Bitter Realm: My Feet Step Through the Flames of War

"How is the Martial Lord?"

Are you feeling unwell?

"No."

Seeing his solemn expression, the Emperor checked his own body and found nothing amiss.

"It might be a soul-extraction technique. Let's go back."

The two followed the crack left by the Cang Er Blade and plunged in, instantly returning to Yi Nian Zhi.

Just after the two left the country, King Zeus emerged from the shadows: "My beloved consort, you have disappointed me."

Consort Mian wiped the crimson from the corner of her mouth and forced a smile, saying, "These two are special souls. It is because my skills are not good enough that I was unable to extract their souls. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

"Humph!"

In the blink of an eye, only Zou Shanqi and Gui Boying remained; Yao Yingfeng had already left.

"Lord Wu, you've been gone for seven days, have you gained anything?"

"The gains are considerable; thank you for guarding this place."

Qi Yi dispelled the formation and breathed slightly. The past seven days had taken a heavy toll on her, but fortunately, Gui Boying's magic helped her recover her energy from time to time.

“Ti Wushang returned a day earlier than you and has already taken Yao Yingfengguang away. I have other matters to attend to, please take your leave.”

"please."

As soon as the chess piece left, Guijue Shenzhi collapsed to the ground. He had suffered greatly in the past seven days, being nailed to the ground by a sword, beaten by ghosts, and even had one of his claws broken.

However, upon seeing Wu Jun return, his eyes flickered, and he asked mysteriously, "Wu Jun has returned from the Yin Realm, so you must have heard about the Demon Emperor's origins. Why would a pure demon possess holy energy?"

"Oh?"

"The holy energy within the Demon Emperor comes from his gestation body, and this person's identity is the highest symbol of the Buddhist realm."

"Keep talking."

"The Buddha's physical form is neither male nor female, but hermaphroditic, capable of giving birth to the Demon Emperor's body. Does the Martial Lord know who else, besides the Buddha, could have created the Demon Emperor?"

"who?"

A malevolent red light flashed in the Insect Lord's eyes: "Heavenly Wrath!"

After speaking, the Insect Lord stretched his neck and stared intently at Luo Hou, waiting to see the Martial Lord's surprise and anger.

To his disappointment, Wu Jun's face remained completely expressionless.

He then looked at Venerable Wujie and Gui Boying. These two came from the Land of the Dead, and their faces showed nothing of value except for their anticipation of gossip.

Suddenly, a cold voice rang out from above:

"Having once been the sect leader of the Yi Sect, now that he has shed his human skin, has he also shed his sense of shame?"

"Luo Hou, you!"

Too lazy to talk to this monster who had degenerated into a gossipy woman, Rahu turned to leave.

Ghostly Awareness cried out from behind, unwilling to accept defeat: "Where have you taken my daughter? Give her back to me!"

"You are no longer fit to be a father."

Back in Tiandu, I washed my hands first, then went to visit Yu Cixin and the child.

Two large cradles were placed in the Phoenix Palace. Jun Manlu and Xiangling were each looking after one and talking to the two babies.

Liao Tian opened his eyes wide and listened silently. As if sensing his father's presence, he suddenly raised his head and tried his best to turn in the direction Luo Hou had come from.

"careful!"

Jun Manlu reacted quickly, supporting Liaotian's head so that he could see his father better.

Xuanling bit her fist, pounding it while groaning.

"Cixin, I'm back."

Ignoring the children, he went to his beloved wife first.

Yu Cixin was engrossed in a book, completely absorbed in it, until Luo Hou approached and she was startled and looked up.

"You're back?"

"What are you looking at?"

Yu Cixin hid the book behind her back, trying to avoid letting him see it.

"Ok?"

Xiangling, quick to speak, shouted, "Wu Jun, Sister Wang is reading 'The Sentimental Swordsman and the Sentimental Spear,' and she's even cried while reading it. She says it's about the two of you."

Seeing that she couldn't avoid it any longer, Yu Cixin hurriedly retorted, "You use a knife, I use a halberd, isn't that exactly what we're talking about?"

Luo Hou asked helplessly, "Are halberds and spears the same thing?"

"Barely."

Red Dust Snow, what a poisonous weed!

Perhaps to help her mother out of a predicament, Xianling started crying "Waaah~ Waaah," waving her little hands and making a gesture that said "I want a hug."

It's true that a mother and child are of one heart.

Luo Hou walked over, picked up Xianling, and gently tossed her into the air.

Hugs and being lifted high were always Xianling's favorite things to do, and the crying instantly turned into laughter, filling the Phoenix Palace with joyful chatter.

Liaotian's eyes followed his father's every move, a thoughtful expression on his face. It was impossible to know what such a small baby was thinking.

Late at night.

After spending time with his wife and children, Luo Hou went into his study alone.

Dozens of blue bricks were piled on the desk, which Luo Hou had instructed Little Fox and Little Devil to bring in.

He fiddled with the blue bricks, trying to connect the fragments of inspiration he had gained from his journey to the Bardo.

The study door opened, and Yu Cixin walked in quietly. Seeing her husband sitting among a pile of bricks, she couldn't help but ask in confusion, "What's this?"

"Cixin, let's build with blocks."

Luo Hou pulled Yu Cixin into his arms, then cleared a space on the desk and picked up a blue brick.

"This is a state of suffering."

Next, he divided another blue brick into four equal parts and took one out and placed it on the Bitter Realm.

"This is the Gathering Realm."

He picked up another piece and placed it on the platform.

"I understand, this is the Dao Realm."

"Suffering, its origin, the path, and its cessation—these four realms are interconnected."

He took another piece and placed it under the bitter realm.

bang.

The bricks, having lost their balance, fell over.

"How can the Bitter Realm, which is so small, support the gravity of the Annihilation Realm?"

"Beyond the realm of suffering, there are other realms of wonder."

Luo Hou picked up the last piece and placed it alongside the Extinction Realm: "This is the Bardo Realm."

"However, even if we combine the intermediate realm and the realm of annihilation, it is still not as large as the realm of suffering."

"Cixin is truly clever."

"Therefore, beneath the realm of suffering, there are also unknowable realms of otherworldly existence."

Luo Hou then separated a piece of blue brick, placing the smaller piece below the Bardo: "This is the Black Sea Forest Hell, which is connected to the Bardo."

"What about the other one?"

"It cannot be confirmed at the moment, but I speculate that it is the habitat of primitive species such as mirages or underworld cities."

"Are there any other realms below?"

“This time, I went deep into the Black Sea Forest Prison and saw the subterranean fire under the black moon, but I don’t know if there are any living beings deep in the subterranean fire.”

Yu Cixin reached out and picked up a piece of blue brick. After thinking for a moment, she cut it in half and placed it on one side of the Bitter Realm: "This is our Four Realms."

He then placed the other half beneath the Four Realms: "This is the Land of the Dead."

"Yes, there are also many other realms in the space above."

Luo Hou continued laying bricks, and soon, fragments of all sizes filled the desk:

Time City, the Four Wonders, the Nine Heavens, the Heavenly Frontier, the Strange Vendor Market... and several other realms connected to the Bitter Realm but in a closed state.

Finally, a few more bricks were added on top, representing the Six Heavens Realm and the Palace of Light revealed by the Boundless Sovereign Emperor.

I don't know where the Gate of Darkness and the Gate of Fate are.

"Cixin, what did you see?"

"The greatest misery."

"anything else?"

"The otherworld is very small."

"..."

"What I mean is that the Bitter Realm is vast and rich in resources, which will inevitably attract the covetousness of other realms. This is why other realms keep invading the Bitter Realm."

Luo Hou casually flicked his hand, enveloping the desk piled with bricks in a protective barrier, and explained to Yu Cixin:

"If there were an extreme force that could put all these realms into a box and turn it into a game called a miniature garden."

"Small gardening?"

"In the miniature world, the Bitter Realm grows into the strongest player, and it begins to create, modify, or destroy the game environment, and even modify the administrator system."

Yu Cixin was confused. She tried her best to understand her husband's meaning: "Are you saying that the Bitter Realm is too powerful and you want to break free from this barrier?"