which are the most transcendent and terrifying!"

Ye Wuque's eyes narrowed slightly: "Lower Three Heavens? Middle Three Heavens? Upper Three Heavens?"

"Not bad." Duan Wutian nodded. "The Vast Expanse Heaven we currently inhabit is one of the Lower Three Heavens. Besides this Vast Expanse Heaven of such scale and tier, there are two other great realms in the Lower Three Heavens. The Lower Three Heavens can be said to be the most basic layer of the Nine Heavens, where countless multitudes of beings live and reproduce."

Ye Wuque's heart trembled slightly; he had thought the Vast Expanse Heaven's Five Supreme Heavenly Domains and Four Holy Clans were already colossal, but he never expected that within the whole Nine Heavens system, they actually belong only to the most basic "Lower Three Heavens"?

Duan Wutian seemed to see his thought, and gave a wry laugh: "Do you think, Young Friend Ye, that our Vast Expanse Heaven's Five Supreme Heavenly Domains and Four Holy Clans are already very strong? Heh, if placed in the Lower Three Heavens, they would indeed be considered top-tier forces. But compared to the Middle Three Heavens, especially the Upper Three Heavens……"

He shook his head, his tone carrying a hint of complexity and longing: "The Upper Three Heavens are the true core of the Nine Heavens Ten Earths! They are the pinnacle of the pyramid! There, it is said they are the most ancient, said to have been opened at the birth of the universe, heavenly laws perfected to the extreme, resources abundant beyond imagination, and the number and quality of powerful beings born there far surpass those of the Lower Three Heavens! One could say that, before the Upper Three Heavens, the Lower Three Heavens have almost no comparable worth."

"Our Vast Expanse Heaven's Five Supreme Heavenly Domains and Four Holy Clans, if placed in the Upper Three Heavens, would at most be considered tail-end first-rate or peak second-rate forces, and certainly not true hegemons of the pinnacle."

Ye Wuque took a deep breath, and only then did he gain a macroscopic and clear understanding of the pattern of the Nine Heavens!

As it turns out, the Vast Expanse Heaven is merely the lowest starting point of the "Lower Three Heavens"!

"What about the Middle Three Heavens?"

"The Middle Three Heavens lie between the Lower Three Heavens and the Upper Three Heavens."

Duan Wutian explained:

"Their overall strength far surpasses that of the Lower Three Heavens, but essentially all of it has already been divided up by the supreme powers of the Upper Three Heavens, becoming their resource territories, spheres of influence, or places where subordinate forces take root."

"Actually, not only the Middle Three Heavens, but even our Lower Three Heavens, strictly speaking, are largely infiltrated, controlled, or influenced by the powers of the Upper Three Heavens, merely to varying degrees."

A hint of helplessness curved at the corner of his mouth.

"In these Nine Heavens, the ones who truly dictate all rules and hold the greatest say have always been the lofty Upper Three Heaven forces! The Middle and Lower Three Heavens often have little real autonomy."

Ye Wuque silently digested this information, and a vast, strictly hierarchical panorama of the Nine Heavens gradually unfolded in his mind.

His enemy, the Undying Ye Clan, must certainly be located in that supremely exalted Upper Three Heavens!

He seemingly casually continued asking: "Hall Master Duan, have you ever heard where the Red Dust Valley lies within the Nine Heavens?"

"Red Dust Valley?"

Upon hearing that name, Duan Wutian's expression instantly turned extremely solemn and reverent, even a flicker of unhidden awe flashing in his eyes.

"Young Friend Ye actually knows this place?"

"This is indeed a place…… universally recognized in the Zhutian Wanjie as a forbidden land!"

"It is located…… in one of the Upper Three Heavens, the Boundless Heaven!"

Duan Wutian's tone grew grave.

"That is the territory of the Lord of Red Dust! A being who has participated in creation, whose cultivation is unfathomably deep, and who is said to have survived not just one epoch—an ancient entity!"

"His temperament is eccentric, transcendent and worldly; without his permission, no one dares to approach the Red Dust Valley's vicinity lightly, for otherwise they wouldn't even know how they died!"

Lord of Red Dust!

Boundless Heaven!

Forbidden Land!

Ye Wuque understood in his heart; the "Red Dust Supreme Token" bestowed by Shenzun weighed heavier than he had imagined.

Finally, Ye Wuque asked the question he cared most about: "Hall Master Duan, do you know in which heaven the Undying Aristocratic Family…… the Ye Clan resides?"

Upon hearing this question, Duan Wutian's deep gaze fixed on Ye Wuque for a moment, his eyes flickering as if he had already guessed something.

But he was smart enough not to spill it; he merely fell silent for an instant, then slowly uttered three words:

"Boundless Heaven."

Again, Boundless Heaven!

A sharp, sword‑like gleam flashed in the depths of Ye Wuque's eyes and then vanished.

He raised his wine cup and saluted Duan Wutian: "Thank you, Hall Master Duan, for clearing my doubts."

After the banquet, the Asura Divine Hall bestowed upon Ye Wuque extremely high courtesy, arranging for him a temporary residence in an extremely tranquil and luxurious manor equipped with all cultivation facilities.

Ye Wuque did not decline and settled in peacefully.

During this period, he often exchanged cultivation insights with Duan Xiuluo, who benefited greatly and grew ever more admiring of Ye Wuque.

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye a month slipped away.

During that month, Ye Wuque lived in seclusion, spending most of his time in contemplation and cultivation to consolidate himself, while also silently planning his future path.

Upper Three Heavens, Boundless Heaven, Undying Ye Clan, Ye Clan descendants…… these names, like an invisible whip, spurred him onward.

He knew that the turmoil of the Vast Expanse Heaven might merely be the beginning.

The true grand upheavals, the struggles for supremacy and grudges belonging to the genuine pinnacle of the Nine Heavens, await him ahead.