149: The mortal and immortal realms are separated; strike first to gain the upper hand, and journey to the ends of the universe.

But Xu Jinhuan did not choose to set off immediately to find the other party.

Instead, he continued to sit cross-legged in cultivation.

For he felt a barrier, a wall, standing before him.

A barrier on the level of life itself.

If he could break through and cross it, everything would change.

“This is likely the legendary immortal-mortal barrier.”

Xu Jinhuan's fighting spirit ignited after a long absence, and he began to continue his cultivation, attempting to strike the barrier... The edge of the Universe was desolate, silent, and cold.

The Lord of Undying Mountain, who had been fleeing for several days, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He emerged from his escape light, leaving behind only a skeletal frame.

The skeleton swayed unsteadily, its entire body covered in cracks as if it would shatter at any moment. Within the eye sockets of the skull, two flickering ghostly blue flames jumped weakly.

No one knew that this was the true face of the Lord of Undying Mountain; he was actually a skeleton that had birthed sentience, cultivated anew, and attained the Dao to become an Emperor.

Finally, for fear of repeating the mistakes of his past life—where death is like a lamp going out—he threw himself into the darkness and established the Life Forbidden Zone, Immortal Mountain.

The white bones walked through the Universe, swaying so much they nearly fell apart.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, he finally stopped before a black hole, bowed respectfully, and began to voice his grievances.

“My Lord, your subordinate has lost. All the Rulers of the Forbidden Zones have been defeated. I beg for your punishment!”

Boom!

A suffocatingly terrifying fluctuation emanated from the depths of the black hole, making the entire Star Domain tremble.

Clearly, this news had made the existence on the other side extremely furious.

After a long silence, there was finally a response.

“What happened?”

A low, restrained, and calm voice came from the black hole, yet it carried an indifference that stood above all living beings.

This was the confidence of a powerhouse, a characteristic of life evolving to a non-human level and breaking the shackles between Immortal and Mortal.

Instantly, that voice acted like a shot of adrenaline, calming the shivering Lord of Undying Mountain.

Under this pressure, he actually felt a strange sense of peace.

As expected of a powerhouse from the Immortal Realm; he remains unperturbed even if Mount Tai collapses before him. I did not choose the wrong person!

After a brief moment of secret joy and reflection, he organized his words and recounted everything that had recently occurred.

“Reporting to My Lord, the matter is as follows...”

“...”

After listening, a questioning voice came from the other side of the black hole.

“Oh? You are saying that in less than a year, someone went from being a Mortal with no cultivation to becoming a forbidden being who slaughters Rulers of the Forbidden Zones like dogs? Are you not trying to deceive this seat!”

Clearly, He did not believe the words of the Lord of Undying Mountain.

Immediately, the skeleton of the Lord of Undying Mountain knelt and kowtowed, repeatedly begging for mercy.

“My Lord, spare me! Every word I say is the truth; I have absolutely not deceived you in the slightest! That fellow is truly that monstrous!”

The Lord of the Forbidden Zone, who held the power of life and death and stood high above others, was now as humble as an ant before the black hole, not daring to be even slightly defiant.

“If My Lord does not believe me, you can check my memories!”

After saying this, the nearly collapsing skeleton voluntarily opened its Divine Soul defenses.

The next moment, a majestic power surged from the other side of the black hole, invading its Divine Soul and turning it upside down.

The already broken white bones trembled even more violently, and the ghostly blue flames in the eye sockets were like candles in the wind, nearly extinguished.

Fortunately, this was the deep reaches of the Universe where there was no air to form currents, so there was no danger of being blown out by the wind.

Finally, just as the Lord of Undying Mountain was about to give in, that power receded.

The voice from the other side of the black hole also became solemn.

“Indeed, this person has issues. Even in the Endless Immortal Domain, this youth would be an outstanding and terrifying top-tier Genius, sufficient to become the successor of an Immortal King Dao Lineage. It is no injustice that you lost to him!”

The Lord of Undying Mountain breathed a sigh of relief: “My Lord, what should I do next? Should I stay by your side, or return to the Three Thousand Dao Provinces to continue lying low?”

The voice from the black hole fell silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

After a quarter of an hour, it slowly spoke:

“Such a Prodigy must have been sent down by some great power in the Endless Immortal Domain for tempering; he won't stay for long. We shall hide ourselves and avoid his edge.

As for you? Recover from your injuries here first. Once that kid has undergone Ascension and left, return to the Three Thousand Dao Provinces to initiate the Dark Turmoil.”

The Lord of Undying Mountain felt as if he had been granted a great amnesty and nodded excitedly:

“Yes! I shall obey My Lord's decree!”

...The Void Realm was deathly silent, and the black hole swallowed all light and heat.

Dragging his broken white bones, the Lord of Undying Mountain slowly retreated into the depths of the darkness.

On the other side of the black hole, the owner of that low voice had eyes as deep as an abyss.

“I didn't expect that in a world I chose at random, I would actually encounter a tempering Prodigy from an Immortal King Dao Lineage. How unlucky!”

An Immortal King Dao Lineage!

Those were eternal behemoths in the Endless Immortal Domain, wielding the Laws of the Immortal Dao and suppressing the myriad worlds.

Although he came from a high-level Star Domain outside the Three Thousand Dao Provinces, he was merely an ant-like existence before those Immortal King giants!

“I wonder what is worth an Immortal King Dao Lineage sending a Prodigy to temper themselves in such a low-level world with sparse Spiritual Qi and incomplete Laws.”

“I hope he leaves quickly. This seat does not wish to offend another Immortal King Dao Lineage for no reason!”

“Otherwise, don't blame this seat for being impolite!”

...After trying for three whole days, his combat power had increased several times over again.

In the current Xu Jinhuan's eyes, an ordinary Emperor was no different from an ant; he could kill thousands with a single palm strike.

He tried to break through the gate one last time, but that immortal-mortal barrier remained incredibly stable, unshakeable, with not even a glimmer of hope for breaking it.

“Is an ‘Immortal’ truly this terrifying? No wonder so many Supremes in the ancient era were unable to reach this Realm.”

Xu Jinhuan muttered to himself, his eyes showing a trace of confusion.

He wanted to keep trying.

But only now did he realize with a start that the Origin he had plundered from killing the Rulers of the Forbidden Zones within his body had been completely exhausted.

“I can only give up for now.”

His gaze turned toward the depths of the Universe.

“Perhaps this mastermind can give me some surprises?”

Although his combat power had not broken through the immortal-mortal barrier, Xu Jinhuan still did not fear the mastermind at the end of deep space.

In fact, he was somewhat eager to try.

He had an intuition that the key to breaking the immortal-mortal barrier likely lay with that mastermind who had never shown his face but had propped up over a dozen Rulers of the Forbidden Zones!

“This battle is inevitable!”

Immediately, Xu Jinhuan knocked on his Revered Master Li Qingyue's door, seeking help.

“Revered Master, I have something I want to tell you.”

The door opened on its own without any wind, and a refreshing, cold fragrance wafted out. Xu Jinhuan felt his vision blur, and he was already encircled by a pair of warm, soft arms, falling directly into a gentle embrace.

Li Qingyue's peerlessly beautiful face was inches away, her breath like orchids, and he could even feel that intimate temperature:

“Speak, what tricks do you want to play now, you scoundrel? If it's too much, your Revered Master won't accompany you.”

Xu Jinhuan took the opportunity to embrace her slender waist and left a light kiss on his Revered Master's delicate cheek.

“Revered Master, you're overthinking. I came here for serious business this time.”

Li Qingyue, however, was relentless.

Her beautiful eyes rippled with a half-smile. That seemingly delicate body suddenly erupted with a startling power, forcibly pulling Xu Jinhuan down.

Falling beneath the hibiscus curtains, the surrounding air quickly heated up, and intimacy blossomed.

Li Qingyue's red lips parted slightly, her voice as charming as silk: “Is the matter urgent?”

Xu Jinhuan hesitated for a moment, and seeing the shimmering light in his Revered Master's eyes, he gently shook his head: “Not urgent.”

Li Qingyue: “Then we shall talk about it later!”

The hibiscus curtains were warm... Xu Jinhuan never expected that his Revered Master, whom he had clearly conquered long ago, would this time seem to have unraveled some kind of restraint. Her strength soared, and her combat power underwent an earth-shaking change.

If not for his own recent staggering improvements and soaring physical strength, he probably wouldn't have been able to handle it at all.

Even more shocked than Xu Jinhuan was Li Qingyue.

She had clearly unraveled part of her Seal and returned to her Immortal Dao essence; why could she still not drain this little scoundrel?

Between a man and a woman, if the woman cannot make the other walk away leaning against the wall, it is a failure, indicating their strengths are not on the same level at all.

In other words, she had lost to her Disciple again.

At this thought, Li Qingyue gave her bedmate a resentful glare, her fingers like scallion shoots gently poking his chest.

“Disciple, be honest. Are you some kind of Immortal King Reincarnation?”

Xu Jinhuan gave a wry smile and shook his head in denial:

“No. Revered Master, have you forgotten the scene of our first meeting? What kind of Immortal King Reincarnation almost gets gored to death by a wild boar?”

Recalling those not-so-distant memories, Li Qingyue couldn't help but laugh and nodded:

“True. What kind of Immortal King Reincarnation gets chased all over the world by a wild boar and almost killed? Hahaha!”

This unrestrained mockery greatly annoyed Xu Jinhuan, and he raised his hand to deliver a sharp slap to her plump buttocks.

Pia!~

The crisp sound echoed in the room; one could tell it was a good drum from the sound alone.

“Fine then, Huaner, you actually dare to hit your Revered Master. I really must teach you a lesson!”

Li Qingyue feigned anger, and as she spoke, she immediately transformed into a goddess, sitting atop the divine altar to educate all living beings.

Xu Jinhuan was the lotus pedestal acting as the divine altar... After several rounds of fierce battle,

Li Qingyue finally asked about the serious business, her voice lingering with a trace of post-passion charm.

“Tell me, what did you come to find your Revered Master for this time?”

A rare trace of fatigue appeared on Xu Jinhuan's face as he reached out to embrace his Revered Master's slender waist, yet his tone remained relaxed:

“It's no big deal. It's just that I might have to face an existence in the Immortal Realm next, so I came to ask you to back me up, Revered Master.”

“Oh, just such a small matter? No problem...”

Li Qingyue agreed casually, but before she finished, she suddenly reacted and jerked her head up to look at Xu Jinhuan, her eyes full of shock.

“Wait? A duel with the Immortal Realm? Huaner, you actually found that fellow in the shadows?! I thought you wouldn't be this fast...”

Xu Jinhuan gave his Revered Master a look and said:

“Revered Master, your words are ambiguous. If you keep talking like that, I won't be resting!”

Immediately, Li Qingyue shrank her neck, instinctively backing down:

“Alright, alright, Huaner is the best, not fast at all! It was Revered Master who misspoke!

As for backing you up, you don't need to worry. I've been doing it all along. If you encounter danger, just call me in your heart.”

With the life-saving charm in hand, Xu Jinhuan happily kissed the beauty beside him several times.

“Thank you, Revered Master!”

After another moment of tenderness, he finally left reluctantly.

In the room behind him, Li Qingyue's expression changed.

“Wait, why did I back down? I clearly didn't lose this time. I resonated with that little bastard and it should be considered a draw!”

Both sides walking away leaning against the wall could, in a sense, be considered a total clearance.

It could only be said that the prestige Xu Jinhuan had accumulated before was still too deep to be dispelled by a single draw.

She spat a few more curses at Xu Jinhuan in her heart.

Li Qingyue looked up at the sky, toward the depths of the Universe, and her expression finally became solemn.

“I didn't expect Huaner to arrive at the threshold of the immortal-mortal barrier in the blink of an eye, and even find that resilient ant.”

“Although that fellow is merely at the Second Level of True Immortal and is heavily injured, having lost almost all True Immortal combat power—currently barely counting as a top-tier combatant below the gap—Huaner is still just a Mortal body. I must guard against any accidents!”

Leaning against the wall and clutching her waist, Li Qingyue managed to get up and began to cultivate, recovering her Origin Qi to prepare for the upcoming protection of his path.

“Is this kid a crossbreed between a donkey demon and a bull demon? This strength is too fierce; I can't even hold out after unsealing part of my power!”

Struggling to circulate her power, Li Qingyue gritted her teeth with a face full of resentment, yet she was also very satisfied.

Women are such strange creatures... On the other side, Xu Jinhuan walked out of his Revered Master's residence. Just as he stepped over the threshold, his legs went weak and his vision went black, nearly causing him to collapse on the spot.

Revered Master is truly too capable!

“As expected of Revered Master, she's unfathomable. This is the first time I've had the illusion that I couldn't win...”

“Moreover, Revered Master seems to have unsealed part of her power, giving me even more of a sense of security!”

He liked this feeling of being protected by others!

After resting for half a day, he finally recovered most of his Origin Qi.

Only then did Xu Jinhuan finally take to the sky, heading toward the direction where the Lord of Undying Mountain had disappeared.

It was time to make a move... Half a day later, at the edge of the black hole, there was deathly silence.

Xu Jinhuan stood with his hands behind his back, golden light flowing in his eyes.

The Double Pupils activated.

The gold and black light of his pupils pierced through the illusion, tearing through the black mist that filled the sky, easily breaking through the layers of spatial barriers and dark veils outside the black hole, seeing the hidden figure deep inside the black hole with perfect clarity.

As he watched, a trace of surprise appeared in his eyes, and he spoke with interest:

“I didn't expect that the Source of Darkness who planned the Dark Turmoil of the Three Thousand Dao Provinces, brought chaos to the heavens for tens of millions of years, and controlled over a dozen Rulers of the Forbidden Zones, would look like this.”

Before his voice had even faded, an extremely terrifying pressure suddenly erupted from within the black hole!

That pressure far exceeded that of an ordinary Peak Emperor, carrying a strange charm and overwhelming malice left over from breaking through the shackles,

Intending to strangle Xu Jinhuan on the spot.

But this fearsome pressure had no effect on Xu Jinhuan.

With a casual wave of his hand.

The black hole was destroyed, and countless stars shattered.

The creature behind the black hole, the culprit who had created the Source of Darkness, finally revealed his original appearance.

His face was handsome, his hair was disheveled, and his entire body's skin was like gold, radiating brilliance.