Bitter Realm: My Feet Step Through the Flames of War

The darkness grew even darker and thicker, like the oppressive feeling from the highest heavens, or even more so, as if the air itself had turned into viscous ink.

The swallow, as if stained with ink, fluttered slightly. This scene did not last long. In an instant, the soul broke free from the darkness and rushed upward.

Returning to Tuishan, after wandering through this world, as if passing through clouds and breaking through boundaries, we arrived at an ancient preaching platform.

On the platform, a monk dressed in pure white made hand gestures and spoke in a soft voice, causing flowers to fall from the sky, while thousands of believers below prostrated themselves in worship.

My soul lingered on the monk's robe, smelling the aroma of meat like lingzhi mushrooms.

The monk smiled and formed a mudra: "Destiny, anomalies, variables—your life can be described as a miracle."

Bathed in the light and Buddhist teachings, his soul felt exceptionally comfortable here compared to the oppressive atmosphere of the heavens and the earth.

The monk continued, "You have borne the burdens of my mortal life, so I will enlighten this demonic body for you. Heaven and earth have spirits, all beings are without fault, the Great Dao is one, condense..."

A ray of spiritual light entered his soul, and a lotus flower bloomed. His soul was struck as if by lightning and instantly flew away from the preaching platform.

Luo Hou opened his eyes.

Yu Cixin was still studying when she came across a new poem: "If love between two people lasts forever, why should they be together day and night?"

"Farewell to the heart."

Yu Cixin turned around in surprise: "You've come out of seclusion?"

"How long did I spend in seclusion this time?"

"You yourself said it would take three days, but you broke through the barrier in just one day."

"So fast."

"What did you learn from this retreat?"

"I saw God, I saw Demon, I saw Buddha, but when I opened my eyes in the end, I only saw you."

"You've seen me?"

"Having seen you, I have seen the human world."

"Have you seen the human world?"

"You are the human world."

Yu Cixin blinked her dark green eyes, somewhat unable to understand.

"Come with me to verify the results of this retreat."

Luo Hou released the barrier, pulled Yu Cixin into a beam of light, and flew a hundred miles away, landing on a desolate ridge.

What were the results of your seclusion?

Luo Hou asked seriously, "Cixin, if I were to become a monster, would you despise me?"

Yu Cixin was startled: "What monster?"

"It's still unclear, it might be terrifying."

Seeing Luo Hou's piercing gaze, Yu Cixin felt a little apprehensive. Could it be that he would turn into a three-headed monster?

She was thinking about it seriously.

Luo Hou waited patiently.

In the end, Yu Cixin honestly replied, "I still like you the way you are now. Can you not change?"

"Hahahaha! The Heaven-Shattering Star-Slaying Technique!"

Amidst the loud laughter, Luo Hou leaped up, drew his Jidu Blade, and slashed towards the sky.

boom!

A crimson blade of energy swept across the sky, as if cutting a gash in the heavens and drawing out crimson blood.

Yu Cixin looked up and saw her husband, with this strike, appear as a phantom of a golden-armored giant, his feet planted on the ground, his head above the blue clouds, holding Jidu in his hand, looking down at her on the desolate mountain.

At this moment, Yu Cixin felt as insignificant as an ant.

"It's just a bit bigger, it doesn't have three heads and six arms."

The phantom of the golden-armored giant smiled slightly at her, like a Buddha.

Then, his expression changed, revealing a majestic and gloomy face. Although his eyebrows and eyes remained unchanged, his expression carried an aura of fierce and unapproachable tyranny.

"It's a demonic form..."

Before Yu Cixin could see clearly, the giant's expression changed again. His face was calm and expressionless, showing no joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness. Only his deep eyes stared at her like nails.

This face terrified Yu Cixin even more than the demonic appearance.

Fortunately, the giant's expression quickly returned to the familiar Luo Hou, and she bowed her head gently, saying, "Cixin, attack me with all your might, I want to experience the strength of this body."

"it is good."

Yu Cixin drew her Qingxue Sword, quickly channeled her true energy, and thrust it deeply into the illusory figure with all her might.

"Yan Shi Xue Hong, drink!"

The cold air froze solid, the sword energy exploded through the heavens, and a towering snow pillar, accompanied by the chilling sword intent, pierced into the illusory image.

But then, golden armor gleamed on the phantom, solidifying and generating immense power, which actually pushed the snow pillar out.

The snow pillars and sword energy then dissipated.

"Hmm? Continue!"

Yu Cixin once again used the abandoned scroll, Xuanhuang wasted the world, and launched a full-scale attack.

White waves surged up, creating a frigid torrent that swept across a hundred miles, causing hail to fall. A sword intent, like a thousand-foot waterfall, surged upwards, wrapping around the golden armor and seeping through it layer by layer.

"Drink~"

Luo Hou thrust his chest forward, his immense power colliding with Qingxue's sword intent.

Yu Cixin refused to back down. Suddenly, a burst of cold light shot out, the snow waterfall froze, and quickly turned into a thick ice wall, freezing Luo Hou inside.

“Cixin, your foundation has also improved.”

Surrounded by icy walls and cold swords, Luo Hou was all smiles and laughter, his golden armor flowing like a piece of amber embedded in a crystal world.

"My attacks are ineffective against you?"

"Use your strongest move."

"Hmph, pay attention! Primordial Chaos Initiates Slaughter, or Heavenly Halberd Destroys Xuanhuang, Reversing the Eight Qi of the Dragon!"

Yu Cixin unleashed another ultimate move. The towering ice peak that had once blocked the torrent of Tianxue Peak suddenly rose up, piercing through the heavens and earth, towering into the universe. Within the ice peak, she also merged with her own kingly dragon energy. Eight dragons coiled around, roaring and shaking the heavens, and pounced on her husband.

"Good timing, break through!"

With a deep shout, the illusory figure completely transformed into reality, its muscles bulging like hard rocks, its arms outstretched, and it delivered a punch.

blah blah blah!

The ice peaks kept breaking apart, and the dragon's aura dissipated layer by layer.

When the two forces clashed, the sword intent was no match for the fist force, and it actually rebounded back onto the user.

"Pfft~"

Yu Cixin retreated in a disheveled state.

Luo Hou swiftly withdrew his hand, the giant vanished, and he landed back in his original spot: "Cixin?"

"I am unharmed, but how come your physical body is so powerful?"

"It absorbed the Demonic Essence Pearl, the Buddha Emperor's Relic, and Hao'er's divine power. The three combined to create this form when using the Fallen Star Slaying Technique."

"Does it require the Heaven-Shattering Star-Slaying Technique to unleash?"

"Yes, only by using the Fallen Star Slaying Technique to break through the void and drawing upon the power of the heavens above can this transformation be activated."

"so far so good."

"Ok?"

Yu Cixin patted her chest: "Otherwise, how can I face a giant like you? Our Phoenix Palace can't contain you."

"..."

"Does this form have a name?"

Luo Hou recalled what Buddha Emperor Yu Chixiang had said when he enlightened him: "Since you have merged the power of Buddha and demon, let's call it Brahma Body Demon Body."

"Brahma Body Demon Body... I had heard that Yi Ye Shu was an evil-hearted demon Buddha before, but I never thought that you could combine the duality of demon and Buddha. It's really unexpected."

"I'm sorry I hurt you just now, Cixin, let me carry you home."

"it is good."

Yu Cixin did not refuse at all, climbed onto Luo Hou's back, and let him carry her.

The two strolled along, chatting casually.

"How did the first day of the Primordial Divine Battle go?"

"In the first match, Hao Tianqiong defeated Yi Yu Ciming, and Yi Yu Ciming died."

"The Seven Sacred Arrows could not harm Hao Tianqiong's internal energy. Archers should not participate in such close combat."

"In the second match, Duanmu Xianlong faced off against Deputy Mountain Lord Feng Huangtian. Although Feng Huangtian was a practitioner of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism and had an extraordinary foundation, his timing was countered by Duanmu Xianlong, and he died. However, before he died, Feng Huangtian injected a wisp of holy energy combining the three cultivations into Duanmu Xianlong's body, and Duanmu Xianlong will have difficulty recovering in a short time."

"Two people died in the two battles where Yue Shengming and Luan Liusheng protected the area?"

"One person also died in Tianyan Demon City. The third match was between Jing Canglang and the Demon City's Siming Jiemie Xieluo. Although Jing Canglang was seriously injured, he killed Jiemie Xieluo."

Unexpectedly, the Taihuang Divine Technique was so brutal on its first day, with three people killed and two injured in three rounds.

In this situation, the ensuing battles will only become more ruthless and frantic on both sides, with no one considering a peaceful resolution anymore.

This vicious competition, orchestrated by the Li Clan behind the scenes, is essentially a locked-room murder game; the contestants trapped within the barrier have virtually no chance of escape.

Fortunately, Jing Wuhuan did not join, so the fate of Duanmie Chanti should be able to be changed, right?

Seeing him lost in thought and silent, Yu Cixin asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering if Emperor Tathagata has found the original home of the Heavenly Buddha. The time is almost right."

"You have so many organizations in the Bitter Realm. There's a Buddhist sect here, a Taoist sect there, and everyone looks like a master of innate cultivation, a successor of the three religions."