The Boundary River, pieced together from a multitude of Void Worlds, seemed as if it had no end. Guided by the sage's instructions, Yu Ci traversed four or five distinct corners of the void, pressing forward on his journey.

As he ventured further, the environments he passed through became increasingly inhospitable. Two areas were as perilous as the Outer Realm of the Nine Heavens, utterly unsuitable for human habitation. It was only with the sage's protection that Yu Ci safely crossed these treacherous lands. However, since emerging from the blood-hued realm, their exchanges had dwindled; the sage appeared preoccupied with some dilemma, while Yu Ci attempted to communicate with the Xuan Huang sealed within his sword scabbard, to no avail.

According to the sage, the Primordial Spirit of Xuan Huang had been tainted by a Demon Spirit born within the sword, now in a state of utter chaos. The likelihood of a swift awakening was nearly nonexistent. The only hope lay in waiting for its Primordial Spirit to regrow strong enough to overpower the Demon Spirit, or for a Sword Immortal of the highest caliber to reforge and enlighten it anew.

Was finding Qu Thunderbolt-Free the only solution? Yu Ci furrowed his brows, momentarily at a loss for words.

At present, he floated in a pitch-black Void Interlayer. With each push deeper into the Boundary River, the "thickness" of the Void Interlayer grew. This was due to the harsh conditions of the connected Void Worlds, where the flow of Primordial Qi defied all reason. The proximity of these realms resulted in numerous instabilities, necessitating the expansion of the Void Interlayer as a buffer zone.

For someone like Yu Ci, who had yet to master the art of Manipulating Artifacts for flight, the thin air within the Void Interlayer made the use of Ghost Yarn Cloud inconvenient. He had no choice but to ride his sword through the mist, a strenuous combination of flying and leaping. More than once, he had inquired when he might finally escape this accursed place.

The sage, wearied by the question, replied with a hint of irritation, "Ignorant youth, this place is called 'Boundary River' precisely because it demarcates sections. Those Void Rifts are merely crossings, and the Void Worlds are just the 'lands' on either side. It is these Void Interlayers that constitute the true 'riverways.'"

Yu Ci could understand this; when the "river" was narrow, he could easily hop back and forth between the shores without much delay. But now, as the distance between Void Worlds widened, such "leaping" became inefficient.

Though the explanation was clear, it brought no solace to his current predicament. Yu Ci continued his arduous half-flight, half-leap method, occasionally "coming ashore" to cover some ground before returning to the "river." After nearly two hours of travel, the destination was still out of reach, but gradually, he began to grasp the sage's preference for the "riverway."

Spending extended periods in the Void Interlayer allowed one to faintly sense the influence of the "shoreline" Void Worlds. As the instability of those worlds persisted, various changing elements seeped into this space, incomprehensible to Yu Ci, but not to the sage, a master of this domain. He could analyze, judge, and deduce the internal states of each Void World—assessing the severity of the climate, suitability for life, presence of living beings, and even the cultivation levels of the inhabitants.

Thanks to this expertise, Yu Ci avoided many troubles along the way. Then, in a sudden moment, the sage instructed Yu Ci to halt.

"Have we arrived?"

"The path ceases here."

His response was as calm as ever. The Boundary River that connected to the Void World was one of the few; earlier, when leaping across the "two shores," one could count each world, but later, as the "river channel" widened and one traveled a mile or two in the Void Interlayer, it was possible to pass by seven or eight Void Worlds without notice.

Throughout his journey, Yu Ci had traversed perhaps hundreds of Void Worlds, accounting for over ninety percent of all the "crossings" of the Boundary River. At last, he had reached the end.

"Ahead lies the origin of the sword that shattered the void, which can also be considered the source of the Boundary River."

The voice lingered mysteriously around his ear: "It was here that Qu Thunderbolt-Free unleashed his Sword Energy, piercing through the nine heavens and ten earths, cleaving the void in search of the 'Eternal Abyss.' The reason for choosing this place, even at the expense of treasured possessions and dealings with the Lichen Sect, was due to the convergence of the earth's veins here and the inherently stable structure, capable of withstanding the impact of the void's rupture."

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"Where is this source?" Yu Ci looked around but found nothing.

"It is naturally sealed. Do you wish to experience the slicing force of Thunderbolt-Free's Sword Energy up close?"

"Uh, never mind."

During this time, Yu Ci had also discussed the "Upper True Nine Heavens Flying Immortal Sword Scripture" with him, gaining some understanding of this superior sword scripture esteemed in the Cultivation World. The so-called "Thunder-Slaying Tribulation-Dispelling" refers to the full name "Thunder-Slaying Tribulation-Dispelling Sword Canon," which is a higher-level technique within the scripture, akin to the Lichen Sect's foundational "Heavenly Mansion Nine Degrees Book," which itself divides into the "Feather Hiding Ascension Technique" and the "Nine Degrees Refining Physique Chapter." The former is an art of void-stepping, the latter a secret method of transcending tribulations, and together with various Elixir Formulas and Qi Techniques, they form a complete system.

The "Upper True Nine Heavens Flying Immortal Sword Scripture" also possesses its unique system, with the "Thunder-Slaying Tribulation-Dispelling Sword Canon" corresponding to the secret method of transcending tribulations within that system. It is a discipline reserved for True Immortals and above, and at its pinnacle, it indeed possesses the power to cleave through heavenly thunder and alter one's fate of tribulations. The "Thunder-Slaying Tribulation-Dispelling Ukase" crafted through this method is considered a premier tribulation-averting treasure in the Cultivation World. Such formidable power, even if only a fraction is revealed, could easily reduce Yu Ci to ashes.

He laughed again, "You shall experience it regardless, for you must enter soon."

Yu Ci cursed under his breath, but having resolved to participate, there was no turning back. He inquired, "What lies at the 'source'?"

"Nothing much, one aspect is the whereabouts of Qu Thunderbolt-Free, and the other is the pattern of the void's cleavage..."

According to him, the Guixu—usually denoting a bottomless valley in the sea—and even the entire Void Rift within the Sword Immortal's Secret domain were directly or indirectly connected to the "source." If one were proficient in the way of space, at the "source," one could unravel the threads and grasp the specifics of the thousands of Void Rifts.

"If he were merely the shadow of Qu Thunderbolt-Free, seeking to attain enlightenment by possessing Master Yuan Dao's physical body, he would likely be quite content. However, behind him stands the Great Brahma Demon King, with ambitions that are naturally different. Regardless, without certainty of Qu Thunderbolt-Free's whereabouts, he must be restless in his sleep, for this place is one he is bound to visit."

Yu Ci nodded in agreement, pondering for a moment before adding, "That Heavy Weapon Sect Leader must be fond of this place as well."

If the true purpose of the female cultivator is indeed to find a passage to the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion...

As he mused, a voice drifted to his ears: "That's why I've already lured her here."

Yu Ci nearly choked on the sudden chill that engulfed him, but he quickly realized: "To pit a tiger against a wolf... Are you sure they won't join forces?"

One must understand that the Heavy Weapon Sect Leader is quite the anomaly—merciless and ruthless one moment, compassionate and soft-hearted the next, with a temperament that is bizarrely unpredictable. To leverage such a capricious character is no simple feat.

"Therefore, we must add fuel to the fire..."

*************

Xia Boyang and Incense Slave concealed their auras and moved in silence. Their target lay fifty li away, yet they approached with the utmost caution—an oddity in itself. To maintain such a distance without fear of losing track was another curiosity.

But to the two of them, all of this was only natural.

Both harbored wariness and hostility towards each other, yet at this moment, neither dared to truly turn hostile. For ahead of them, with every breath and exhalation, the sword intent that pierced through a hundred li, as resplendent and swift as a rainbow, exuded a terrifying might that was almost inconceivable.

"Where did such a master of divine abilities spring from?"

Incense Slave wondered to herself, "Such a peculiar temperament... It's reminiscent of the time when the God Lord and the Great Mysterious Demon Mother fought a decisive battle for life and death, their auras unleashed to the extreme. Why would this person, traveling alone, go to such lengths?"

As she pondered, the aura of their target ahead suddenly warped.

Xia Boyang and Incense Slave, however, appeared to have anticipated this: "As expected, such intense aura is the bane of the Void Rift..."

Around the Void Rift, there are many restrictions for cultivators, especially against fierce combat and complex aura disturbances. One misstep could cause the Void Structure to collapse, with spatial turbulence strong enough to tear apart Golden Elixir cultivators. At best, one would be flung to some unknown faraway place, thereafter enduring a laborious search for the way home...

The target's terrifying capacity to inhale and exhale Primordial Qi was the greatest source of disturbance. The combined forces of a dozen Golden Elixir cultivators battling there would still fall short in comparison. Affected by this, the structure of the Void Rift was also destabilizing, and both were too prudent to take it lightly.

"Isn't this just asking for trouble?"

After a prolonged pursuit, Xia Boyang and Incense Slave shared a similar sentiment: "If only he would restrain his aura, all these troubles wouldn't arise... Or is it that he cannot contain it?"