Volume One: The Game of the Controllers Chapter Sixty-Four: The Realm of Heavenly Heart

“What’s wrong? Songshi, are you still unwilling to swear?” Qin Shuang smiled faintly. When the force of his fist reached Songshi, it naturally split into two, passing by on either side of him. Yet as the gust of energy swept past, Songshi could feel with absolute clarity that had it struck him directly, he would have been gravely wounded if not killed outright.

“You—you, how do you know this…” Songshi was stricken with terror, not because Qin Shuang was capable of killing him, but because in the Immortal, Demon, and Monster Realms, aside from the Green Emperor and his disciples, no one else could use spatial power to imprison others. Now, all of a sudden, someone else had appeared with such mastery, and that person was a formidable expert—this was what truly shocked Songshi.

“There’s no need for so many questions. I only ask: will you swear or not?” Qin Shuang’s face darkened. The men brought by the Roc Demon Emperor had already been subdued by Hu Changfeng and Luo Changqing. Songshi’s prolonged silence began to kindle a murderous intent in Qin Shuang’s heart.

“If you just tell me where you’re from, and how you mastered this technique, I’ll swear. Otherwise, even if I die, I will not. Before coming here, I instructed my disciples: if I don’t return, they are to reveal the matter of the Hu Luo Sect to the world at once!”

Songshi sensed Qin Shuang’s killing intent, but he could not rest until he learned how Qin Shuang had mastered the technique Chi Qing had developed through his own research. If he didn’t find out, it would surely haunt him for the rest of his life, and his cultivation would never progress another step.

“It doesn’t matter where I come from. As for this technique, I comprehended it myself. Your understanding of space is impressive, far surpassing the other Immortal Emperors. Unfortunately, you have gone astray—you are too obsessed with following others’ footsteps, forgetting that your own insights are most important.”

“You comprehended it yourself? An understanding of space?” Songshi was stunned. Qin Shuang’s answer was entirely unexpected, especially the final words, which struck Songshi’s heart like a heavy hammer.

All along, Songshi had taken Chi Qing as his model in cultivation. Before ascending, Chi Qing told him that understanding space was all about personal insight; Chi Qing had merely guided him to the threshold. Regrettably, Songshi had never taken those words to heart, thinking them only encouragement. He had always followed Chi Qing’s cultivation methods to the letter. Though his early progress was great, the further he advanced, the slower his progress became. Now his cultivation had stagnated for thousands of years.

Only now, as someone whose understanding of space far surpassed his own repeated those words to him, did Songshi finally realize just how true his master’s advice had been—and how deeply he had wandered off the correct path.

“Thank you, Senior. For your kindness today, I, Songshi, will surely repay you in the future. Rest assured, even if I die, I will not speak of the Hu Luo Sect’s affairs. Moreover, upon my return, I will destroy all information related to the Hu Luo Sect.”

The Green Emperor Songshi bowed deeply to Qin Shuang, his heart surging with excitement. His path had been set straight again; with diligence, he too would one day become another Chi Qing—a true Green Emperor in due course.

“That’s well. You may go.”

Qin Shuang smiled gently, satisfied with this outcome. If Songshi could be spared, there was no need to kill him—after all, he had once been his father’s old friend.

“Little brother, we truly owe you our thanks this time!” Only after Songshi had departed did Hu Changfeng and Luo Changqing approach Qin Shuang. The two still did not know Qin Shuang’s name, but it did not matter now. They only knew that their choice back then had been correct, and they were deeply grateful for it.

“You’re welcome. After receiving your favor, how could I not help you out?” Qin Shuang smiled. These were two men he respected; lending them a hand as he passed by was a small matter.

On Cloud Righteous Star, Qin Shuang and his two companions were the last of the token-holders to arrive. Along the way, Qin Shuang learned much about the Hu Luo Sect. As for his own origins, he only vaguely claimed to have been living in seclusion with his master, and had only emerged recently after his master’s ascension.

Snow’s Edge City, the largest city on Cloud Righteous Star, was the meeting place for the ten token-holders. Together, they would open the passage to the Heart of Heaven Realm and compete for the spiritual treasure within.

By now, many had gathered on Cloud Righteous Star—those drawn by the news. Many demon cultivators from the Monster Realm had arrived too, including some demon emperors. Most numerous were the bird-kin. Since discovering the death of Fang Lan, the bird-kin had secretly dispatched many to this place—some to recover their ancestral spiritual treasure, others in hopes of finding Jinchi Dapeng Zongjue and persuading him to return to lead them, for the bird-kin could not be without the Roc Demon Emperor.

“Brother Wulong, I never imagined your life would be so colorful. I truly admire you—just from that one spear stroke you witnessed, you achieved all that you have today. One can only imagine how extraordinary Senior Qin must be!” Jin Xingjun Wenfeng smiled at Wulong as he spoke. The other eight smiled as well. Only Qin Shuang was silently reflecting on his father’s achievements. Especially now, with Wulong—Master of the Demon Realm and a ninth-level Demon Emperor—still expressing such respect for his father, Qin Shuang could not help but feel proud.

“Though Senior Qin was not my master, he was as good as one. But today is not the time to discuss him. I propose that in three days, we activate the tokens together and journey to the Heart of Heaven Realm!” Wulong smiled, glancing at Qin Shuang and the two from Hu Luo.

“I have no objection!” Wenfeng was the first to agree.

“Nor do we,” Qin Shuang replied after exchanging glances with his companions. Unconsciously, the three had formed a small team, with Qin Shuang at the center.

“Very well—three days from now, we depart together!”

In the Immortal, Demon, and Monster Realms, the ten token-holders represented the greatest powers. Now, a decision was made: in three days, they would depart for the Heart of Heaven Realm.

The ten were divided into three groups. The latest to arrive, Qin Shuang and the two elders of the Hu Luo Sect, united through their battle with Songshi, now formed the strongest team—three ninth-level Immortal Emperors. The Dark Star Realm trio, led by Jin Xingjun Wenfeng, were also among their world’s most powerful, and possessed two inherited spiritual treasures. If not for the unfathomable Qin Shuang, this group would have been the strongest.

The Demon and Monster Realms’ four appeared to be the mightiest, but among the three teams, they were the weakest, though they too possessed an inherited spiritual treasure. Overall, their power was just slightly less.

Three days later, before the bird-kin could contact Zongjue, the ten tokens were activated together. The ten stepped into a black void and vanished from the Immortal, Demon, and Monster Realms.

The Heart of Heaven Realm was the mightiest world in the Linmeng spatial hierarchy. Of every ten ascendants to the Divine Realm, one hailed from the Heart of Heaven Realm—a ratio other worlds could scarcely imagine.

Powerhouses abounded in the Heart of Heaven Realm. The weakest squad Qin Shuang encountered on the Infinite Continent was led by someone at the Golden Immortal level—in the Immortal, Demon, and Monster Realms, that was already a top expert, especially on smaller stars, where such beings were supreme.

Here, only Immortal Emperors were counted among the elite, and even then, eighth- or ninth-level Emperors with no unique techniques could not claim to be top figures. Only those with unique arts at such levels could truly stand at the peak.

Amid such a world teeming with the strong, there existed a legendary figure—one who was the spiritual leader of the Heart of Heaven Realm. No matter the sect or clan, no matter how grave the conflict, as soon as this man intervened, peace would be restored without a word of dissent.

Zhang Xingfeng was this legend. No one knew how long it had been since the Starpeak Immortal Emperor reached the ninth level. Many grew up on tales of his exploits—generations had come and gone, many had ascended, and still, the Starpeak Immortal Emperor had not.

Recently, Zhang Xingfeng had felt troubled. Ever since the emergence of the spiritual treasure, he had sensed that his peaceful days were ending. Sure enough, experts from other realms began arriving. At first, their numbers were few and they behaved, cowed by the Heart of Heaven's many masters. But as their ranks swelled, they became increasingly restless.

By the time Qin Shuang’s group of ten arrived, there were already hundreds of thousands of outsiders gathered in the Heart of Heaven Realm—almost all above eighth-level Immortal Emperor. Seventh-levels were rare indeed. So many experts in one place forced even the long-reclusive Zhang Xingfeng to emerge and personally suppress several of them, finally quelling their arrogance somewhat.

A hundred years after Qin Shuang’s arrival, there were already over 1.5 million outsiders gathered. Every day, more than a hundred eighth- and ninth-level Immortal Emperors fell. The Heart of Heaven Realm had become a powder keg, ready to explode at the slightest spark—and once it did, chaos would be unstoppable.

(To be continued)