Chu Kun stood beside Lei Jun, his gaze also sweeping the surroundings. “From the way you talk, Senior Brother, it sounds like the Immortal Realm experts here are already dead, not just in slumber like Venerable Shanzhi and the others.”
Lei Jun replied, “So far, no signs of any still being alive.”
Even so, though they had perished, the Immortal Realm experts still exuded a powerful presence.
It was as if their aura filled this half of the Great Matrix.
Lei Jun and his fellow disciples didn’t need to distinguish deliberately—there was no doubt the ones buried here had reached the Martial Immortal level.
What caught their attention was that it seed more than one Martial Immortal had perished here.
Although the Yuqing Universal Mirror wasn’t brought into the Great Matrix with Lei Jun, thanks to the Heaven-Earth Perception Talisman, he quickly identified the correct direction.
Chu Kun followed closely behind Lei Jun as they moved forward.
Gradually, a strange scene began to erge in their vision: a trendously deep ravine.
The cliffs on both sides were steep and towering, stretching seemingly without end. They stirred the surrounding sea of clouds into themselves, shooting straight into the heavens.
From afar, the two of them gazed at what looked like a suspended, sky-bound valley.
The end of the chasm descended to the ground like a normal great rift, carving a deep gash across the earth.
Yet its origin stretched upward, piercing the clouds.
When Lei Jun rose into the sky to observe, he saw the clouds and mists above condense into sothing solid, rging with the steep valley cliffs to form the head of the ravine, blending into an inverted abyss hanging in the air.
The previously pitch-black abyss had turned crimson due to Lei Jun’s earlier actions. The chaotic space-ti resembled a glacier frozen in mid-turbulence.
That crimson “glacier” had now completely rged with the bizarre suspended sky ravine in this half of the Great Matrix.
As Lei Jun and Chu Kun watched from afar, both felt that this world had beco utterly strange and distorted.
“Senior Brother…” Chu Kun turned to him.
Lei Jun’s expression was calm. “Sa cause—it's the abyss above the clouds.”
The current state of the Great Matrix was odd. It had split in two, but both halves were inverted, their “skies” connecting tightly together. In truth, it was one single fracture—not the real heavens, but the very source of the Matrix’s rupture.
In that imnse rift and abyss, ti and space were in disarray, filled with all sorts of anomalies.
So of the visions within felt familiar to Lei Jun and Chu Kun. While they hadn’t experienced them firsthand, they had seen descriptions in ancient texts.
Others, however, were completely unfamiliar.
Lei Jun had traveled many lands over the years, but even he couldn’t make sense of so of what he saw.
Of the split Matrix, one half had thin spiritual energy, but mortals lived there in peace.
The other half was rich in spiritual energy, but barren—only a graveyard for powerful cultivators.
The influence of the Great Matrix on the martial artists of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms had spread from here.
It wasn’t the intent or legacy of a single Martial Immortal returning to the mortal realm. Rather, the martial intent of those buried here had intertwined with the Matrix’s spiritual energy over many years, giving birth to new transformations. These, in turn, affected the mortal world.
Judging from the strange, suspended ravine, the Martial Immortal who died here had likely tried desperately to resist—or perhaps to comprehend—the mystery of the abyss above.
Unfortunately, they succumbed in the attempt.
That suggested the individual had already been gravely wounded or dying at the ti.
Previously, the abyss had exerted a strong pull on its surroundings.
Anyone trying to enter wouldn’t willingly surrender control and be dragged in.
But now, it seed the Martial Immortal wasn’t swallowed by the abyss, but rather spent all his remaining strength, burning the last of his life’s fla.
Lei Jun stared at the ravine extending from the abyss above down into this half of the Matrix, lost in thought.
Under the vision granted by the Heaven-Earth Perception Talisman within his eyes, he sensed others had entered this half of the Matrix as well.
Judging by their appearance, they had co through the stone blade, from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms world.
The Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms world, already riddled with constant conflict and war, now descended into even greater chaos.
The various warlords who ruled their territories each noticed that the stone blades in their possession had begun to change.
Later Han royal capital.
King Zhou Wei of Han urgently summoned his adopted son Zhou Pu to a private audience.
“Father?” Zhou Pu entered and quickly had the others dismissed, following Zhou Wei into a secret chamber.
Zhou Wei held the stone blade in hand. The solid blade now shimred with a strange, flickering glow.
Zhou Pu’s eyes narrowed. “The Great Matrix?!”
Zhou Wei nodded. “Indeed. The Matrix is shifting again.
This blade has been in my possession for so ti. I haven’t seen the other rulers’ blades, but I’m sure they’re experiencing the sa thing.
Which ans—we must act fast. We can’t afford delays or soone else will beat us to it.
As for things like playing the mantis stalking the cicada only to be caught by the oriole—we’ll consider such sches after entering. We can’t miss the window.”
He handed the stone blade to Zhou Pu.
Zhou Pu didn’t take it imdiately. “Father, like we discussed before, this round with the Matrix might be crucial…”
Zhou Wei nodded again. “Exactly. That’s why I’m staying. But outwardly, we’ll say it’s the opposite.”
Zhou Pu’s eyes lit up. “You’re planning to use this opportunity to strike at Beiliang, Nanyue, and Xishu?”
Aside from Later Han, most of the other kingdoms had stone blades too—and they all had their eyes on the Great Matrix.
“Yes, the Matrix is important,” Zhou Wei said seriously, “and I believe you’ll accomplish sothing.
But while everyone else’s focus is inside the Matrix, out here is a once-in-a-lifeti chance to destroy rival kingdoms.”
He continued, “I won’t be the only one thinking this. That’s exactly why I can’t afford to let my guard down.”
Zhou Pu accepted the blade. “I will give it my all.”
Zhou Wei gazed into the distance. “This round with the Matrix could decide the future. If it were guaranteed to determine everything, I’d go in myself, and take you with .
But the situation inside is still too unclear. You must be cautious—don’t act recklessly. One more thing…”
He trailed off.
But Zhou Pu understood the unsaid warning.
Their competition in the Great Matrix wouldn’t only co from the other kingdoms.
The real contenders might be the Grand Shaman of Lingshan and the monks of Saha Buddhism.
In the current era of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, even if a chance to conquer the land erged, these two powers were inescapable giants.
The Great Matrix might be a turning point for martial warriors to achieve sothing great.
But Lingshan and Saha wouldn’t let the opportunity slip either.
So after careful thought, Zhou Wei had no plans to gamble everything on this single move.
Instead, he’d use the Matrix to draw attention away from the mundane world, gaining space for Later Han to expand.
And he’d remain alert to other kingdoms trying the sa thing.
As for the Matrix—everything now rested on his adopted son Zhou Pu.
Over the years, Zhou Wei had increasingly sensed that Zhou Pu was soone blessed with destiny.
He could only hope his luck held again this ti.
“Take care, Father!” Zhou Pu bade farewell and left the Later Han capital.
Nanyue royal capital.
The crown prince, Zhang ngchen, bowed respectfully to a man and a woman. “It’s an honor to travel with the two of you, Immortal Masters Wugu and Wulu. I will follow your orders.”
From the Lingshan Shamanic Sect, the most famous figures were the Ten Shamans—direct agents of the Shaman King in the mortal world.
Nanyue had founded its kingdom with the help of this sect.
Now that envoys had arrived from Lingshan, even the king himself gave them the highest welco—let alone when two of the Ten Shamans had co.
This ti, the king wasn’t entering the Matrix himself. Instead, he had entrusted Zhang ngchen with full authority.
Since two of the Ten Shamans were going in person, the king didn’t have high expectations for his son.
He rely hoped Zhang ngchen could gain so favor by assisting them on this journey.
Among the Lingshan delegation, the leader was a black-clad woman veiled in dark gauze—Lei Lei, known as Wugu.
She was a powerful Ghost Dao Grand Shaman at the Descended God level of the Ninth Heaven.
It was said she could command ghosts and corpses of that level. Because of the Ghost Dao’s special nature, the Nanyue royal family couldn’t confirm if the person before them was truly Lei Lei herself—but they treated her with utmost respect regardless.
Aside from her own terrifying power, Lei Lei’s husband, Qiao Yang—known as Wupeng—was also one of the Ten Shamans and considered among the strongest.
Rumors said he had reached the peak of the fifth layer of the Ninth Heaven in the Descended God realm.
Though he rarely left Lingshan, the couple had long been legendary and feared.
Even though two of the Ten Shamans had co this ti, Lei Lei clearly took the lead.
Standing beside her—but a step behind—was another male Grand Shaman whom Zhang ngchen didn’t recognize.
This man now bore the title Wulu.
But Zhang ngchen had always heard Wulu was a female Shaman, beautiful and unmasked—very different from the rugged, dark-skinned, slightly disheveled middle-aged man before him.
This man had never appeared in the mortal world before.
If the rumors weren’t wrong, then Wulu must have been replaced recently.
In the ever-shifting world of Lingshan and its ongoing contest with Saha Buddhism, this wasn’t so surprising.
Zhang ngchen neither questioned nor showed any expression.
Regardless of the unfamiliar face, this Wulu was still a bona fide Ninth Heaven Grand Shaman.
He would obediently follow them into the Matrix.
Liuli Zen Courtyard, now the new Buddhist holy site for the Vinaya lineage in the mortal world, having replaced the now-fallen Xuantian Temple.
Here, Abbot Zhiquan was receiving a visiting high monk from the Western Heaven of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms—Master Duci.
Master Duci bowed with palms together. “Senior Brother Abbot cannot co this ti. You must take the lead in this journey into the Matrix.”
Abbot Zhiquan responded modestly, “I wouldn’t dare.”
Then he quietly asked, “And Master Doming...?”
Doming, abbot of the Western Heaven, along with Baoneng of Southern Jin’s Small Western Heaven, and Master Chonghui—final disciple of Venerable Puguang—were currently the three Saha monks at the Ninth Heaven’s perfected Dharma Body level.
Doming oversaw most of Saha’s influence in the mortal world.
Duci replied softly, “The Grand Shaman Wuzhen of Lingshan has recently appeared. Senior Brother Doming is keeping an eye on his movents.
If Wuzhen enters the Matrix, Senior Brother will follow imdiately.
There’s still a stone blade at our temple.”
Zhiquan nodded slightly.
Among the Ten Shamans, all of them were Ninth Heaven Descended Gods, but their power levels still varied.
Shamanic techniques were mysterious, and even at the sa realm, strength could differ greatly.
As far as Saha Buddhism knew, Wuxian, Wuzhen, and Wupeng were the strongest of the Ten Shamans—each had reached the fifth perfected layer of the Ninth Heaven.
Just as Saha’s presence in the mortal world was led by Doming, Lingshan’s top expert to appear here most often was Wuzhen.
“This opportunity to enter the Matrix must not be missed,” Zhiquan said. “But Later Han may also make a move.”
Duci replied, “Then we shall inform Senior Brother Doming and let him handle that side.”
Zhiquan nodded. “I’ll send disciples to await his orders.”
The two left the Liuli Zen Courtyard, beginning their preparations.
From Later Han to Nanyue and beyond, countless forces in the mortal world began to act.
Back in the Matrix—
“She didn’t co?” Chu Kun asked Lei Jun.
Lei Jun answered, “She holds a stone blade and can co anyti. But right now, she’s more focused on studying Suru and Saha.”
Chu Kun asked, “Then what about us, Senior Brother?”
Lei Jun stared with interest at the strange, suspended sky ravine before them, not replying imdiately.
Because in his mind, a glowing orb had suddenly lit up, displaying text:
[Suspended Sky Ravine, Gaze Upon the Ages]
Then, four fortunes flew out from the orb:
Upper-Mid Fortune: Enter the source of the ravine. Do not act rashly. Wait for the right mont. There's a chance to gain one second-grade opportunity. There will be so turbulence, and future karma must be handled carefully. Auspicious.
Mid Fortune: Go to the mouth of the ravine. Wait for the right mont. There's a chance to gain one second-grade opportunity. Current risk is high. Future karma is deeply entangled—caution is essential. Neutral.
Mid Fortune: Go to areas outside the ravine’s mouth and source. Turbulent events, but no gains or losses. Neutral.
Lower-Mid Fortune: Rush to the ravine’s source to seize the initiative. But end up paving the way for others, suffering disaster yourself. Great danger—proceed with extre caution. Inauspicious.
Lei Jun’s gaze shifted.
The ravine’s source was where the crimson clouds rged with the sky—right near the spatial abyss.
Better not to rush in too soon, then?
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