503: Xi Yue's Little Thoughts

After five thousand years of development, the Eternal World currently consists of one large world, the Eternal Continent, and three Small Worlds.

These are Xiao Jingyan's Puppet Realm, centered around the Puppet Suppressing Seal from the Secret Grotto of the Forbidden Ground, which contains a Heavenly Dao Fragment left by Lu Chen. By utilizing the spatial Law within this fragment, he was able to construct an independent world shrouded in Puppet Qi with his Half-Immortal cultivation.

Mo Jiantong's Heavenly Craft World, which utilizes the "Heavenly Craft Core" he obtained from Lu Xiaoyu—a fragment containing the Heavenly Dao's Law of Creation. It perfectly complements his Art of Mechanisms, allowing him to open a Small World deep within the southwestern Mount Mo, filled with mechanical creations and pure Spiritual Qi.

Only the Sword World of the Sword Maniac Dugu Jian is the most unique. He did not obtain any Heavenly Dao Fragment; instead, while charging toward the Soul Transformation Peak, he accidentally touched the traces left by Lu Chen when he previously comprehended the Profound Truth of the Sword within the Spatial Turbulence. Relying on his extreme obsession with the Sword Dao, he forcibly captured a sliver of the same Profound Truth, using it as a foundation to open a pure Sword World within a spatial rift—there are no mountains or rivers there, only endless Sword Gang and Sword Steles. Every breath of air contains a sharp Sword Momentum, making it a cultivation Holy Land dreamed of by all Sword Cultivators.

The emergence of the three Small Worlds has rewritten the understanding of cultivation in the Eternal World.

The world understands that Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation are merely mid-points on the path of Immortal Cultivation, while "opening a Small World" is the necessary step toward a higher Realm. Without exception, anyone who can independently create a Small World has stepped into the Half-Immortal Realm, possessing the power to leverage Laws and control a portion of space.

Thus, "World Creation" became the ultimate pursuit of all Cultivators. Low-level Cultivators Cultivate desperately to gain an Opportunity, while high-level Cultivators search everywhere for traces of Heavenly Dao Fragments or supreme Profound Truths. Major Sects never cease their overt and covert struggles to seize Secret Realms and treasures that might contain the power of Laws.

However, not everyone can Cultivate to achieve Immortal Ascension!

In the absence of a national system, power and resources are divided among the Great Families, Immortal Cultivation Sects, and Great Merchant Guilds, forming a new world order.

These forces control Spiritual Veins, mines, and secret lands, checking and balancing each other while also colluding to maintain a fragile equilibrium.

Top-tier Great Families, such as the Murong in the south, the Shangguan in the east, and the Tuoba in the west, are among the seven Great Families with deep foundations, guarded by Soul Transformation Cultivators and producing many Nascent Soul experts.

But even such colossi dare not transgress the iron rule established by Liu Yan—one Family, one city.

There was once a Zhao Family in the north that openly occupied a main city while secretly letting branch Disciples control a neighboring city in an attempt to expand their influence.

When the news reached Liu Yan's ears, he was sipping tea in the Xiaohong Tower ten thousand miles away. With just a single strand of black Evil Qi crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, it instantly enveloped that city.

By the time the Zhao clansmen reacted, all those of the Zhao Bloodline and their subordinates within the city had been refined by the Evil Qi, their Divine Souls turning into nourishment for the Black Lotus, and the entire city was reduced to a deserted ruin.

"One Family, one city; violators will have their city slaughtered."

Liu Yan's voice spread throughout the world via the Evil Qi. There were no redundant threats, yet it left all forces trembling with fear.

From then on, no Family dared to touch this red line. Even the seven Great Families could only operate within their own cities. Branch Disciples either merged into the main line or established themselves as Loose Cultivators, never daring to lay a finger on the control of a second city.

Liu Yan is like a sharp sword hanging over the heads of all Cultivators, the "Enforcer" of this deformed world. He does not care about the shifting of powers, only maintaining the rules he has set. Any existence that dares to challenge them will be turned to ashes.

Immortal Cultivation Sects are the core of the world. Top-tier Sects like the Qingyun Sect, Xiaohong Tower, and Star Pavilion occupy famous mountains and rivers, controlling cultivation resources and the Legacy of Cultivation Techniques, with Disciples spread across the world.

Great Merchant Guilds are the hubs of wealth. Relying on the workshops of the Mohist School, they monopolize the trade of Magical Artifacts, Medicinal Pills, Cards, and other supplies, even influencing the rise and fall of various forces.

These three are interdependent: Families send Geniuses to Sects, Sects provide protection for Merchant Guilds, and Merchant Guilds supply resources to Families, forming a closed loop of interests. At the very bottom of this chain is the largest and most humble group in the Eternal World—Slaves.

In this world where everyone yearns for Immortal Cultivation, Slaves are unable to Cultivate.

Most of them are captives from wars, descendants of ruined Families, or Mortals born without a Spiritual Root. They are bought by forces or individuals and branded with a Slave Mark, becoming Slaves for life. The Slave Mark is not only an identifier of status but also a Restriction. Once a Slave attempts to draw Qi into their body, the Slave Mark will erupt, directly shattering their Meridians and Divine Soul.

This rule is collectively maintained by all forces. Even Han Fei, known for his "Enlightened Law," could only acquiesce to its existence.

Two thousand years ago, Han Fei once pushed against all odds to advocate for the abolition of the Slave system.

He believed that "Mortals are born equal and all have the right to Cultivate." Under the forced implementation by the Dharma Sect, the Slave system once collapsed.

But ideals ultimately could not withstand reality. When all Slaves put down their farming tools and left the workshops to compete in cultivation, the world fell into paralysis—no one planted Spiritual Grain, and Cultivators faced food shortages;

No one mined Ore, and Magical Artifacts and Medicinal Pills could not be refined;

No one built dams, resulting in floods that submerged fertile fields;

No one maintained the Spiritual Vein channels, and the chaotic Spiritual Qi triggered various natural disasters.

In just three short years, more Cultivators and Mortals died from starvation, drowning, and Spiritual Qi riots than those who died when Liu Yan destroyed nations. The entire world was on the brink of collapse.

In desperation, Han Fei could only unite with the major forces to restore the Slave system, merely symbolically fighting for some rights for the Slaves—prohibiting wanton slaughter and allowing Slaves to redeem themselves through military merit or contributions—but he never dared to mention the slogan "everyone can Cultivate" again.

"Heaven and earth are divided into Yin and Yang; all things have high and low." When Han Fei wrote this sentence in the Canon of the Dharma Sect, his eyes were full of helplessness. "If everyone were a Cultivator, who would be the beasts of burden? For the world to function, there must be laborers and there must be honored ones; this is the balance of the Heavenly Dao."

This sentence became the legal basis for the Slave system and a shackle that countless Slaves could not break free from.

Lu Chen curled his lip; this Liu Yan was truly more arrogant than himself.

Does he really think he's a god??

Fortunately, during the five thousand years Liu Yan managed the Eternal World, he indeed increased the cultivation speed significantly and many Geniuses were born.

Otherwise, Lu Chen would have wiped Liu Yan out long ago.

Dawn Moon had truly guessed this, so she boldly and confidently let Liu Yan continue to control the Eternal World.

This caused Lu Xiaohu, Lu Xiaoyu, Chi Yao, and other Divine Realm experts to be filled with impotent rage.

It wasn't that they hadn't thought about getting rid of Liu Yan, but they feared being punished by Lu Chen. After all, Lu Chen had said they could not interfere with the Lower Realm.

What worried Lu Xiaohu, Lu Xiaoyu, and Chi Yao the most was that by relying on Liu Yan, Dawn Moon had actually broken through the God King Peak Realm and reached the early stage of the God Emperor Realm.

She has already become the undisputed number one person in this Divine Realm!!

They didn't dare to provoke her.

Even White Ember, who was beside Dawn Moon, had already reached the God King Peak Realm.

However, even at the God King Peak, White Ember still had to massage Dawn Moon's feet every day: "Master, isn't this Liu Yan overstepping his bounds a bit? The task we gave him back then was only to suppress the Person of Destiny. Now, look at him; he's interfering with the entire Eternal World, even the Mortals. Won't this make Lord Heavenly Dao angry?"

Slap!

Dawn Moon swung her hand and gave him a slap: "Shut up, you idiot. The Heavenly Dao naturally knows everything clearly. Without his tacit permission, Liu Yan would have been dead long ago. Since the Heavenly Dao hasn't given any instructions, it means that at least for now, there's nothing wrong with this. Moreover, through Liu Yan, I can absorb the energy of the Eternal World. Now that I am at the early stage of the God Emperor Realm, haha, I no longer have to look at the faces of Lu Xiaohu, Lu Xiaoyu, and Chi Yao! They won't dare to bother me anymore!"

White Ember stroked the spot on his face where he had just been hit: "Master is wise!! It is said that Lord Heavenly Dao's Realm is also the God Emperor Realm. If you, Master..."

Slap!! This time Dawn Moon really struck him!! She panicked: "Shut up!! Never say things that shouldn't be said!!!"

Dawn Moon didn't even dare to imagine what would happen if her Realm one day surpassed the Heavenly Dao. She didn't dare to think about it, couldn't think about it—at least not now!!