Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

Yan Zaizen and Lin Feilin sat beside each other on a half-cut oak tree trunk, their thighs barely touched. There was a crystal clear pond with jet black and white koi fishes. They danced elegantly within the water, mesmerizing to the eye.

"You are what?!" Lin Feilin's voice resounded with a hefty dose of shock and disbelief. Her expression was colorful, the hand he used grasped Yan Zaizen's tightened.

Yan Zaizen chuckled with a lighthearted air, "It's only temporary." His words came off with a casual and calm wave, causing Lin Feilin to naturally calm her own heart. However, her expression hadn't removed the color of shock.

"So, this is a clone of your true body? You're actually trapped in the Deep Mines in Grux? That horrendously mysterious place…" Due to her current status and experience in these last few thousands of years, she had quite a bit of knowledge regarding the various countries, and even planets in the Xiantu Realm.

Therefore, she spoke with a tinge of fear when she mentioned the Deep Mines. She had heard that it was a place that slaves were sent to die, irredeemable peasants and criminals were brought there in droves. In Grux, their society was based around the concept of slavery. 

They were a very resource rich society that was hard to obtain, and so the government and royal family leaned towards the darker side of labor. It was a disgusting world, but when the alternative was attempted, a free society, the country nearly collapsed in civil war and human opportunistic and chaotic greed. 

For the country of Grux, slavery wasn't an ill aspect but a necessity due to its immense population. This was a time-proven fact, no matter how reluctant others were to accept it. 

Yan Zaizen had experienced the cruelty of being a slave, but even he understood how the concept functioned in the grander world, especially one where strength required resources and bloodlines. A world where the strong ate the weak. While Grux was an isolated matter, with its resource rich areas and heavy population, there existed other circumstances where it was needed.

Yan Zaizen comforted Lin Feilin, "It won't be long before I free myself." While those words were said with the utmost confidence, Yan Zaizen still reminded himself of his deadline. Pinaka was given an additional hundred years in Hell, protected and safe. If he was late by a single microsecond, he didn't dare to think of the consequences.

However, his Dao was firm. He had the extreme belief in himself and trust in his abilities. If he didn't, he'll find a way. 

He had to.

"So what now?" Lin Feilin asked. Yan Zaizen had returned, but his body was trapped and this one was weaker, slowly cultivating with the goal of saving his original body. She wasn't worried that Yan Zaizen couldn't accomplish it, but what he would do after. He had left before for thousands of years, and her heart didn't wish for him to depart. Even though she might never admit it outloud.

"For now, I'll cultivate until I can venture to the Xiantu Emperor's Palace. I'm curious about Senior Brother Xuan's choice." When he spoke, not a hint of malice or aggression was in his eyes. There was only a flash of curiosity. 

Lin Feilin had originally been worried that the two would clash and fight, but witnessing Yan Zaizen's calm made her realize that he wasn't angry. Instead, he held earnest curiosity as to his choice. In truth, she wanted to know as well.

They sat together, continuing to talk about all sorts of things such as the past and their experiences. Yan Zaizen recounted his life after he departed the Xiantu Realm, causing Lin Feilin's beautiful jaw to drop and her pretty eyes to widen. The disbelief and shock was continuous and everflowing. Despite that, she never grew numb, just more interested.

She didn't know if what Yan Zaizen said was exaggerations, but nevertheless, they were interesting and breathtaking to hear about. He traveled to a world of water, dueled its master to the death, entered the vast emptiness of the expansive darkness and saw creatures as large as planets and as scary as descendants of hell, and traveled through different heavens meeting all sorts of people.

She was even delighted to hear that she had a few martial nieces and nephews, the disciples that Yan Zaizen had picked up along the way. She wanted to meet them. For hours, her smile only became more colorful and brilliant. At times, worry flashed through her eyes as Yan Zaizen described his tough battles and encounters.

The fearlessness he possessed in his heart facing an absolute being that's strength was unfathomable. When he faced gods with nothing but his fist and soul, clashing heroically! 

The day came and the night went. They stayed at the lake, sometimes sitting, sometimes walking at the edge, and simply talked.

Lin Feilin had told him about her own life, but it wasn't as nearly as awesome and grand as Yan Zaizen's. After he left, she cultivated diligently and made a name for herself within Presba, entering the path of the elite. Her momentum was unstoppable, but with talent and beauty came attention. After she was kidnapped, her master killed, she used a slight window to escape and was nearly possessed.

Luckily, she survived with herself intact, just a bit of her master, Yao Wuhen, remained. She used those memories and identity to become a new existence, hiding while developing the Mystic Yin Sect in the background. Her ambition, or Yao Wuhen's, had only strengthened her desire to form a powerful force.

Outside of the occasional interactions and events, she didn't have any major events after. It was just unfortunate that Shin Xuanji had acted, turning the Yan Clan into devils reviled by the majority, and hunted by the strong. 

At the end, they felt that their recollection had once more linked up their fates. A tinge of excitement in both of their eyes and hearts. For Yan Zaizen, his past struggles had caused him to feel isolated and alone, but this enabled him to understand once more that home is where your family is.

Lin Feilin was his family.

As for Lin Feilin, earlier she had cried out all her pent-up emotions, and Yan Zaizen's presence brought clarity to her sense of self. 

Several days passed since that day of reminisce and bonding. Yan Zaizen was petting the snow-white puppy, while Lin Feilin and Old Man Bo were cultivating. He was guiding them on their cultivations.

He was shocked to realize that Lin Feilin had reached the peak-True Essence Realm. Even her comprehension of Laws were strong, with her World Law of Water rising to the minor-Manifestation level. She merely lacked a Dao to act as a cohesive and the materials to build her Heavenly Shrine and ultimately step into the Heavenly Path.

She had collected enough materials for her Heavenly Shrine, but still lacked the Dao and Heavenly Law Liquid. If she did, she could construct the First Floor of her Heavenly Shrine immediately. Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen couldn't give her his Dao with its current seed state. Therefore, he had to find other alternatives.

In fact, Yan Zaizen similarly lacked materials. He needed Heavenly Law Liquid to advance to the second level of the Immortal Herculean Physique, merging the Regalia of Mimicry into his body. He didn't know what changes that would take with his body, but he was expectant.

This problem was now the only issue that limited his progression. It was truly a shame that he still hadn't recovered his Paragon Soul Realm cultivation enough to access the Source Ring and its contents. The content of which belonged to a Crown Prince of a power that had a Heavenly Creation Realm Emperor.

If he could obtain just one percent of its resources, his cultivation could not be stopped. 

His eyes flashed with amber-gold light. A faint smile emerged on his lips. It was cunning with a tinge of deviousness. "It's time to go to the Xiantu Continent." His words were calm, yet it awoke Lin Feilin and Old Man Bo from their meditation.

"Xiantu Continent?" Lin Feilin's heart jumped. The current continent they resided in was the Fallen Stars Continent. The Xiantu Continent was the main landmass of this realm and the location of the Xiantu Empire. When her thoughts reached here, her eyes radiated uncertainty.

"You're...going to...?" Her words slipped out with hesitation abundant, causing the words to pause at her throat.

"Haha!" Yan Zaizen laughed, his eyes reflected a sea of red. "I feel like taking a stroll through the desert."