Bitter Realm: My Feet Step Through the Flames of War

"For plotting against me like this, the Demon City will face the wrath of the gods!"

He Hua Chanti remained calm and composed: "The Divine Wind, who possesses the Water String, is your nemesis and your destiny. Only in the Great Desolate Divine Technique will you have the chance to counter him."

"What do you mean?"

"The Great Desolate Divine Competition is a treaty established a thousand years ago when the Holy and Demonic forces stopped their war. Each side sends six powerful individuals to participate, and each person has their own corresponding time. Those who are countered are more likely to die, and those who are controlled are more likely to be defeated."

"According to you, if I were to be defeated by the Divine Wind, wouldn't I suffer an even more crushing defeat!"

He smiled slightly and said, "That's right, but there are still two chances to reverse time in the Great Desolate Divine Technique. I will do my best to give you the chance to reverse time."

Chapter 158 Immortal Essence, Demonic Marrow, Relics: Who is plotting against me?

Back in Tiandu, Yu Cixin was unwrapping gifts.

More than a dozen carts of all kinds of boxes and baskets were delivered to the Phoenix Palace, many of which contained exquisite items that left Yu Cixin in awe.

"You're back."

"Yes, I got the map of Fansha."

Luo Hou unfolded a strange map that appeared to be made of silk. It had only a small door-shaped pattern on it, and the rest of it was pure white.

"What a strange map."

"A seal of peace is hidden in this map."

"The Seal of Ceasefire?"

Luo Hou sighed inwardly. This was a heaven-defying device that could erase the memories of all those involved in the Holy War.

He didn't want to be fine one night, only to wake up the next morning to find Yu Cixin angrily demanding to know who he was, sword in hand. He needed to get his hands on this thing beforehand, or destroy it.

Seeing him deep in thought, Yu Ci asked with concern, "Is there a problem?"

"No, let things that shouldn't exist disappear."

With that, he raised his hand, and a flame appeared in his palm, igniting the map of the mortal realm.

In an instant, flames erupted, and the precious map left behind by both the Holy and Demonic factions transformed into countless fluttering butterflies. Without the map, the seal of cessation of war, which determined the fate of so many, would vanish forever into the annals of time.

Even though the map had turned into smoke, Yu Cixin still pressed for an answer: "What is the Seal of Ceasefire?"

“Long ago, an evil creature named the Li Clan was born in the Bitter Realm. The Li Clan fought a great war with the Buddhist sect at that time, which lasted for thousands of years and gradually evolved into a war between the Holy and the Demonic. When both sides were exhausted, the Holy and the Demonic signed a treaty to end the war and left three things in preparation for future battles.”

"What are those three things?"

Yu Cixin put down the gift in her hand and asked like a curious child.

Luo Hou knew that she looked rather silly and adorable in women's clothing, and that her brain was often in a state of malfunction, so he couldn't help but chuckle softly and pull her into his arms.

He liked it this way; in front of outsiders, he was always Ji Wu Wang, but only in front of him was he Yu Ci Xin.

“These three things are a zither, a book, and a seal.”

"Oh?"

"When the Lyre of Hell played, the Holy and the Demonic Wars began. When the Seal of Ceasefire was cast, the Holy and the Demonic Wars ceased. And that book records the history and secrets of the Holy and the Demonic Wars."

"I see. But the war between the Holy and the Demonic has nothing to do with us. Let's open the presents."

Since it was a matter between the Holy and the Demonic, Yu Cixin stopped thinking about it, took Luo Hou's hand, and walked to the pile of gifts.

On the wedding day, Luo Hou knew exactly what gifts the guests would give him, and he picked out three items:

Eggs delivered from the wrong source are said to be the primordial spirits of immortals.

The Demon Essence Pearl sent by the Demon Lord contains the purest demonic energy.

There was also the Buddha's relics presented by Wu Huo Du Mi.

As for the dragon blood sent by Xiao Jiandun, although it was precious, he was already powerful enough and didn't need to replenish it.

First, look at the immortal spirit as big as a fist. Luo Hou grasped it in his hand and silently circulated his extreme energy. Unexpectedly, after trying the three extreme energies in turn, the egg did not react at all.

Bad guy!

No wonder they're so stingy they'd send it over.

Luo Hou sighed with regret: "There are no signs of any vital energy or life. If it really is a bird's egg, I have a way to hatch it."

"Let me try it, drink it~"

Yu Cixin held the egg in both hands, her true essence flowing through it. At the same time, a turquoise aura of the royal tree surrounded the golden egg.

Just then, the villain sensed something. A dark light flashed across the eggshell, and a burst of fiery red light emanated from the inside out. Then, the eggshell became transparent, and the shape of a bird faintly appeared inside.

The birds seemed to be asleep, and there was no movement.

Yu Cixin withdrew her energy, and the egg returned to its original state.

"Only the spiritual energy of the King Tree can sense the egg of the Immortal Bird. Ci Xin, why don't you take it back to Broken Island and place it on the Jade Locust Tree?"

Yu Cixin was filled with excitement: "Great, let's build a nest for it in the king tree, maybe it will hatch soon!"

"...It can't be that fast."

Next up is that Demonic Essence Orb.

Luo Hou opened the jade bottle containing the spirit pearl, and instantly, demonic energy burst forth, like a surging sea tens of thousands of feet deep, turning the Phoenix Palace into a pitch-black expanse.

"Uh!"

Caught off guard, Yu Cixin was swept out of the palace by demonic energy.

With a flick of his sleeve, Luo Hou swiftly erected a barrier, trapping the demonic energy within it.

"Resignation?"

"Cough cough... I'm fine, the demonic energy is so strong!"

Surrounded by demonic energy, Luo Hou felt a surge within his body. His demonic energy resonated with this demonic energy, but was blocked by Buddhist energy and divine energy. The three extreme energies clashed with each other.

Not good.

The demonic energy was cultivated by Luo Hou himself, and it was like a whale swallowing everything, accepting nothing that came its way.

Moreover, this demonic marrow originated from the primordial chaos, and it quickly broke through the barriers of Buddhist and divine essences, entering the body.

After entering his body, the demonic energy surged, overwhelming the Buddhist energy which had only a thousand-year foundation. The divine energy also quickly lost its balance, and the three extreme forces ran rampant within his body, causing Luo Hou's body to be subjected to a slow and agonizing death.

Without hesitation, he grabbed the Buddha relic that Wu Huo Du Mi had given him, crushed it between two fingers, and a tremendous Buddhist aura emerged.

Golden light and holy aura, colorful like a rain of flowers.

The Buddha Emperor's foundation and the crystallized remains of the Buddha Emperor merged together without any surprise, replenishing the Buddha's energy that had lost its balance.

The conflict between the three elements within the body transformed into demonic and Buddhist elements, simultaneously squeezing out the divine element.

"Pfft~"

His body was burning, and the extreme power generated extreme destructive force. Luo Hou suffered an extreme backlash and immediately vomited a mouthful of crimson blood.

"Rahu!"

"Father!"

Just as Yu Cixin was getting anxious, Shao Hao arrived in time, unleashing a pure and gentle divine power into Luo Hou's body with both palms.

With the help of external forces, the divine essence stabilized, like an unbreakable river embankment, blocking the torrent of extreme essence.

The three elements returned to a state of equilibrium, slowly rotating and absorbing wave after wave of new energy.

After a long time, Luo Hou finally refined the Demon Marrow and the Buddha Emperor's Relic completely.

The black demonic energy and the golden Buddhist light all vanished.

He let out a long sigh and looked back. Shao Hao's face was deathly pale and his whole body was trembling.

"Hao'er!"

Luo Hou embraced Shao Hao, filled with shame.

This time, it's unknown how much of Shao Hao's true essence it absorbed: "Father, I'm sorry."

Shao Hao laughed and said, "How could my godfather have wronged me? However, I am currently a patient. Can I just stay here and refuse to leave?"

"Sure, you can stay as long as you want."

Given Shao Hao's current situation, Luo Hou will definitely not let him return to the Kingdom of the Dead. The Heavenly One is a cunning fox in hiding, and he might bite out with a fatal blow at any time.

Seeing this, Yu Cixin raised her hand and palm, and a surge of royal tree spiritual energy entered Shao Hao's body.

Soon, Shao Hao's complexion regained its rosy hue.

"Thank you, stepmother."

"There's no need for thanks from the three of us. I will channel the spiritual energy of the King Tree into you once a day, and I believe Hao'er will recover soon."

"Yes, my godmother is so kind."

"Now, I'll take you back to sleep."

Shao Hao opened his arms.

Judging by the time, Shaohao is not even three years old yet, which is really tough on him.

Luo Hou smiled and shook his head. He carried Shao Hao back to the room where he had lived as a child. After watching him lie down and fall asleep again, he returned to the Phoenix Palace.

Yu Cixin was still trembling with fear: "You scared me to death!"

"I'm sorry! I won't be so reckless next time."

"It was the Demon Lord who sent this thing that caused your death. If Shao Hao hadn't been here, you would have..."

"The Demon Lord?"

Luo Hou felt a slight chill. It was no longer a secret that he possessed the Three-Colored Extreme Essence; otherwise, Wu Huo Du Mi would not have sent the Buddha Emperor's Relic.

Was the delivery of demonic essence by Hua Chanti unintentional or deliberate?

Or perhaps, something powerful is plotting against me from the shadows?

Immortal essence, demonic marrow, and relics—three rare treasures—were delivered to him at the same time. Luo Hou couldn't believe that Hua Chanti had calculated it so accurately.

It's terrifying to think about. If he had drunk the dragon's blood out of greed, or absorbed the primordial spirit from the celestial bird's egg, even if Shao Hao were by his side, he would have been powerless to save him.