Chapter Forty-Five: The Ancient Realm Opens

“Brother, you are truly remarkable. Dong Shuo was dispatched by you with such ease that I must admit I am not your equal. However…” Wang Mang paused for a moment, then said, “You must be more cautious in the future. I believe everyone present will keep this matter in strict confidence.”

“Chief Wang is absolutely right. We will keep this secret. The master and disciple of Cangming have committed countless evil deeds—what martial artist on the continent hasn’t wished to rid the world of them?” one of the Xuan-level martial artists assured him.

The others also pledged their silence, promising not to reveal what had happened.

Leng Tian cupped his fists to Wang Mang in gratitude and said, “Brother Wang, I thank you. Should you ever need my help, do not hesitate to ask—I will do everything in my power.”

“Good. With your word, I won’t stand on ceremony when the time comes!” Wang Mang replied.

Leng Tian nodded, then instructed the crew to clear away what remained of the battle. He himself went to stand at the bow of the ship with Li Tianzheng and a few others. “Chiefs, how much farther is it to the entrance of the Ancient Realm?”

“You mean you don’t know?” Li Tianzheng looked at Leng Tian with some surprise.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand your meaning, Chief. Please enlighten me,” Leng Tian replied, sensing from Li Tianzheng’s tone that the entrance to the Ancient Realm was not so easily found.

“In fact, it’s quite normal that you don’t know, Brother Leng. I only learned recently myself. The entrance to the Ancient Realm does not have a fixed location. Only when the Ancient Realm appears will the Jade Order in our hands react. By following its guidance, we can find the entrance,” Yan Nantian said, folding his fan gracefully as he approached. “All we can do is wait patiently for the Jade Order to show us the way.”

Li Tianzheng and the others nodded in agreement. “Brother Yan speaks the truth. All we can do is await the Jade Order’s guidance.”

“So that’s how it is. Then Zhuangzhuang’s map is useless after all! That rascal must have done it on purpose,” Leng Tian thought, now speechless at the bear’s cunning ways. That sly bear really made his fists itch to give him a good beating!

Somewhere, a certain bear, lying in a woman’s arms and nursing, sneezed several times in a row, spraying milk everywhere and wondering who was cursing him behind his back.

Thus, the great ship drifted aimlessly over the sea. The powerful martial artists resting aboard waited for the Ancient Realm’s opening, none mentioning Dong Xuan’s death. Instead, their curiosity about Leng Tian only grew.

They speculated about his origins—how was it that, though still at the Celestial level, he could slay Xuan-level experts as if slicing melons and cutting vegetables? How could they not feel both envy and dread?

Sensing the meaning in their gazes, Leng Tian wisely returned to his cabin to cultivate in peace.

Du Qingfeng had not left his room at all, not even for the duel between Leng Tian and Dong Xuan, a testament to the steadiness of his heart.

So the days passed in calm. Then, as Leng Tian sat in meditation, he suddenly felt a stir in his heart, opened his eyes, and looked at the Jade Order beside him.

The Jade Order was now glowing with ripples of blue light. In an instant, a map of the sea appeared before his inner eye—exactly the same as the one Zhuangzhuang had given him.

When he picked up the Jade Order, it immediately began to disassemble and release a watery blue aura that enveloped him. Divine runes flickered on its surface. A vast amount of elemental energy surged through the ship’s windows, pouring into the light.

This happened all across the ship. The rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth flooded in from above, streaming into the ship and being absorbed by the dozens of strong individuals holding Jade Orders—more accurately, by the orders themselves.

Soon, the light merged into their bodies, forming a layer of azure armor across their skin. Divine runes glimmered and divine power flowed, the armor itself ancient and imposing, as if the guardian gods of old had returned.

Leng Tian moved about but felt no discomfort. The azure armor, feeling almost intangible, nonetheless filled him with indomitable strength.

Certainly, if he had wielded this power against Dong Shuo, the man would have been annihilated with a wave of his hand.

Curious whether the others had received similar treatment, Leng Tian stepped forward with the thought of leaving his room—only to vanish from where he stood and reappear on deck in an instant.

“What’s going on? Teleportation! This is teleportation!” Leng Tian was astounded. When had he acquired such an ability? Looking at the runes shimmering on his armor, he mused, “Could all of this be its doing?”

“Surprised, Brother Leng, that you can now teleport? Don’t doubt it—it’s all the power of the Jade Order, or rather, the power of the gods!” Yan Nantian, likewise armored in blue, appeared nearby with a smile.

“Brother Yan, do you know the secret of this? Why is there not the slightest fluctuation of energy? I simply thought of moving, and I was already here!” Leng Tian said, touching his chest. The armor was cold and rippled to his touch, not quite real, as if formed of water.

“This armor is condensed from divine power. Haven’t you noticed it’s still madly absorbing elemental energy from the world?” Yan Nantian stretched his arms, streams of energy spiraling from the sky to his armored limbs.

“Don’t let it absorb on its own—you must guide it with your will. That way, you’ll become more attuned to it.”

Taking his advice, Leng Tian tried directing the armor to absorb energy with his thoughts—and indeed, it worked naturally. The more intent he put into it, the faster the armor drew in the world’s energy.

“Everyone, let’s go! The Ancient Realm has opened. There will be many dangers ahead, so we must work together—or else risk our lives!” Luan Yudie smiled gently at Leng Tian. “Brother Leng, once inside, do look after your little sister, will you?” She wore close-fitting azure armor that outlined her perfect figure, inviting thoughts to wander.

“Chief, you do me too much honor! I’ll be lucky enough not to need your help myself!” Leng Tian replied, puzzled as to why she singled him out among so many powerful warriors—there had to be some deeper reason.

Luan Yudie gave him a coquettish glance and vanished with a peal of laughter.

One after another, the others teleported away, Yan Nantian nodding to Leng Tian before following suit. In the vast sky, human figures flashed and vanished, each leap spanning dozens, even hundreds, of miles as they chased one another.

A troubling thought occurred to Leng Tian—where exactly would the Ancient Realm appear? If he didn’t know, why was everyone so eager to leave? Turning to the sailors, he said, “You can go now—the ship belongs to you.”

With a thought, his spiritual sense reached out. He teleported, reappearing far away in the sky—by then, those who had left before were gone from sight.

Suspended in midair, Leng Tian finally felt his strength at its peak again, though it was not entirely his own power. Unable to sense the others, he could only follow the direction they had gone.

“We’re in luck, brothers! The ship is ours!” The sailors cheered and embraced, for such a windfall could change their fates.

After about a hundred miles, Leng Tian noticed his teleports began to veer off target. Only after skipping dozens more miles did he realize the armor was following a set path, automatically correcting his course.

He understood now—the armor was locking onto the route to the entrance of the Ancient Realm, so he let it guide him forward.

“Boss Ba, those human martial artists are being led by the Jade Orders to the Azure Sea Domain of the Great Sage. Are we just going to let them go in?” asked one voice.

“Let it be, Thirteen. Don’t forget what the master said. Let’s wait quietly for the Great Sage’s return. It’s only an Ancient Realm—our demon clan can afford to let it go,” replied another.

These voices came from the depths of the ocean, from a colossal sea turtle called Ba Xia and an eight-legged giant octopus known as Thirteen.

With that, the two monsters settled in the dark abyss, lying dormant as if asleep.

In the far southern reaches of the endless sea lay a vast island battered by wind and waves. Above the island, space itself rippled and twisted like water, waves spreading outward.

“This is the place!” Luan Yudie and Guoguo appeared above the island, their faces alight with anticipation as the spatial distortion deepened and the glowing portal of an array began to show.

One by one, more people arrived, all intently watching the changes in space.

“I’ve heard that the spatial passage is filled with creatures from other dimensions. The divine armor is meant to protect us. While we have the time, let’s absorb as much energy as we can—it could save our lives!” said Yan Nantian, sitting cross-legged in midair and calmly drawing in elemental energy. The others, seeing his composure, also settled down to meditate and absorb as much as possible.

Li Tianzheng looked at Yan Nantian several times, his eyelids twitching, before closing his eyes to focus on cultivation.

Leng Tian was the last to arrive. Hovering in midair, he gazed at the shifting space, reflecting on how, in just a few short months, he had encountered so much he had never imagined—the failed ascent of Tianyuan Continent, the demonic invasion, and his own miraculous arrival in this world. Could all these events really be mere coincidence?

Sighing to himself, he saw everyone else quietly cultivating and steadied his mood. He, too, sat cross-legged in the sky and guided his armor to absorb as much energy as possible.

Martial Edge, Volume 45, Chapter Forty-Five: The Opening of the Ancient Realm—End of Update.