159: The Other Shore

“Buzz buzz buzz!”

Immediately, the black and white vortex stopped flowing, emitting a low, ethereal hum, like an ancient echo from the end of time.

The River of the Other Shore fell into a brief stillness, its waves frozen in mid-air.

It was as if an invisible hand had pressed the pause button, making the passage of time thick and blurry.

“Crack crack crack!”

A passage emerged from the center of the vortex; one side was pure white like the light of creation, the other side was pitch black like the abyss of eternal night.

Subtle ripples appeared at the boundary between the two colors, as if light and darkness were silently wrestling.

Dense runes flowed within the passage, at times transforming into twinkling stars, at other times disappearing into the Void Realm, emitting an unknown, heart-pounding aura.

“This is called the Twin Passage. Follow this passage, and you can go to the Land of the Other Shore. Come with me!”

Wang Qing turned back to Shen Shiyao with a smile and stepped into the passage presented by the vortex.

His figure twisted slightly the moment he stepped in, gently enveloped by some power, merging with the passage.

Shen Shiyao, filled with curiosity, followed closely, soon stepping onto the so-called Twin Passage as well.

When she stepped onto the passage barefoot, circles of light emanated from beneath her feet.

White mist spontaneously swirled around her skirt, creating a subtle resonance with the energy in the passage.

“Crack crack crack!”

After the two of them entered, the cracking sound echoed again. The Twin Passage slowly merged, contracting and disappearing like a living entity.

The black and white vortex resumed its flow, and the River of the Other Shore began to move again.

But a mysterious rhythm was added to the sound of the water, as if countless unspoken secrets were hidden within it.

“Master, one side is white and the other is black. Where exactly does this lead?”

Shen Shiyao, treading on faint white mist, walked forward in the passage, unable to help but voice the doubt in her heart.

She noticed that the light walls on both sides were not static; the white side occasionally showed blurry phantoms of palaces.

And from the black side, distant sighs occasionally came, sending shivers down her spine.

Wang Qing pondered for a moment and began to explain, “I’m not sure about the specific situation on the white space side.”

“The black space, that’s where I obtained the black bian flower.”

“And if anyone breaks into the dark space, they will be forever trapped in eternal darkness.”

“As for how this passage was formed, I don’t know. Perhaps Zhuge Yuanxi knows its Origin.”

Just as he finished explaining, another black and white vortex appeared at the end of the Twin Passage.

But this time, the outline of a majestic mountain faintly emerged from the center of the vortex, like a mirage, difficult to distinguish between real and illusory.

Wang Qing said no more, pulling Shen Shiyao and stepping across.

Their figures, as they passed through the vortex, blurred briefly like ink smudged in water, then solidified again.

The next moment.

The two appeared on a mountain peak soaring above a sea of clouds, greeted by a clear sky and floating clouds.

White cranes spread their wings and danced, the streams of light from their wings like comet tails, silent and imperceptible.

The Dao Origin here was even purer, and a string-like hum flowed in the air.

Just by taking a single breath, Shen Shiyao felt her strength increase by several points, as if she had absorbed the primordial energy from the beginning of heaven and earth.

“Formless Divine Peak, it’s been a long time since I returned here.”

Wang Qing murmured, his Divine Thought scanning this majestic mountain, which was located right within the Unbounded Imperial Palace complex.

Within the mountain, dark golden veins subtly flowed, like the Bloodline of a living creature, resonating with the sea of clouds.

He looked down, seeing various grand and ancient palaces.

But the eaves of some buildings would occasionally become ethereal for a moment, as if they could melt into the Void Realm at any time.

There were also some maids and ancient kingdom guards busy with their tasks.

Their figures were sometimes transparent, sometimes solid in the light, adding a touch of eeriness.

“Master, why have you returned?”

A pleasant voice came from behind.

Wang Qing turned his head and saw a woman wearing a bronze mask and a cyan dress approaching. It was the King of Hell.

Her eyes beneath the bronze mask were as deep as an ancient well, and her skirt moved without wind, as if in sync with the breathing of the entire mountain.

Shen Shiyao was not unfamiliar with the King of Hell, but she did not rush to speak. Instead, her Divine Thought scanned everywhere, wanting to see how magical this place truly was.

She sensed that the surrounding space occasionally folded and stretched, like a living labyrinth.

“I received the message you sent to the Hongmeng Sea, so I rushed over.”

“What is the situation in Ultimate City now?”

Wang Qing’s words were somewhat cold. If Zhongming Academy truly harbored rebellious intentions, he would certainly order the King of Hell to strike and kill them with a single palm.

“Master, nothing has happened yet.”

“Only at the Other Shore Passage, the three Old Ancestors of the God Race, along with Master Wu Yan, have already entered it, searching for the power of the Other Shore.”

The King of Hell reported the situation truthfully, then fell silent again.

Her voice echoed in the air, carrying a hollow resonance, as if from another dimension.

Wang Qing was silent for a while, then ordered, “You take Yao’er to the Unbounded Divine Palace first. I’ll go to Zhongming Academy to check on the situation.”

“Yes, Master.” The King of Hell was a woman of few words. She cupped her hands and led Shen Shiyao away.

Their footsteps left faint ripples on the sea of clouds, vanishing in an instant.

“After you’re done, you must come find Yao’er!” Shen Shiyao turned back and smiled sweetly.

Her laughter was as crisp as wind chimes, yet it spread out in strange ripples across the sea of clouds.

Wang Qing nodded, said no more, and flashed away from the “Formless Divine Peak.”

His disappearance was like a wisp of smoke, leaving no trace, as if he had never existed.

Formless Mountain Peak is the highest mountain in the Land of the Other Shore, and also the core area of the Unbounded Ancient Kingdom.

The peak is perennially shrouded in ever-changing colorful glows, sometimes ancient totems appear, sometimes whispers are heard.

In his previous life, this was where Wang Qing often resided, and various commands were issued from here.

In the sea of clouds, phantoms of the past occasionally appeared, wandering like ghosts.

There were not many Innate beings in the Land of the Other Shore, at most a few dozen.

Their forms were blurry, often appearing and disappearing in the black and white mist, like Incarnations of concepts.

As for the others, they were all powerful individuals who survived the last War of Nine Burials to the Other Shore.

After Wang Qing disappeared, they multiplied and thrived in the Land of the Other Shore.

But among their descendants, some were born with marks of temporal dislocation, leaving afterimages as they moved.

It was easy to distinguish who was an Other Shore being and who was a being that survived the War of Nine Burials to the Other Shore.

Because Other Shore beings often appeared accompanied by black and white mist.

Those who survived the War of Nine Burials to the Other Shore, and their descendants, could not possess black and white Other Shore power.

In such a situation, it was easy to distinguish who was an Innate Other Shore being.

Moreover, the forces in the current Land of the Other Shore are intricate and complex, and it is unknown how many people will still obey Wang Qing’s commands.

In this invisible undercurrent, even the breeze carried a hint of probing, as if unwelcome of Wang Qing’s return.

Even within the Unbounded Imperial Palace, some ancient existences had already discovered the return of the Lord of the Other Shore, yet they did not come to pay their respects.

Their thoughts varied, all kinds of emotions spreading, some envious, some fearful, unsure of what they were thinking now...