Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Fusion of Consciousness—A Form of Betrayal

“Urgent!” Without clouds, casting a spell, after acquiring some fragmented memories, sent Wu Hao’s three souls to reincarnate. Whether the future self would recall this life depended on fate.

As this was done, the formation diagram advanced through the spatial tunnel. Suddenly, the colors within the tunnel shifted slightly. Sensing something amiss, Without Clouds opened a gap and just as he stepped out, chaotic currents of time and space surged inside. Beams of light attacked from the tunnel.

Even if the opened gap was sealed, these beams still penetrated, emerging into space, heading straight toward Without Clouds.

“Seven Seas Boundless!”

With the power of the Ox Camel, Without Clouds struck again with the Emperor’s Blow, halting the radiance.

Then, countless flickering shadows shattered and reassembled into a figure—a majestic being with the face of a bull, polished like a mirror.

“Mirror Sky Charging Bull!”

Green Leaf and Phoenix Thousand Fish gasped in alarm. Gao Le, who had escaped with Without Clouds, felt weak in the legs, barely able to stand. If a true Demon Emperor appeared, all would surely perish.

Yet Without Clouds paused in surprise. “The Three-in-One Fusion Technique splits the soul into three; this is your mirror form, which should be equal in power to your original body!”

The Mirror Bull nodded slightly. “Indeed, it’s unusual. Even my wife wanted to invite you as a guest. Not bad—I have three bodies. After all three simultaneously pass through the three Emperor Tribulations, I will ascend to the Divine Realm and gain eternal life!”

“Pfft!” Without Clouds coughed dryly, swallowing his saliva. “More like being a beast of burden! You’ve never been to the Divine Realm; how could you know its wonders? I advise you to graze honestly in the Immortal Realm and avoid the Divine Realm—lest the grass ends up devouring you, a sorrow for all eternity!”

The Mirror Bull was unmoved by the sarcasm. Without Clouds then asked curiously, “How did you find me? No great being could have tracked me since I masked my fate.”

Turning, he examined the formation diagram carefully, noticing a small creature still chanting prayers on Green Leaf’s head. Suddenly, recognition dawned and he growled, “This snake carries something.”

Without Clouds reached out, pulling the snake’s head toward its tail and rubbed off a white membrane from its scales. Shaking his head, he said, “Unstoppable. This thing intermittently sends signals, betraying us. But the Ten Fox Immortal King dares this, unafraid of being skinned or torn to pieces by the Emperor Serpent!”

The Mirror Bull sneered at the question. “My wife endured countless trials to attain the Emperor throne. Once there, her Immortal power is boundless, wiping out all nearby dragon clans. She devised the ‘Star Shift’ technique, an Emperor’s art, to transform all the Dragon Demon Emperor’s powers to any race. This supreme skill, while gaining much support, also invites relentless dragon assaults. Do you think she’s unaware I’m behind it? Even if she knows, she dares not investigate. Besides, the contest is fierce now; no one has time for distractions.”

Without Clouds’ eyes lit up, blurting out, “She’s fighting over the ownership of a minor world!”

The so-called minor world ownership is akin to dividing spaces like the Qianluo dimension. Each minor world seldom belongs to one power alone; many forces must collaborate to guard it. For example, Qianluo space belongs to the top thirty factions in the Immortal Realm.

Only during such battles over minor worlds do powerful beings from the vast Immortal Realm interact and even descend to the lower realms!

Though the Immortal Realms are usually disconnected, through minor worlds, one who cultivates to immortality can traverse indirectly.

In the past, an Immortal Emperor who lost the struggle for a minor world entered it, cultivated, reached another Immortal Realm, stirring up chaos and revenge. But such a price is enormous; most who acted out were soon executed!

As Without Clouds speculated, the Mirror Bull said, “Though I recently became a Demon Emperor and am the weakest, I must stand with my faction and seek greater territory. As for the Ten Fox, I hold her life and death secret; leaking information means no escape. But if you all die, who will know?”

With that, the Mirror Bull wasted no more words. The mirror on his forehead shone brightly, a beam bending down to envelop the formation diagram. No matter how it hid, it followed like a shadow, inseparable.

This was an attack of cosmic law. Against an Immortal Emperor, Without Clouds had no chance.

—

The Mirror Bull’s spell was not resisted by Without Clouds. Instead, Within the formation diagram, Without Clouds opened a rift. The Mirror Bull snorted coldly as the rift became murky, filled with chaotic forces of tearing and piercing, disrupting all nearby spatial channels.

“Li-li-li... bi-bi-bi...” Without Clouds’ Tao incantation echoed like thousands of voices, spreading through the chaotic rift.

The Mirror Bull was about to laugh when the noisy sounds came from the passageway, the Emperor Serpent’s voice calling out, “Who, who, who?”

“Damn it!” The Mirror Bull cursed fiercely, manifesting divine power. Before the mirror light above his head could shine, the entire formation diagram dove into the murky rift and vanished.

Even the Mirror Bull was stunned. The might of space itself—an Immortal Emperor could be shattered by a slight mistake. Yet Without Clouds opened a path at the formation’s center and escaped inside.

Even a peak Immortal King would face near certain death entering such a rift. What means did Without Clouds possess?

The Mirror Bull did not immediately pursue. His initial immortal technique, Shadow Bone Devour, had already ensnared everyone, ensuring no escape. He could sense their location anywhere in the Immortal Realm.

When sensing the formation diagram fracturing, he frowned. Just as he prepared to chase a spatial point, the technique vanished, leaving him deeply puzzled.

Could they be dead?

But the point he sensed was definitely within the Immortal Realm. Could they truly have confidence, supported by an Emperor artifact, to escape?

“Little Bi Bi!” He recalled Without Clouds’ Tao words, his expression changing as he hurriedly contacted another presence.

The Immortal Fruit Planet, also called Floating Planet, was once the main star of the Floating Immortal Sect. After the sect’s paramount treasure—the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Array—and its sect master vanished, the sect declined, and its last forces were shattered in the stars, leaving no trace.

As time passed, hatred faded. Some descendants claiming the Floating Immortal Sect settled here, forming a village for permanent residence.

Their former sect lands changed hands repeatedly amid battles. Over a dozen sects set up branches here but gave up due to the terrain’s danger and inability to form protective formations.

Legend says many Immortal Emperors sought answers and confirmed that when the sect master disappeared, he took away the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths Sect Treasure—but left behind a day: the Tenth Day!

This Tenth Day possessed immense power, imprinted on space and terrain, wielding destructive force even Immortal Emperors could not seize.

Thus, despite many Immortal veins and mineral resources, occasional spatial rifts caused damage intolerable to any sect founder.

They also compromised the protective array, leaving it full of gaps—like a public place often infiltrated by thieves stealing items and disciples.

Later, the Hundred Flowers Valley took charge, turning the area into a place for refining pills and selling medicinal herbs.

The valley master, Falling Flowers Sentiment, became an elder of the Wanderer Alliance, cultivating as a late-stage Immortal King, slowly advancing with the star core’s power.

One day, a meteor shower struck the Immortal Fruit Planet, stirring waves. Hundreds of meteor fragments hit a small flat-topped hill near the Hundred Flowers Valley.

A group of disciples arrived, drove away onlookers, and picked up some metal shards with proud expressions. One young man in blue robes told his ten senior brothers, “Look, it’s metal!”

They gathered around to examine the fragments, finding them quite ordinary, sighing in disappointment. The youth placed them into a storage ring.

The patrol team completed its task and returned to Hundred Flowers City.

This trading hub was a large city named Hundred Flowers City. The youth in blue was named Jia Youke, an ordinary immortal who had advanced from focused cultivation to mid-immortal body stage. His blood was bluish-green, his immortal body mottled, so his life was average. He used a high-grade heavy weapon issued by the guards.

For him, joining Hundred Flowers Valley as a city guard disciple was a great blessing.

Jia Youke’s dwelling was simple. In the Immortal Realm, every immortal had a modest cave abode where they could keep some creatures and cultivate spiritual herbs.

This prosperous area was a world apart from the barren wilderness Green Leaf managed—one chaotic and poor, the other affluent and magnificent—making it a coveted destination for countless demon and monster clans.

Inside his cave, Jia Youke took out the metal shards he’d found. Though common iron pieces, he felt a strange consciousness urging him to pick them up.

When he melted the shards with true fire, the iron transformed into a ball. Disappointed, he stopped cultivation, picked up a mirror, shook it, and a beautiful woman’s face appeared.

“Jueli, I’m free next cycle. Want to come out?”

The woman inside seemed to be cultivating some technique, impatiently replying, “Valley Master’s birthday is coming. I have to rehearse the birthday formation. Also, don’t bother me anymore. Do your patrol well. The Second Young Master of the Zhang family, Bing Heng, mentioned dual cultivation to me, and I agreed!”

Jia Youke’s chest heaved in anger and sorrow. “We’ve been betrothed since birth. How can you dual cultivate with another?”

“It’s just spiritual dual cultivation, everyone has preferences. I’m not breaking the engagement. Look, he sent me a thousand Immortal Stones, a thousand! When I save up ten thousand, I’ll proudly become your Dao mate and guard the village with you.”

“You…”

Watching the mirror’s image fade, Jia Youke was speechless. In the Immortal Realm, each immortal’s personality was unique, with supreme independent will. Jueli’s dual cultivation was not physical intimacy but spiritual and mental training—a kind of unofficial but normal practice: soul cultivation.

But to Jia Youke, this was unacceptable. Even without physical contact, merging minds felt like betrayal. Thinking of the sly Zhang family’s second young master, who probably did this with many female cultivators, made him sick.

Well, that’s what happens when your family owns an immortal mine!

Suddenly, the mirror brightened. Jia Youke’s good brother Fei Tengshi appeared on patrol and comforted him, “Forget it. Jueli means well. With so many Immortal Stones, you can cultivate to great immortal level and stand firm in the village.”

“But…”

“No buts. Spiritual exchange, even if improper, doesn’t involve the body. Haven’t you ever had your mind wander to tease a focused cultivation maiden?”

Hearing Fei Tengshi’s words, Jia Youke’s purplish face finally relaxed. When his mood improved, Fei Tengshi inquired about the meteor fall. Finally, Jia Youke warned, “Don’t ask around or sell information recklessly. If you stumble upon something secret and blow it up, it’ll bring trouble!”