"We're puzzled by this too. Previously, the various forbidden zones had joined forces and begun cleansing the entire realm. All dark creatures encountered were eradicated. At our peak, nearly three-fifths of the territory had been cleared. Just as we were preparing for a final all-out assault, a massive wave of dark creatures suddenly emerged from nowhere."
White Lotus Celestial Maiden shook her head.
"What's more," she continued, "there were powerful elites among them, carrying a strange and eerie substance that infiltrated one of the forbidden zones and completely destroyed it. Even its master was fully corrupted."
Everything had happened far too suddenly. Even the leaders of the forbidden zones, like her, were caught off guard. All the territory they had just cleared was swiftly retaken by an overwhelming tide of dark creatures. Worse still, these monsters were far stronger and more destructive than before.
"One dark powerhouse even entered a forbidden zone and directly corrupted a Forbidden Lord. No one knows how it was done. You must understand—Forbidden Lords are Dao-Proving level beings. Their wills are unimaginably firm, practically indestructible. To corrupt one of them is nearly impossible. And yet, it happened—right before our eyes."
This left every forbidden zone on high alert. Countless discussions had been held, strategies drawn up. But in the end, none of them had a real solution. No one could guarantee they wouldn't fall to the same fate.
The unknown—that was the most terrifying part.
"To corrupt a Dao-Proving realm expert... this shows just how bizarre and unpredictable Eternal Night's methods are," Yi Tianxing said gravely. "Once corrupted, an enemy becomes an ally—that's the most frightening thing of all. There are only two possible explanations: either this is the work of a hidden mastermind, or an external force has intervened—possibly someone from the Eternal Night World itself… or perhaps… the Hydra."
Yi Tianxing's eyes narrowed with deep concern.
The Hydra was known to have its roots within the Eternal World and was confirmed to be aligned with Eternal Night. If the current events were truly linked to it, then this dark realm may have long since fallen under its watchful eye. Its involvement wouldn't be surprising.
Still, further confirmation was needed.
What mattered most now was that the dark creatures had undeniably grown much stronger. That was a fact.
"Regardless of what the truth is," White Lotus Celestial Maiden said sternly, "you coming here was incredibly risky. If something happens to you, our Eternal World would lose one of its greatest pillars. That would bring nothing but laughter to the Eternal Night side."
"If we all die but you survive, the Eternal World still has hope. We suspect the dark creatures haven't struck at the forbidden zones again because they're using us as bait—to lure powerful outsiders into their trap. You walking in… that's basically walking into the snare."
She was clearly angry, continuing to advise Yi Tianxing not to dive headlong into the abyss.
They had sensed that the dark forces were waiting. They weren't in a rush to destroy the forbidden zones. If they truly wanted to, there'd be far more fallen Lords by now. The calm was only a precursor to a devastating storm.
"No need to worry. Since I dared come, I've already made the necessary preparations," Yi Tianxing said with a calm smile. Then he asked, "By the way, Fellow Daoist White Lotus, have you heard anything about Research Facility 703 recently? Have the dark creatures captured anyone?"
"Not really. But I've heard that near Corpse King City, an underground base was found. That might be the 703 Research Facility you're talking about. But whether anyone was captured there or not, we can't say. Could be, might not be," she replied with a shake of her head.
There was doubt in her expression. She looked at Yi Tianxing curiously, wondering why he would care about an old research facility from the pre-cataclysm era. Places like that existed in every realm. With the fusion of the myriad worlds, such remnants from the modern age were not rare. In fact, they were quite common.
But to her, those research sites were meaningless now. The things they once studied had no value in this new era. What they once researched simply didn't apply anymore.
Meanwhile, in the Abyss, inside the Demon Palace—
A glint of light flashed in Dark moon Demon Lord's eyes.
"There's spatial fluctuation. Someone's opened a domain gate… entering the Dark Realm. The location is near the White Lotus Forbidden Zone. If the previous intel is accurate, and the White Lotus Forbidden Zone is connected to the Great Yi Sacred Court, then the person who came may be from Great Yi… perhaps even Yi Tianxing himself."
His senses covered the realm like a net—any domain gate fluctuation was impossible to hide from him.
"It's likely him," said Demon Monk Wuxin, suddenly rising to his feet. "Years ago, I fought him. Karma was forged between us. That subtle link of cause and effect—there's no mistaking it. It's him."
"I've been waiting for this fight for years. This time, I'll strike first. We'll finally determine a true victor—life or death. I'll prove the might of Eternal Night's heaven-proud geniuses and reclaim our lost honor!"
His voice surged with battle intent.
He had long prepared for this day, even going into seclusion to cultivate a supreme divine power meant to break through his inner demons. He wanted to prove that Eternal Night's geniuses were not inferior to those of the Eternal World—perhaps even superior.
"Go then," Darkmoon Demon Lord nodded. "But remember—our geniuses of Eternal Night are not weaker than others. If you disgrace that title, don't bother coming back. Since you choose to fight, either he dies… or you do."
This battle would be about more than personal grudge—it was a contest of two worlds' pride.
"Rest assured, Demon Lord. I shall bathe in Yi Tianxing's blood and prove my Dao."
Wuxin spoke with absolute confidence.
"Heh… Wuxin, I'll let you go first this time," came a chilling voice. "But if you fail, don't blame us—Black and White Shuangsha (Fiends)—for stealing your spotlight."
The eerie, creepy voice came from the notorious twin fiends known as Black and White Shuangsha. Even Wuxin subconsciously stepped away upon hearing them.
That… thing… was feared even within Eternal Night. Rumors said it possessed a bizarre divine power that could split a person into a dual-gender hybrid form—a grotesque fusion of male and female. It wasn't a myth. It was a terrifying reality proven more than once.
Even a monk felt unsettled by it.
"Very well. Go first. Once we confirm it's Yi Tianxing, I'll lock down the entire realm. There'll be no escape. At that point, he'll be nothing but a piece of meat on our chopping block," said Dark moon Demon Lord with a nod.
This was a rare opportunity.
They'd finally tricked Yi Tianxing into coming. If they missed this chance, they might never get another.
Back in Xuanhuang Immortal City — within the Sacred King Palace…
Yi Tianxing sat alone in his meditation chamber within the Emperor's Heart Hall. With a flicker of light in his hand, a strange object appeared—it was a compass.
The compass was intricate, its surface covered in layer upon layer of mysterious runes, revolving like cosmic tracks.
"The Compass of Heavenly Secrets!"
A glimmer of unusual emotion flashed in Yi Tianxing's eyes.
This was no ordinary compass. It was a divine power birthed from his Heavenly Secrets Life Aperture—the Compass of Heavenly Secrets. It could divine fate, obscure destiny, and glimpse the unknowable.
Currently, the compass had six layers.
The innermost layer displayed a Taiji Yin-Yang symbol—the Taiji Ring.
The second layer, woven from runes of Heaven, Earth, and Man—the Three Talents Ring.
The third layer shimmered with four elemental lights—Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind—manifesting images of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise—the Four Symbols Ring.
The fourth layer glowed with the five elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—the Five Elements Ring.
The fifth bore ancient trigrams—Qian, Kan, Gen, Zhen, Xun, Li, Kun, Dui—the Eight Trigrams Ring.
The sixth displayed the pattern of a Nine Palaces Diagram—the Nine Palaces Ring.
These layers interlocked and rotated endlessly. Each shift concealed unfathomable mysteries—reflecting the very laws of heaven and earth. Within this compass lay all truths.
This… was the Compass of Heavenly Secrets.
At its peak, it would possess nine layers of divine tracks, representing full mastery of fate. His current compass had six, with three yet to be born. When complete, it could peer through almost any secret of heaven and earth—nothing could be hidden from it.
"I want to see for myself… whether my parents' traces really exist within the Dark Realm."
Yi Tianxing's eyes narrowed. With this, he would divine whether his adoptive parents were truly in the Dark Realm. If not—then the entire premise was a trap. A complete and utter conspiracy.
He had used the Compass before, but divining fate came with a price.
In ancient times, those who practiced divination rarely had happy endings. The more they peered into fate, the more Heaven despised them. Too many secrets leaked would lead to Heaven's wrath—Heavenly Retribution.
In plain terms, using the compass drains personal luck. That luck, once lost, could not be regained.
The deeper the secret, the greater the cost. And the more often one used it, the more their fortune would be consumed.
Even Yi Tianxing would never casually use it. Besides, the compass hadn't reached six layers before—its current level of precision had never been possible.