Volume One: The Game of the Controllers Chapter Seventy-Two: The Power of Spatial Origin

“The power of spatial origin!” Qin Shuang was still reeling from the shock. If not for the fact that there were many Divine Kings in her family, she might not even have known what origin power was. In fact, even in the divine realm, very few below the rank of Divine King understood the concept of lower-realm origin power. Without attaining the status of Divine King and fully comprehending the laws of space, it was impossible to grasp what was meant by the power of spatial origin.

The power of spatial origin was the fundamental essence that constituted a space. Jiang Lan’s Jianglan World resembled a miniature cosmos, but it lacked origin power and thus, by nature, was destined to be merely a spiritual artifact, not a true space.

Only with origin power could something be called a true space. Every space in the lower realms possessed its own origin power; it was the very foundation and root of the space. A space that possessed origin power could be completely shattered yet still restore itself to its original state. This was the essential difference between a true space and an artifact of space. If the Jianglan World were shattered, it would cease to exist.

“Brother Zhang, you… you are remarkable!” After a long pause, Qin Shuang finally managed to utter these words. For someone with the soul cultivation of a high-grade Divine Person to be so astonished, Zhang Xingfeng couldn’t help but feel pleased.

“What use is it? By wielding the power of origin, I have also confined myself here. At first, I feared I would ascend, but as time passed, I finally understood.” Zhang Xingfeng smiled wryly again. “With the origin power of the Tianxin World within me, I am completely bound to this realm. I am the Tianxin World, and the Tianxin World is me. In this state, how could I possibly ascend?”

“That’s true, but even if you don’t ascend, here in the Tianxin World, no one could harm you. Even if a Divine King from the divine realm descended, he couldn’t kill you!” Qin Shuang sighed in admiration once again. She had already encountered so many strange things on her journey to the lower realms, and now, in the Tianxin World, she faced something she had never even imagined.

“I don’t know the true power of a Divine King, but unless he could destroy the entire Tianxin World, he couldn’t kill me,” Zhang Xingfeng reasoned after a moment and then nodded.

He was absolutely right. Though he was merely a ninth-level Immortal Emperor, he was bound to the entire Tianxin World. Even if a Divine King could imprison him, he could not kill him. Killing Zhang Xingfeng would be tantamount to destroying an entire lower realm. Not even a Heavenly Venerable, let alone a Divine King, had such power.

If an ordinary Divine Person descended into the Tianxin World, they likely wouldn’t be a match for Zhang Xingfeng. The Tianxin World, though a lower realm, could draw on its spatial origin power, mobilizing all of its energy; not even a high-grade Divine Person could contend with the might of an entire realm.

If a Celestial God confronted Zhang Xingfeng here, it would likely be a stalemate. Celestial Gods had some understanding of spatial laws, so the space power of the Tianxin World would not harm them as much, but in this realm, they could not use spatial laws against Zhang Xingfeng. No matter their rank, no Celestial God could harm him here.

Understanding all this, Qin Shuang marveled again at Zhang Xingfeng’s abnormality. In the Tianxin World, Zhang Xingfeng possessed strength equivalent to a Celestial God—a ninth-level Immortal Emperor wielding the power of a Celestial God! Such a thing was unimaginable. At the very least, Qin Shuang knew that if she fought Zhang Xingfeng here, she would meet a miserable end.

Yet Qin Shuang underestimated herself. She still did not realize the true might of the body-double puppet she had obtained in Shanhaitian; as long as that puppet existed, Zhang Xingfeng would be powerless against her as well.

Zhang Xingfeng and Qin Shuang spoke at length in private. Qin Shuang recounted tales of the divine realm and Misty City, while Zhang Xingfeng described the Tianxin World, deepening Qin Shuang’s understanding of the most powerful among all lower realms.

The night passed, and both felt the regret of not meeting sooner—a sense of finding a true confidant. In a single day, they had become close friends. It was no wonder; with his soul cultivation at the level of a high-grade Divine Person, Zhang Xingfeng viewed even the mightiest Immortal Emperors as mere infants. Those who had condensed golden cores in their souls were, to him, still children. Over time, he lost all interest in these Immortal Emperors, which only deepened the mystery surrounding him.

With Qin Shuang, it was like meeting someone of his own age. His long-lonely heart naturally opened up. Likewise, in Misty City, Qin Shuang had no friends, and in the lower realms, she felt the same as Zhang Xingfeng. Only with him could she truly be herself, as if they were old friends reunited after many years.

With their friendship established, those who had accompanied Qin Shuang to the Tianyue Star also stayed. Having spent so long in the Tianxin World and being its most renowned figure, Zhang Xingfeng had amassed a great collection of fine wines.

Having gained a true friend, Zhang Xingfeng’s spirits soared, and he brought out all manner of good wine to entertain them, while Qin Shuang shared some of the divine realm’s wines. During this time, Zong Jue and the others feasted, and even the super Kuya clansman, Lan Gang, felt the trip was worthwhile. Such fine drinks could never be found in the Dinosaur World.

Time passed swiftly; in the blink of an eye, a century had gone by.

As more and more powerful visitors from other realms gathered, Zhang Xingfeng was forced to leave Tianyue Star to handle various affairs. In the end, he had no choice but to designate a region for these outsiders and relocate all the Tianxin World’s inhabitants, washing his hands of the others’ fates.

This helpless move only increased the chaos. With experts from multiple realms living in close quarters, the slightest disagreement would spark fierce battles. In a mere century, there had been at least a hundred thousand skirmishes, with over fifty thousand experts perishing. Yet, since the people of the Tianxin World were kept apart, they remained unharmed.

A hundred years was but a fleeting moment to these Immortal Emperors, whose lives spanned billions of years. After settling the Immortal Emperors from other realms, Zhang Xingfeng returned to Tianyue Star, spending his days drinking and chatting with Qin Shuang—these days were truly precious to him.

“Brother Qin, you have vast experience in the divine realm. In your opinion, who could orchestrate such a grand gathering, just for the sake of a single treasure?” Zhang Xingfeng was now fully aware of the divine realm’s hierarchy and was increasingly curious about the soon-to-appear spiritual treasure.

Qin Shuang sipped her wine and pondered. “I’ve thought about this as well. Below the Divine Kings, absolutely no one could stir up such a commotion. Even among Divine Kings, it would have to be one of the more formidable. Yet…”

Yet, most of the Divine Kings in the divine realm were mere servants in the Purple Profundity Mansion. Of the few who remained, it was unlikely they would cause such an uproar.

“Yet what…?” Zhang Xingfeng pressed eagerly.

“Yet I feel this spiritual treasure is not so simple. If it were a second-tier Hongmeng Spirit Treasure or a high-grade Celestial Artifact, there would be no need to attract so many high-level Immortal Emperors. Not just in the Tianxin World, but even in the Immortal-Demon-Beast realms, the Three Great Spirit Pearls of the Dark Star Realm, the Dragon Emperor’s Legacy Pearl, and the Avian clan’s Heirloom are all of this caliber. But if it is a first-tier Hongmeng Spirit Treasure… even Divine Kings would covet it, and would never so casually let it fall into another’s hands.” Qin Shuang sighed, “Therefore, I suspect the real masterminds are the three Celestial Venerables.”

“Celestial Venerables…” Zhang Xingfeng’s breath caught, and he swallowed hard. “They are the supreme beings of the divine realm…”

Qin Shuang smiled. “Yes, the three Celestial Venerables are nearly omnipotent. Even if all the Divine Kings joined forces, they could not contend with a single Celestial Venerable.”

“If only I had the chance to become a Celestial Venerable…” Zhang Xingfeng laughed awkwardly.

Qin Shuang smiled. “Brother Zhang, you can call upon the spatial origin of the Tianxin World. It would not be wrong to call you the Celestial Venerable of the Tianxin World.”

“The Tianxin World…” Zhang Xingfeng was about to say more when his brows suddenly knit and his expression turned grave. “What… what is this power?”

“What is it?” Qin Shuang felt nothing amiss, but seeing Zhang Xingfeng’s face, she knew something serious had occurred.

“Someone, on the Tiandou Star within the Tianxin World, has single-handedly… opened up a new space,” Zhang Xingfeng said, frowning.

“Opened up a space on their own? And within your Tianxin World?” Qin Shuang now understood why his expression had become so somber.

Zhang Xingfeng nodded. “Yes, independently created a space—a space I cannot control.”

He could call upon the spatial origin of the Tianxin World, and yet a place had suddenly appeared that was beyond his control. The contradiction was stark.

“Come, I’ll go with you to investigate,” Qin Shuang volunteered.

“Alright, let’s go.” With a thought, Zhang Xingfeng enveloped them both in spatial power, and they vanished in an instant.

Tiandou Star, the largest and most massive in the Tianxin World, was a place where few could survive. Even Immortal Emperors with less than seventh-level cultivation would struggle to survive there.

“Look over there…” Standing on Tiandou Star, Zhang Xingfeng gazed up at a patch of milky-white mist in the sky.

(To be continued)