Chapter 1693 Entering the Lower Realms Again
Germain recounted how Sun Hao had crushed the Frost Dragon, adding some of his own speculations.
Nvli chuckled softly. "Over their prolonged battles, the Barbarian Tribes truly did develop some unique combat skills. That Frost Dragon was likely mid-metamorphosis into its undead state, its reactions slightly dulled. By sheer coincidence, it encountered these two reckless fools who didn't even fear a Dragon’s Might. And wouldn't you know, one of them was this barbarian, possessing immense brute strength and ‘Serpent-Subduing’ combat techniques. What a senseless way to die."
This truly seemed the only plausible explanation.
Otherwise, how could it make sense? Besides, Gerlane herself was always a bit... dopey. Press her too much, and you'd probably just get a blank: "Too profound, I don't understand."
As for that barbarian, Jiang Xiaoshan? He was a Barbarian Warrior who had only recently entered the Middle Void, all about brute force. Couldn't expect too much cleverness from him.
Germain thought back to Sun Hao's exceedingly simple and honest smile. He felt he probably wouldn't find any other answers.
The three conversed for a long while. Finally, after much contemplation, Nvli offered a rather ambiguous explanation for Gerlane's unnerving fame in the Lower Realm: "Ancient legends speak of certain reincarnated great beings who bore an aura, akin to a halo, visible to Lower Realm cultivators. Cultivators blessed by such a halo supposedly receive immense aid in their future breakthroughs, Ascensions, and cultivation…"
Germain lowered his voice. "Grandmother, are you suggesting my sister is the reincarnation of an ancient great being?"
Nvli sighed pensively. "Your sister absolutely harbors secrets. Her current state, as you've witnessed, suggests a reincarnation that wasn't fully completed – perhaps impacted, or maybe envied and detained by the Heavenly Dao itself. Sigh, in short… these oddities surrounding your sister? You'll need to learn to accept them."
Germain scratched his head. "I understand. Alright, I admit I was... quite disoriented this time. Thought there might be something wrong with my own senses, but it seems it's just that my sister is too mysterious."
Taking his leave of the two Shamannesses, with the conclusion that 'sister is too mystical, best to take it lightly', Germain suddenly felt the road ahead open up. Forget the 'why', the outcome was good.
So be it. Cheerfully, he went to claim the final mission reward from the Half-Dead Frost Dragon Realm. The sheer magnitude of the reward had Germain grinning so widely his face could barely contain it.
With this windfall secured, his legion was truly poised to rocket forward on the fast track of development.
Should he share some reward with his sister? He thought about the enormous Dragon Horn Gerlane held. Instantly, it seemed entirely unnecessary. The value of that horn was immense, absolutely immense.
After spending a month consolidating the gains from the Half-Dead Frost Dragon Realm, Germain found his sister and her Guardian Knight still secluded in cultivation, utterly inert. Recalling their final feat of slaying the Frost Dragon, Germain understood they likely needed considerable time to fully digest their gains.
He decided not to wait for them.
Researching Lower Realm data, he discovered a large, publicly accessible Battle Realm was opening its Mirror Image function – becoming a stage for elites from all races. This was a rare opportunity. Germain chose not to wait for Gerlane. He left a message urging his sister to await his return, then activated his Mirror Image and dove headfirst into the Battle Realm to commence his adventures.
The 'Battle Realm' (Dou Jie), as the name implied, signified a Lower Realm perpetually embroiled in conflict.
More precisely, it was a Half-Dead Realm, contested between the Undead Race and the Ten Thousand Races of the Void Realm.
However, the Battle Realm differed significantly from other Half-Dead Realms. First, its ownership belonged to no single race, but to all combat-ready races of the Middle Void; anyone with the strength could Mirror Image in for trials. Secondly, the Undead Race within the Battle Realm contained Intelligent Races, capable of commanding legions to battle the warriors of the Ten Thousand Races. Finally, the Battle Realm's size was immense, some even rivaling the Lower Void. Its cultivation grade ceiling was also correspondingly high, matching the Lower Void. Naturally, restrictions on Mirror Image cultivators descending there were significantly reduced.
Openings of the Battle Realm were rare. Each opening was a grand stage, where many teams could acquire unexpected, valuable resources.
Naturally, such grand opportunities meant navigating the Battle Realm was far from easy.
It was distinctly possible to be eliminated almost immediately after descending. While the Battle Realm permitted entry to warriors of the Ten Thousand Races, inside, one faced attacks not only from the natives and Undead, but also potential ambushes by warriors of other races.
Of course, if one truly had aligned races, cooperation and joint exploration within the Battle Realm were possible.
Germain rallied his friends, summoning eligible cultivators from the Male and Female Shaman Clan to bring their own troops and follow him as he plunged into the Battle Realm.
However, entry restrictions were relatively lax, allowing Heroes to command larger numbers of soldiers. Consequently, different clan cultivators and Heroes could only descend through separate Mirror Image rooms. Once in the vast Battle Realm, whether they could rendezvous was uncertain.
Moreover, the specific nature of the Lower Realm that constituted this Battle Realm and its unique Laws remained unknown. Germain had no idea how long he could remain within.
The Male and Female Shaman Clan bustled with activity, its outstanding contemporary cultivators mobilized to lead their teams into the unknown Battle Realm. Thereafter, the Dragon Domain settled into a period of calm.
Roughly over a month later, Gerlane and Sun Hao almost simultaneously completed their cultivation and awakened.
Sun Hao, having undergone Mirror Image cultivation within the Half-Dead Frost Dragon Realm, experienced a qualitative change in his Nascent Soul. Its features had grown incredibly distinct, its stature significantly taller. Judged by Human Cultivators' standards, Sun Hao now possessed at least a threefold Primordial Spirit.
Furthermore, Sun Hao still had substantial room for growth. With one more experience akin to the Half-Dead Frost Dragon Realm, he should reach a fivefold Primordial Spirit. Then, the focus would shift back to Purging Spirits (Hua Po) to prepare for a sevenfold, or even ninefold, Primordial Spirit.
Sun Hao’s absolute minimum aim was a sevenfold Primordial Spirit.
To achieve this, he needed to select two more suitable Spirits to Purge (Hua Po).
Before Sun Hao could suggest finding another Lower Realm to explore, Gerlane arrived in a whirlwind, her voice thick with dissatisfaction as she complained about her brother. "Xiaoshan! My brother is totally unreliable! He just vanished, didn't even wait for me, and went off to another Lower Realm! He must see me as a dead weight!"
Sun Hao was secretly pleased by the prospect of independent action. He blinked, then smiled. "Little Lan, you see... with your great fame as it is now, if you descended to a Lower Realm, you'd probably have admirers everywhere. Realistically, accompanying your brother might not be the best approach."
Gerlane's eyes brightened. "Really? But grandmother told me this 'admiration' might not be dependable. Perhaps it only works in specific Lower Realms? Should we also try the Battle Realm?"
Sun Hao replied, "Going to the Battle Realm is a must. Who knows? We might find an even larger stage there to achieve more cultivation goals."
Invigorated, Gerlane led Sun Hao to the Mirror Image zone.
Only a month had passed. Male and Female Shaman Clan cultivators were still fighting within the Battle Realm, with none yet reported forcibly expelled. Of course, whether any two clansmen had encountered each other inside remained unknown.
Sun Hao and Gerlane felt their bodies shimmer slightly. When the sensation faded, they found themselves standing amidst a vast expanse of towering, impenetrably dense jungle.
Trees pierced the sky; rolling Green Mountains stretched as far as the eye could see. From the mountain's vantage point, they spotted rushing rivers and numerous valleys below.
Sun Hao and Gerlane quickly assessed their state. Mirror Image-descended, Gerlane's power hadn't reached its peak, so she felt no restrictions. Sun Hao, however, clearly perceived his Mirror Image was capped below the Spirit Separation stage.
Flight was possible within this realm. But Sun Hao's immense size meant soaring would consume significant energy. Unfamiliar with the surroundings, he refrained from taking flight recklessly. Instead, he wove another basket from vines, hoisted the small-statured Gerlane onto his back, and the large-small pair began their slow trek through the endless jungle.
The Battle Realm was boundless, likely encompassing vastly different environments. Sun Hao and Gerlane hadn't landed near any concentrated native settlements. They walked through the mountainous forest for a very long time, harvesting some peculiar resources. Applying these directly to their Mirror Images to sense the changes slightly aided their Primordial Spirit cultivation.
After more than two months of travel, small figures began appearing near them, darting through the woods like the wind.
Sun Hao and Gerlane had already noticed that these natives who had spotted them were peculiar Dwarves: long beards, stocky bodies, prominent red noses.