Chapter 1986: Human Race, Seven Great Divine Realms

It had taken Fang Chen three thousand years to condense that Inner Domain, yet it had disintegrated in the blink of an eye.

In the end, everything returned to dust and ash.

A flash of brilliance appeared beside him as Fairy Yu stepped to Fang Chen's side. Sensing the commotion in the void, she frowned. "Lord, the Inner Domain shattered?"

Fang Chen smiled. "If it shatters, so be it. After all, it was all fake."

He had known all along that everything in this realm was an illusion. The fact that the screen of his Inner Domain could appear in the Nine Profound Mirror showed just how miraculous it was. Any technique rehearsed here was considered real as long as one remained inside this realm.

He suspected that the former owner of the Nine Profound Realm might have emulated the Saint Canon when condensing this Inner Domain. He didn't know how powerful it was in battle, but judging purely by its auxiliary functions, this Inner Domain was quite valuable.

As they spoke, Fang Chen's cultivation level was gradually regressing. He regressed all the way from a Half-Saint to an eighth-transformation immortal. At the same time, his aura underwent a subtle transformation. His immortal essence became noticeably sharper and more incisive.

This was his true cultivation level—eighth-transformation Sword Immortal.

He had long since refined the Soul Merging Grass. It was simply that all these years, his Sword Immortal Path had been suppressed and concealed deep within him by the cultivation method of the Saint Canon.

"Let's go," said Fang Chen, taking Fairy Yu's hand.

As the two left the courtyard, they also emerged from the smooth stone wall radiating a faint white glow.

At that moment, Kong Lin stood with his head bowed, looking as though he had been waiting here all these years.

When he saw Fang Chen appear, Kong Lin was overjoyed. He hastily stepped forward. "Monarch Yan, a few years ago we captured three outsiders and extracted quite a lot of crucial information from their mouths. Those three are currently imprisoned in the Judgment Division."

Fang Chen's expression shifted slightly. "Oh?"

***

In the Underworld, Judgment Division.

Tang Zihao, Qin Shulang, and Ye Ming were once again brought before the hall.

They had assumed this would be another public trial where the various powerhouses of the Nine Realms would observe together. Unexpectedly, besides that wicked fellow named Xia, there was only another remarkably young-looking guy and the Division Head of the Judgment Division, Jiang Yushu.

Xia Ji pointed at the three outsiders and smiled. "Fang Da, these are the three. You may question them again yourself; perhaps there were some oversights earlier that I failed to notice."

"They are proud by nature. Even after becoming prisoners, they still seem to look down on us."

Fang Chen looked toward Tang Zihao and the others. "The three of you are cultivators of the Huosui lineage?"

Tang Zihao asked calmly, "Who might you be, sir?"

"This is the Monarch Yan of the Underworld, and also the current Monarch of the Nine Realms." Xia Ji smiled. "He is different from me. I kept you alive to wait for him to question you in person. If you anger him, he won't keep you here to eat and drink for free."

Free food and drink, my ass. Wandering souls don't even need to eat.

The three cursed inwardly, but Xia Ji's warning was effective. They didn't want their divine souls scattering before Young Master arrived. They still hoped they could be rescued. Therefore, when Fang Chen questioned them next, they answered every single question.

Fang Chen used their answers to cross-verify everything he had witnessed on the screen.

He asked casually, "You say you come from the Cangshui Divine Realm. How far is that from the Shencang Divine Realm?"

Tang Zihao thought for a moment, then said, "Extremely far. Only Saints can travel between the two places within ten years using their Inner Domains. Below the level of Saints, one might never be able to travel back and forth in a lifetime."

Qin Shulang added, "Our cultivation is too low, so we do not know the exact route either."

Ye Ming said, "Now the Shencang Divine Realm has also been renamed. It is called the Flame Divine Realm."

Fang Chen smiled faintly. "Renamed because the Flame Race took power?"

The three were quite shocked. They hadn't told Xia Ji and the others about this. How did this man know that? Did he perhaps already have information regarding that matter? But how was that even possible?

Within the territory of the Qingming Supreme Alliance, this region was among the most remote places imaginable. Its distance from that side was far greater than even the distance separating the Flame Divine Realm from the Cangshui Divine Realm.

Fang Chen changed to a different question. "Tell me about your Human Race. Besides the Huosui lineage, how many other factions does the Human Race have? What is the current internal governance of the Human Race, and are there internal struggles?"

This question made Tang Zihao and the other two's eyes light up slightly. Previously, whenever they started talking about how strong their clan was, Xia Ji would order his subordinates to beat them up. Since then, they didn't dare bring that up in front of him again.

Tang Zihao spoke slowly. "Since you are asking about this, I shall answer your question. I hope you can draw the correct conclusion from my answer and face the Young Master's arrival in the most appropriate manner. Perhaps only then will the living beings of your realm have a sliver of hope for survival.

"Our Human Race controls a total of Seven Great Divine Realms. Before Ancestor Huosui became the Honorary Heavenly Venerable of the Arbitration Court, the strength of the Human Race's Seven Great Divine Realms was roughly equal. In every Divine Realm, there are hundreds of Saints patrolling the world on behalf of the Qingming Supreme Alliance, stationed in various Divine Realms to maintain the majesty of the Qingming Supreme Alliance."

"Ancestor Huosui was originally the Realm Lord of the Cangshui Divine Realm. Later, he took a step further and was bestowed the seat of Honorary Heavenly Venerable by the Arbitration Court."

"From then on, all Seven Great Divine Realms of the Human Race defer to the Huosui lineage of the Cangshui Divine Realm as their supreme head."

This was Xia Ji's first time hearing about these things in great detail as well. He only knew that the Human Race was very strong.

However, Fang Chen, who had personally witnessed the grandeur of the Divine Realm, felt his sense of crisis grow heavier and heavier upon hearing that the Human Race behind them controlled seven entire Divine Realms.

For a race to be called a Saint Race, it only had to possess a single Saint. It would hold a place in the Divine Realm and enjoy autonomy. Yet back at the peak of the God Race, there were over eight hundred Saints and a single Realm Lord.

They were undoubtedly the uncrowned kings of the Shencang Divine Realm. Yet the Huosui lineage currently controlled Seven Great Divine Realms. That was equivalent to seven Realm Lords potentially taking orders from Ancestor Huosui. Under those seven Realm Lords, how many Saints like Saint Long and the purple-robed youth were there? And further down, how many Saints like Wu Xinling existed?

There were countless Saints, Half Saints, and third-step Limit Breakers.

Now that the Nine Realms faced the Huosui lineage, it truly was like a mayfly encountering a Kunpeng. Where would they find any ability to resist?

Fortunately, the Qingming Supreme Alliance has rules. Even Ancestor Huosui likely wouldn't dare break the rules. As long as a Heavenly Dao emerges in the Nine Realms, this place will remain safe for a short time.

However, that was no long-term solution. Given the state of the Nine Realms, it couldn't sustain Motian Dizang for long. She was bound to perish alongside the Nine Realms. When that time came... how would the Human Race of the Nine Realms handle themselves?

With the strength of the Huosui lineage, they were perfectly capable of keeping every corner of the Nine Realms under constant surveillance. The moment the Heavenly Dao died, the Nine Realms would perish!

Fang Chen's gaze suddenly fell upon Qin Shulang. "You said your name is Qin Shulang. What is your relation to the Huosui lineage?"

Xia Ji and Jiang Yushu exchanged a glance, surprise flashing in each of their eyes.