Bitter Realm: My Feet Step Through the Flames of War

"Tell me why you're here."

"I have come to the Dark Realm of Mud to search for the lost half of my friend's body. The details are as follows..."

Su Huanzhen did not hide the fact that he needed the help of the higher-ups in the Mud Goddess Dark Realm to reunite with Shezhiduo.

"A crippled body is nothing to me, but what can Su Xianren offer in return?"

"Qi Yi can help Marquis Wen conquer cities and territories, but I, Su, can help Marquis Wen become the true master of the Dark Realm."

"Impossible!"

Li Wen feigned anger, first shouting at him, then asking in a low voice, "Zou Shan Qi Yi has Yin soldiers to aid me in the battle. What trump cards do you, Su Huanzhen, have? Do you only have your silver tongue?"

Su Huanzhen flicked his whisk and said confidently, "Have you not heard the saying in the Bitter Realm, 'He who obtains Su Huanzhen obtains the world'?"

"Ok?"

"The world that Su speaks of is the real world."

Li Wen's heart skipped a beat: "What does Su Xianren mean?"

Su Huanzhen blinked: "That's exactly what Marquis Wen is thinking, but I need to see my friend first."

Li Wen immediately stood up from the throne, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism. He had spent too many years in this underground world; everything was so dull. If only he could be in the rich and beautiful Bitter Realm…

The Bitter Realm is home to countless fresh souls!

Li Wen licked his lips, then waved his hand dismissively: "Then please wait for my news, Master Su! Chess One!"

"My subordinate is here."

"Once I gain control of the world, you and Su Huanzhen will be my brothers and sisters, sharing royal power and wealth with me."

Zou Shan Qi Yi bowed and said, "Qi Yi dares not. Qi Yi will certainly do his best to assist the Marquis and help the Marquis unify the world."

"Hahahaha! We'll treat our distinguished guest well."

"Yes, I'll take my leave."

Following Li Wen's instructions, Zou Shan Qi Yi quickly allocated resources to arrange a separate garden for Su Huanzhen and Qu Shitu, and found a spiritual medicine to nourish Qu Shitu's soul.

After the two settled in, Qu Shitu began to complain.

"Su Huanzhen, you're not going to lead the people of the Mud Goddess Dark Realm to the Bitter Realm, are you? The Bitter Realm is already bitter and chaotic enough."

He then rebuked Zou Shanqi: "Even though you are dead, you should not have aided and abetted the evildoers. You could have just quietly sent us out, but you had to drag Su Huanzhen to see the prison master."

Qi Yi smiled slightly but did not reply.

“My friend, how could I, Su, do such a thing?”

“But you clearly promised Li Wen that you would help him seize the world.”

"Ha, the world he envisions may not be the same as the world I envision."

"Could it be?"

"My friend, you should just wash up and go to bed."

That night, news that Su Zhen, a famous figure from the Bitter Realm, was in the Dark Realm of Mud and had reached a cooperation agreement with Li Wen spread silently. Qin Guang, Bian Cheng, and Bi Yuan received secret letters almost simultaneously.

Bi Yuan, the Lord of Soul Devouring Purgatory, who was gritting his teeth over his defeat, burst into wild laughter after reading the secret letter.

"Arrogant, hahahahaha! Men, prepare the car!"

The personal guard asked, puzzled, "My lord, it's so late, are you going out again?"

"Hmph, I must immediately seek an audience with the Dark Lord and expose to his face the ambitions of this scoundrel Li Wen. He actually dares to collude with the people of the Bitter Realm to seize the Dark Lord's empire!"

Chapter 487 Breaking Through Two Realms

A magnificent yet unusually dark hall, with a gauze curtain hanging in front of the throne, obscuring the figures behind it.

Bi Yuan had not seen the Dark Lord for decades. If it weren't for the annual meeting of the Four Lords, where the Dark Lord's speaking style remained unchanged, Bi Yuan would have almost doubted that the Dark Lord was no longer himself.

I heard that the neighboring Yama, the King of Hell, is the same; he can't even see his own daughter.

Despite his doubts, Bi Yuan still respectfully reported to the Dark Lord.

“Li Wen not only seized my Platform No. 9, but also colluded with spies from the Bitter Realm in an attempt to seize Your Majesty’s throne.”

"Oh? Is my empire so easy to seize?"

The voice coming from behind the gauze curtain was unhurried, as if they didn't quite believe Bi Yuan's words.

"Your Majesty, Li Wen is colluding with Su Huanzhen, the emperor of the Bitter Realm! He has countless followers in the Bitter Realm. Once Su Huanzhen brings his followers to the Dark Realm of Mud, Your Majesty will be in grave danger!"

"What good plan does Lord Bi have?"

"Strike first and gain the upper hand. While Su Huanzhen is still in the Dark Realm, we should first eliminate him and Zou Shanqi, the strategist newly recruited by Li Wen, and then arrest Li Wen and bring him to justice for his treason!"

"Very good. Go to Blood Wheel and Ice Charcoal Prisons and convey my decree that the Dark Realm will henceforth only have three marquises, and the Soul Rift Purgatory will be managed by the three marquises in rotation."

Bi Yuan was overjoyed. The Dark Lord's decree had already decided Li Wen's fate: the three marquises would join forces to kill him.

Long after Bi Yuan left the palace, the gauze curtain fluttered slightly, revealing a languid figure leaning against the throne covered with thick feathers, yawning.

"These people in the Mud God's Dark Realm are really boring, fighting and killing all day long. Compared to the Yama God's Realm, my three chief ministers are much more worry-free... So sleepy."

The figure on the throne lay down as if to fall asleep, but suddenly opened his eyes wide, revealing an excited expression.

"Hmm? People from the Bitter Realm have also appeared in the Yama's Ghost Prison. How interesting."

The figure flashed and disappeared into the void.

As the turbulent currents of the Dark Realm of Niva surged, Vajra of Dharma, along with Duanmie Chanti, Jingwuhuan, and Zonghengzi, arrived at Yama's Ghost Prison to pay their respects to Lie Hongjiao.

Lie Hongjiao sat on a pile of rocks, lost in thought.

The survivors of Yama's Ghost Prison are working hard to rebuild. Lie Hongjiao has no requirements for food and lodging, so the royal palace will not be built for the time being; the houses of the people will be repaired first.

The monks of Xihuang Temple gave them some fruit and vegetable seeds, and the woman and her child were looking for a place to plant them.

Lie Hongjiao knew nothing about these things, not even as much as Xun Meng'er.

"So eating, drinking, living, and traveling are such complicated and important things. I think I understand the Empress a little better now."

Fawei Jingang frowned and said solemnly, "Human beings have two hands for labor; human beings have two legs for walking; human beings have a clever mind to overcome difficulties. All things in nature have their own way of survival, not plunder and killing."

“What you say is absolutely right, Master. I, Lie Hongjiao, have learned a great deal.”

After a long lecture, Fawei Jingang not only nipped Lie Hongjiao's budding dangerous thoughts in the bud, but also convinced Duanmie Chanti and Zonghengzi. One of them was the current crown prince of Wanmo Senyu, and the other was a villain who had made mistakes in the past. Both of them felt as if a master was talking to them.

The group exchanged greetings.

Faweijin then explained his purpose, hoping to pass through the Yama Ghost Prison and travel from the border of the Ghost River to the Niva Dark Realm.

"Besides rescuing people, Wu Jun also hopes to connect the two realms and link the Ghost Prison and the Dark Realm together."

"Break through the two realms? But we don't know if the Mud Realm is friend or foe. If the Dark Realm has ulterior motives, breaking through the border would be like inviting a wolf into the house."

"Indeed, therefore I request your assistance, Mr. Horn."

If another Juejun were here, he would have a hundred or so ways to invade the Mud World, but this Horned Lord knows nothing but fighting.

He asked blankly, "What should I do?"

Zonghengzi took over the conversation: "Let's be polite first, then resort to force. Since Lord Jiao is visiting a friendly nation as the Lord of Yama's Ghost Prison, I will serve as your subordinate and first investigate the situation in the Dark Realm."

What if the other party refuses?

"Then we have no choice but to launch a full-scale attack."

"Ok."

"Let's first go to the lower reaches of the Guiji River to observe the terrain."

The group of people rode on a bamboo raft with a red horn, slowly drifting forward on the Guiji River.

When Wu Jun cleaved the Guiji River, all the water and evil spirits in the river flowed towards the Earth's core. After Lie Hongjiao returned, he sealed the breach, and the river quickly filled with water again.

The water is yin water, clean and clear. Although there are no evil spirits, no aquatic plants will grow, and there will be no fish or shrimp.

The bamboo raft drifted along for several hours until it reached the end of the Guiji River. The river surface was shrouded in mist, with large wisps of fog obscuring the view of the opposite bank.

This is the place that Luo Hou and Shao Hao arrived at earlier.

"It's a barrier."

Zonghengzi took out a chess piece and flicked it into the mist. With a "plop" sound, the chess piece bounced back and fell into Zonghengzi's hand.

Everyone stared intently and saw that although the chess piece retained its perfect shape, its internal structure had been corroded by death energy, turning it into a pile of gray powder.

The Vajra of Dharmakṣa cultivated a Vajra body, as hard as iron, impervious to all evil. Upon seeing this, he said, "Why don't I try it myself?"

“Masters should not take risks; let Wuhuan come.”

Jing Wuhuan stopped Fawei Jingang, took out a paper figure, threw it into the air, made a hand seal, and cast the Body Incarnation Technique.

The paper figure transformed in mid-air, quickly growing to the size of Jing Wuhuan, with a beautiful face and a resolute expression. Holding the Qitian Sword, it slashed fiercely at the barrier.

Boom!

The sword, gleaming with golden light and brimming with Dao energy, inherited eighty percent of Jing Wuhuan's Yuan Gong, struck the border barrier of the Mud World Dark Realm, producing a deafening roar.

Immediately, the barrier mist rapidly separated to both sides, revealing a corner of the Mud Goddess's Dark Realm.

"That is?"

"Xuanming Clan!"

"There's another monk, no, wait!"

Appearing in Jing Wuhuan and the others' line of sight were three people dressed in the attire of the Bitter Realm. The monk among them turned around and smiled slightly, seemingly unsurprised by their actions.

Before they could even make a call, the paper figure was corroded by the death energy, and the barrier suddenly closed.

The people on the other end were naturally Xuanming, Mulingshan, and Shezhiduo. The three of them originally planned to sneak into the Rift Soul Purgatory under the cover of night to find Su Huanzhen, but Li Wen listened to Su Huanzhen's words and prepared for military action overnight. The entire Rift Soul Purgatory was placed under martial law, and not even a dead soul could fly in.

As dawn broke, the armies of the Blood Wheel, Ice Charcoal, and Soul Devouring Hells joined forces and attacked the Soul Rift Purgatory. The battle was deafening, and blood flowed like rivers.

The three had no choice but to leave the Soul Rift Purgatory and flee towards the border.

Just as they reached the border, they heard a loud noise. Xuanming turned around in alarm and saw the barrier slowly closing.

"What exactly is going on?"