Chapter 159 | The Galgame Martial Saint

The Red Dust Immortal spent three days observing that variable.

To be precise, he spent three days confirming exactly what kind of thing he had provoked.

He could not approach the area occupied by the white-haired projection directly; his previous encounter had been enough to make him understand the price of a rash approach.

But the secret realm was his to manage first, after all. Even if part of the control had been lost, he could still indirectly peer into what was happening in that area through the remaining spiritual vein nodes.

He saw the white-haired projection sitting atop the skeletal remains of an ancient monster, legs crossed, resting her chin on one hand, looking down at the entire wasteland with the gaze of someone surveying her territory.

She was surrounded by projections. These were not all the ones he had awakened; those had been scattered or beaten into submission during the first confrontation. The ones currently surrounding the white-haired projection were those she had conscripted herself from various parts of the secret realm.

The Red Dust Immortal did not know how she did it. He needed karma as a medium to awaken the projections, but the white-haired projection seemed to do nothing. Those sleeping projections simply woke up on their own when she approached and then naturally stood behind her.

It was like ministers having an audience with a monarch—no commands or coercion were needed, not even a word. Simply by standing there, a natural pressure was born, and all spirits bowed their heads.

This made the Red Dust Immortal think of a word he was very reluctant to consider.

—Stature.

Next, the white-haired projection began to patrol the area she occupied.

Calling it a patrol, her posture was more like a leisurely stroll.

With her hands behind her back, she walked through wasteland canyons and ancient ruins, stopping to look at each place for a moment. But every place she lingered at would undergo a change; the spiritual vein nodes would become more stable after she left, and the laws of the entire area would be rearranged within a short time.

Even though the Red Dust Immortal was loath to admit it, the other party seemed to understand the laws of this area better than he did.

Clearly, no realm could be sensed from her, yet her physical strength was terrifyingly high, as if an Emperor had dispersed their cultivation realm but their body remained... As for why he thought of an Emperor...?

It was because that white-haired projection called herself the Heavenly Emperor every day.

The Red Dust Immortal had seen too many pretentious prodigies in his era. Those in the Seventh or Eighth Realm, none of them dared to use the title of Heavenly Emperor.

You could possess strength that crushed heaven and earth, you could own territories across ten thousand worlds, but if your existence itself did not possess that stature, even if others called you Heavenly Emperor, would you dare to accept it?

But this white-haired projection before him—

The Red Dust Immortal took a deep breath and suppressed the thought.

A variable spawned by Huichuan, a blank existence without even karma lines—on what basis did she possess such stature?

Something must have gone wrong.

She must have a weakness; he just needed to find it.

The Red Dust Immortal's first attempt was to start with the spiritual veins.

His reasoning was simple: every existence in the secret realm relied on the spiritual veins to function, and the projections were no exception. No matter how ridiculous that white-haired projection was, she was still within the secret realm and must have some degree of connection with the spiritual veins.

As long as he cut off the spiritual vein supply beneath her feet, her existence would wither like a tree with severed roots.

The Red Dust Immortal spent half a day reorganizing the spiritual vein branches he could still control, found three main veins connected to the area where the white-haired projection was, and then cut them all off simultaneously.

At that moment, the white-haired projection was sitting on a rock with her eyes closed, resting.

She opened her eyes, looked down at the spiritual vein light patterns gradually drying up beneath her feet, and then lifted one foot and stomped on the ground.

Immediately after, the three severed spiritual veins were reconnected in an instant. The Red Dust Immortal broke into a cold sweat and immediately cut off his observation, fearing the other party would find him again.

Although the attempt failed, the current situation made the Red Dust Immortal more certain of one thing.

He had to deal with this variable, otherwise, he would end up with a more miserable fate than in the previous timeline.

So he began a new attempt: the laws.

Although the space laws of the secret realm had been mostly taken over by the white-haired projection, there were still some remnants he could mobilize. He condensed these residual law powers and permeated them into the area where the white-haired projection was, burying karma within them.

The rules attached to this karma were not directly aggressive. Instead, they would slowly rewrite the underlying rules of that space, turning the real into the void and rewriting existence into non-existence.

Once the rewriting was complete, the space itself would be erased from the secret realm, and everything standing on it, including the white-haired projection, would dissipate along with it.

The Red Dust Immortal poured the karmic pollution into the ground beneath the white-haired projection's feet.

Black corrosive patterns spread from the cracks in the ground at extreme speed. Wherever they passed, plants withered, rocks shattered, and even the air became murky and thick.

The subordinate projections standing behind the white-haired projection were the first to be affected; their forms began to blur, and their spiritual light flickered unsteadily.

The white-haired projection finally stood up and raised her hand, palm facing down.

Crimson-gold blood qi poured out from her palm, but unlike the pure physical strength from before—

This time, that power was mixed with something the Red Dust Immortal was extremely familiar with.

The power of karma.

Everywhere it passed, spiritual vein nodes were relit.

Those spiritual veins that the Red Dust Immortal had extinguished, destroyed, or twisted were overwritten one by one under the soaking of the crimson-gold light.

The Red Dust Immortal could clearly feel his control over the secret realm slipping away at an incredibly terrifying speed.

When the crimson-gold light spread to the last corner of the secret realm, the Red Dust Immortal found that he could no longer control anything.

Everything he had painstakingly seized before was uprooted in less than fifteen minutes and transferred into the hands of that white-haired projection.

The control of the secret realm had completely changed hands.

The white-haired projection stood high in the sky, with the entire secret realm beneath her feet.

The spiritual vein network she had rewoven flowed with crimson-gold light deep within the earth like veins, and she was the heart of this body.

The wind rose.

Her white hair billowed in the wind, and the hem of her training robes fluttered loudly. She looked down at this territory, her gaze finally landing on the place where the Red Dust Immortal was hiding.

She knew he was there, but she didn't care.

The white-haired projection withdrew her gaze and half-closed her eyes. Her voice was not loud, but it reached every corner of the secret realm.

"Rats hiding in the dark, peering at this Emperor's territory. This Emperor did not bother with you, not because I couldn't, but because I was unwilling."

She opened her eyes, and a flash of crimson-gold light passed through her pupils.

"From this day forth, all things here belong to the Imperial Rule."

"If you are sensible, then stay hidden quietly. When this Emperor is in a good mood, I might leave you a way out."

"If you are not sensible—"

She did not finish the sentence.

The heaven and earth changed color as if to finish the words for her.

The Red Dust Immortal sat alone in the only remaining dark corner, his folding fan resting on his knees, his face ashen.

He had experienced countless failures over the long ages, but none were as absurd as today's.

He had used Huichuan to reverse time, meticulously planned to consume the secret realm, awakened ancient heroic spirits to build an army of the dead, and triggered the outer realm sky demons to cooperate from within.

As a result of all this, he had ultimately spawned a variable he completely could not deal with.

...

The moment the secret realm changed hands, all the cultivators still within it felt it.

The dark red leaden curtain that had shrouded the various areas was torn open in a single breath, replaced by a deep crimson-gold sky. That color was like the horizon at dusk infinitely magnified, intense and heavy. Though it wasn't suffocating, it carried a heavy sense of solemnity, as if the sky itself were a silent edict.

The soil beneath their feet completed its transformation in just a few breaths. The originally grey and cracked wasteland was covered by crimson-gold spiritual runes. The direction of those runes did not look like they were carved by hand, but rather like naturally grown veins extending from deep underground to the surface, weaving into a giant net that covered the entire secret realm.

The last thing to change was the rules themselves.

【Old systems are abolished; new laws are established.】

【From this day forth, all things here belong to the Imperial Rule.】

【—Edict of the Primal God-Realm, Myriad-Law Sovereign, Origin Nine-Heavens, Hundred-Bones Royal Court.】

The disciples of the various sects looked at each other in confusion.

"What court?"

After Mu Chen of the Taiyi Sword Sect confirmed he wasn't hallucinating, his expression changed from confusion to blankness.

Meanwhile, in a certain camp of the Wanfa Sect, several disciples who had just escaped with their lives from the pursuit of projections were crouching on the ground, panting. The announcement that suddenly popped up above their heads left them collectively stunned.

"Does this mean the projections that were chasing us are no longer under that original person's control?"

The second rule within the secret realm appeared half an hour later.

【Royal Court Decree】

【From this day forth, the secret realm is sealed. The inside and outside are severed; the way out is blocked.】

【Those within the secret realm are all citizens of the Royal Court.】

"What does 'the way out is blocked' mean?"

"What does 'citizens of the Royal Court' mean?"

"Wasn't this secret realm supposed to automatically send people out when the grand competition ended?"

"Who is the Royal Court? Who sealed the secret realm?"

Panic spread rapidly across the various areas. For all participants, the secret realm was originally absolutely safe; what was sent in were soul projections. If they lost, they would at most be ejected without any injury.

But the phrase "the way out is blocked" changed everything. If they couldn't leave the secret realm, their souls would be trapped inside forever. The consequences of a soul being separated from the body for a long time required no explanation—at best, cultivation would regress; at worst, the dao would vanish and they would die.

How was this any different from being killed directly?

No, it was scarier than being killed directly.

Being killed directly was at least quick. Being trapped in a secret realm and watching your soul wear away bit by bit—that was truly a fate worse than death.

Next, new rules began to appear.

【1. All those in this domain are ministers of the Royal Court, regardless of sect, realm, or origin; all are treated equally.】

【2. Martial Merit can only be obtained through battle. It can be accumulated by defeating historical projections, conquering trial instances, or winning in the arena. Martial Merit can be exchanged for technique insights, spiritual resources, and special opportunities within the secret realm.】

【3. Every day at the Hour of the Dragon, the Royal Court will release a Grace. The pure spiritual energy contained within the secret realm's spiritual veins will be released at a specific frequency, covering the entire domain. All those in this domain, whether they are cultivating or not, can naturally absorb it to benefit their cultivation.】

【The above laws take effect immediately.】

【—Edict of the Primal God-Realm, Myriad-Law Sovereign, Origin Nine-Heavens, Hundred-Bones Royal Court.】

...

In a dense forest in a certain part of the Third Realm area, a group of young disciples from different sects surrounded their respective jade plates and looked at each other.

Finally, a disciple from the Wanfa Sect spoke first: "Can anyone tell me what exactly the 'Primal God-Realm, Myriad-Law Sovereign, Origin Nine-Heavens, Hundred-Bones Royal Court' is?"

"Why pick such a long name? Isn't it a mouthful? It feels a bit tacky."

"That's not the point, is it?!"

"The point is we can't leave the secret realm anymore."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere around them immediately became heavy.

"Then aren't we just locked up... What's the difference between this and death?"

"There is a difference."

A Tianji Pavilion disciple sighed. "If you die, you get nothing. Here, at least they provide food."

He pointed to the third rule, and everyone looked at each other.

"Does it mean that as long as you stay here, even if you do nothing, your cultivation will slowly increase?"

Everyone was silent for two breaths.

"Wait, isn't this a good thing?"

...

Similar conversations were happening simultaneously in almost every corner of the secret realm.

Now, it is your turn to make the most important decision of your life and prove to everyone that you have the strength and courage to pursue conquest across the heavens.

Join... the Primal God-Realm, Myriad-Law Sovereign, Origin Nine-Heavens, Hundred-Bones Royal Court!

Of course, no matter how nice it sounded, being trapped was still being trapped.

Everyone in the secret realm was a genius from a major sect. God knew what was happening here; they couldn't contact their family, friends, masters, or sect leaders at all.

Some disciples with weaker psychological fortitude had already begun to panic, and some even tried to forcibly leave the secret realm, only to result in nothing.

As a result, disciples from various major sects began to think of ways to unite and overthrow this so-called Primal God-Realm, Myriad-Law Sovereign, Origin Nine-Heavens, Hundred-Bones Royal Court.

Give me liberty, or give me death!

This stirred-up rebellious sentiment soon met a reversal when the first "Grace" arrived.

Crimson-gold spiritual energy fell from the sky like fine rain, soaking the earth and permeating the meridians of every cultivator.

Fifteen minutes later, the spiritual energy dissipated.

Someone looked down to check their cultivation and then their eyes widened.

"I think I've touched the threshold of the second level of the Third Realm?"

"Me too! There's a trace of spiritual energy I've never seen before in my qi sea. It's more than I gain from three days of meditation in the sect!"

"And this is only the first day..."

Some people broke through long-standing bottlenecks. Some people comprehended a sword intent they had never encountered. Some people's physical bodies completed a transformation under the spiritual energy soaking. After repeated verification, these gains indeed showed no signs of fading.

People in the cultivation world were very realistic. When fear and benefit were placed on two sides of a scale, as long as the benefit was large enough, the fear would become lighter and lighter.

Thus, the atmosphere within the secret realm had undergone a subtle but decisive shift.

After all, who would have a problem with their cultivation increasing?

...

One part of the people insisted that they must find a way to leave, no matter how good the conditions here were. Being trapped was being trapped; even if the cage was made of gold, it didn't change the nature of the cage.

But the thoughts of another part of the people had already begun to waver.

Especially those disciples from small sects with scarce resources who usually couldn't even touch a decent technique insight.

To them, the world outside was more like a cage. Their origin determined their starting point, resources determined their upper limit, and no matter how high their talent was, it couldn't compete with the foundation of others.

But here, everyone stood on the same line.

Martial Merit didn't care about your sect; no one would shut you out just because you were a disciple of some small, obscure sect.

"My gains in three days here are more than in three years at my sect."

More and more similar voices appeared.

And gradually, some people began to say that sentence half-jokingly.

"It would be great if I could stay here forever."

In the end, this sentence was no longer half-joking.

Some disciples began to spontaneously form teams, cooperating according to the difficulty of the trial grounds. Some were responsible for scouting, some for the main attack, and some for cleaning up. They even gave their teams names, arranged shifts, and established internal resource allocation rules.

To put it another way, wasn't this a miniature sect?

What made the sect leaders and elders of the major sects even more uneasy was that in these spontaneously formed teams, disciples from different sects were mixed together and cooperating with increasing harmony.

The boundaries between sects were blurring at a visible rate.

Even more so, some people had already begun to build stone platforms on the open ground outside the trial grounds, bowing toward the direction of the Royal Court and muttering thanks for the Royal Court's Grace.

However, not everyone was immersed in this so-called "Grace."

"Don't be deceived anymore! We are trapped in the secret realm. And we know nothing about the instigator of all this, the owner of that so-called Hundred-Bones Royal Court!"

"Everyone act together, from the Third Realm to the Fourth Realm, from disciples to elders. All sects, all cultivators, put aside sectarian biases and unite."

"This might be our only chance!"

News circulated in the shadows.

In less than two days, two completely opposing camps formed within the secret realm. One was the Settler Faction, which had already grown accustomed to the Royal Court's rules and even started to enjoy them. The other was the Resistance Faction, which insisted on breaking the status quo and restoring freedom. The conflict between the two sides was heating up rapidly.

As the instigator of all this, the Hundred Bones Resonating of Love did not care.

She was more concerned about something else.

...

In a collapsed cave somewhere in the Fallen Immortal Abyss, Gu Chengming was resting against a stone wall with his eyes closed.

Emperor Bai sat cross-legged opposite him, playing with a spirit stone she had picked up from the ground. The two of them had been hiding here ever since the secret realm's mutation.

Relying on his familiarity with the terrain of the Fallen Immortal Abyss and Gu Chengming's cautious judgment, they had successfully avoided the search range of the projection army and found a temporary safe foothold in this peripheral area where the Royal Court's spiritual vein coverage was slightly weak.

But the word "temporary" was becoming less and less reliable. The Royal Court's spiritual vein network was still expanding, its coverage area wider by the day, and the space left for them to hide was shrinking at a visible rate.

"Emperor Gu, I'm hungry," Emperor Bai said.

"Eat spirit flowers."

"I don't want to eat spirit flowers anymore. This Emperor wants to eat meat!" Emperor Bai pouted.

Just then, Gu Chengming's jade plate suddenly vibrated.

He looked down; it was the first message he had received after the secret realm's communication was restored. It was sent to him by Yu Wenqiu.

【Little Gu, the secret realm has been taken over by a power calling itself the Primal God-Realm, Myriad-Law Sovereign, Origin Nine-Heavens, Hundred-Bones Royal Court. Everyone is trapped in the secret realm and cannot get out. The various sects are discussing countermeasures. Hope to hear back from you soon.】

—Primal God-Realm, Myriad-Law Sovereign, Origin Nine-Heavens, Hundred-Bones Royal Court.

The white-haired girl's eyes lit up. "Emperor Gu, this name is so cool!"

She suddenly looked up, her eyes shining. "Emperor Gu, when we conquer a world in the future, I want to pick a name like this too! No, it has to be even longer!"

Gu Chengming felt a subtle sense in his heart; his previous feeling of unease seemed to have gained a bit more confirmation.

In fact, the answer was already very obvious. The phantom in the Hundred Bones Resonating of Love that represented Emperor Bai's theoretical strongest state had somehow escaped from the system space into the secret realm.