Strange Phenomenon

At the same time Yi Feng and Piaomiao Hong were rushing toward the Celestial Domain,

the Nine Realms Alliance—

originally located within the territory of Yue Realm—had, since the shattering of the Realm Walls and the arrival of the Celestial Domain's envoys, expanded to merge with several other realms. Centered around Yue Realm, it had now become the gathering place of the original eight realms plus the Immortal Realm, collectively referred to as the Nine Realms Alliance.

As the leader of the Nine Realms Alliance, Elder Zhen sat at the head of the grand hall, massaging his temples with a heavy heart.

The weight on his shoulders was immense.

Especially now that the once-vast Nine Realms had been reduced to this state, he couldn’t help but feel deep regret and self-blame.

"Elder Zhen, you should rest for a while," Xiong Tian said as he stepped forward.

"Ha, how could I possibly rest now?" Elder Zhen replied with a bitter smile.

"Elder Zhen, you must understand—this wasn’t your fault," Xiong Tian said solemnly. "When the envoys from the Celestial Domain arrived, if you hadn’t agreed to their terms, the Nine Realms would have already been consumed by the Black Mist."

"Besides, they didn’t even need our consent in the first place..."

"Even so, the Nine Realms are still in dire straits," Elder Zhen sighed. "To the outer realms, we are nothing but ants trapped in a cage. If we don’t strive harder, we’ll vanish from this world sooner or later."

"In the end, if your fists aren’t strong enough, you’ll only be beaten down."

Elder Zhen exhaled deeply. "For now, those from the Celestial Domain are following the rules and haven’t oppressed us. But what about the future?"

"Your concerns are valid," Xiong Tian nodded gravely. "However, with the Realm Walls shattered, the sealed space has been nourished by the true essence of heaven and earth. Many of our elites have made rapid progress."

"Aside from the White Emperor, whose true strength remains unknown… Shi Qingwu, the former sect master of the Hundred Refinements Sect in the Martial Realm, underwent the ancient God’s Trial—a legacy said to be ten deaths with no survival—and emerged with her cultivation perfected, directly stepping into the Dao Mirror realm."

"Moreover, the thirteen former lowly servants of the Hundred Refinements Sect have now broken through to the Ninth Tribulation Realm."

Hearing this, Elder Zhen’s eyes lit up, and he shot to his feet.

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely," Xiong Tian grinned. "I came here specifically to deliver this good news. Now, our Nine Realms Alliance finally has a true Dao Mirror expert."

"This is wonderful… truly wonderful! Heaven has blessed the Nine Realms!"

Tears welled up in Elder Zhen’s eyes.

The pressure he had endured these past days was immeasurable.

When the envoys from the Celestial Domain first arrived, the strongest cultivators in the Nine Realms barely reached the dozens of layers of True Immortal realm—equivalent only to the Second Tribulation Realm in true cultivation terms. Compared to the experts of the Celestial Domain, the sense of powerlessness had been overwhelming.

But now, in such a short time, the Nine Realms had finally produced a Dao Mirror expert.

With the cage broken, the younger generation’s talents were sprouting like bamboo shoots after rain. Though still far from matching the great sects of the Celestial Domain, there was finally hope for the future.

At the very least, they could now stand a little taller.

"However, there’s another matter I need to report," Xiong Tian said, pausing with a strange expression.

"Oh? What is it?" Elder Zhen looked up.

"Well… it’s something that seems trivial, yet feels oddly unsettling," Xiong Tian said seriously.

"Just say it."

Elder Zhen’s excitement faded as he fixed his gaze on Xiong Tian.

"Yuan Hua and Aunt Bao are together now," Xiong Tian said with a weird look.

"What did you just say?!"

Elder Zhen’s jaw nearly hit the floor. "You mean Yuan Hua, that rigid blockhead, and Aunt Bao, that old spinster, are together?!"

"Exactly."

"And not just that…"

Xiong Tian curled his lips and waved his hand, conjuring an image before Elder Zhen.

In the scene, the thin and short Yuan Hua lay on the grass while Aunt Bao—a stout woman with a fierce, meaty face—nestled in his arms like a kitten.

"Baby, I drank some wine."

"What kind of wine?"

"The kind that lasts as long as you and me…"

"Baby, I’m hungry."

"What do you want to eat?"

"I want you to surrender willingly…"

"Hmph. You’re so bad."

The two cooed sweet nothings before skipping hand-in-hand, chasing butterflies across the fragrant meadow.

"Ugh—"

Elder Zhen gagged, his face twitching in disgust.

His disbelief reached the heavens.

Both Yuan Hua and Aunt Bao were once revered figures of the Nine Realms, having defended the Realm Walls together. But he knew their personalities all too well.

One was as straight-laced as a steel rod—

Women? To him, they might as well not exist. He’d even once considered "slaying femininity to prove his Dao."

The other was as grumpy as a bear, more manly than most men.

If the world ended tomorrow, he’d still never believe these two would end up together.

Yet here they were, calling each other "baby" and drowning in sickeningly sweet affection.

"Elder Zhen, that’s not even the worst of it."

"Among the younger generation, Wen Jie and Fang Yu have also…"

Xiong Tian grimaced.

Elder Zhen’s eyes bulged.

"Those two are men!"

"Exactly. Their master, Feng Shan, broke their legs trying to stop them, but they still clung to each other, swearing it was 'true love'…" Xiong Tian muttered.