The Xuantian Abyss Valley shattered. Although the chaotic and violent martial intents still raged for a while, they quickly dissipated, like a last wild struggle.

While many remains still lay scattered within this side of the Great Formation, once the martial intents dispersed, these remains began to weather and decay, disintegrating into dust.

Lei Jun watched this scene thoughtfully.

With the illusion of the Xuantian Abyss Valley, formed by condensed martial intent, now gone, the flow of spiritual energy in this part of the world began to shift, producing new changes.

Though still turbulent for now, in time, it would partially return to the former state of the Great Formation.

“With the Abyss of That Time still present, complete restoration will be difficult,” Chu Kun mused. “But on the other side of the Formation—the worlds of the Liu Yan Kingdom and Jinghai Kingdom—I imagine the flow of spiritual energy will no longer be as barren as it once was.”

Lei Jun gave a small nod.

Chu Kun glanced toward where Abbot Zhiquan, Lei Lei, and Zhou Pu had previously appeared. “Senior Brother, the cultivators from that side of the mortal world...”

“They won’t be able to come through again any time soon,” Lei Jun replied. “It’ll be hard for the stone blade to manifest in that realm again. Even if some remnants remain, with things changing on this side of the Formation, tracking the path here won’t be so easy anymore.

As for Venerable Puguang and the possible Witch King of Lingshan, they might have a chance, but it’ll take some time too.”

Chu Kun gave a quiet nod.

Lei Jun was organizing some talismans.

The spirit talismans all came from the other half of the Great Formation.

Although the remains of the martial immortals had been blown away like dust, Lei Jun had used the talismans to refine and extract something from them.

Seeing this, Chu Kun gained sudden insight. “These can help empower the life essence of our sect’s younger disciples and improve their body refinement?”

Lei Jun nodded. “Not much use for me, our master, Eldest Senior Sister, or Little Senior Sister, but for the others, it could help. You should try it too.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother,” Chu Kun said.

Lei Jun turned to him with a smile. “Judging by your look earlier, you made some decent gains too—good for your cultivation?”

Chu Kun answered honestly, “Indeed. I gained a lot, but my thoughts are scattered and chaotic—I still need to process it carefully.”

“Then let’s return to the mountain and cultivate in peace,” Lei Jun said as he stepped into the Xuanhuang Universe on this side.

Chu Kun responded and followed.

The two figures appeared within the other half of the Great Formation.

This half had also endured massive upheaval earlier, like the heavens and earth had been torn apart.

But now, it had already returned to normal.

The people living here, naturally, felt deep gratitude toward Immortal Master Chu.

And for Lei Jun and Chu Kun, they could faintly sense that though not yet obvious, the spiritual energy here in this half of the Formation was indeed more abundant than before.

As time passed, it would only grow more plentiful.

Later, Immortal Master Chu was going to enter seclusion once again.

In the quiet chamber of the Chongguang Temple, Chu Kun turned to Lei Jun. “Senior Brother, are we heading back to the Great Tang?”

Lei Jun nodded.

Chu Kun stepped forward, raised his index finger, and tapped Lei Jun’s forehead. Then, using his other hand, he gently tapped his own forehead several times.

Without warning, the two figures vanished from the world of the Formation.

----------------------------------------

Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

Two Great Shamans of Lingshan emerged from the Great Formation, looking a bit worse for wear as they returned to the mortal world.

Shaman Luo, Sun Li, looked beside him—only the walking corpse formed by the ruler of Dongqi remained. The real Lei Lei was nowhere to be seen, but the corpse spoke in Lei Lei’s voice:

“The Great Formation has changed so much—it’s utterly different from anywhere else in the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. There’s definitely a deeper secret hidden there. Too bad we couldn’t uncover it.”

Sun Li sighed. “There’s great danger hidden within. Aside from our King, none of us could have done much.”

He took something out and handed it over. “Still, it wasn’t a wasted trip.”

Lei Lei’s corpse received the item—a skeletal hand, perfectly preserved, still radiating a fierce yet graceful martial intent.

Clearly, it was a martial immortal’s remnant from long ago.

While this martial intent wasn’t enough to reproduce that warrior’s path, it didn’t matter—Lei Lei, being a Ghost Dao Great Shaman, didn’t aim to cultivate martial arts.

To her, this severed hand could be refined and merged into her walking corpse, making it far more powerful than before.

Fragmented bones were of limited use, but an intact skeletal hand like this was a true treasure—perfect for Ghost Dao experts refining walking corpses.

Sun Li had also gained something.

He was a Great Shaman of the Curse branch, at the Ninth Heaven level.

The Curse path had long involved the use of bones and fine jade as vessels for spellcasting and voodoo arts.

The martial immortal remains he collected—though fragmented and numerous—were ideal for his use.

Lei Lei gave a sigh. “You still thought of me—I appreciate it.”

She didn’t fully trust this newly allied companion.

But now wasn’t the time to voice it.

If Sun Li had helped earlier, they might not have let the two monks from the Buddhist sect seize the chance to reach the abyss above first.

But in the end, the outcome showed that getting there first didn’t mean victory.

Abbot Zhiquan and Master Duci had both perished. Had she and Sun Li been in their place, the result wouldn’t have been any better.

In terms of defense, they couldn’t match those two monks. They would’ve been cut down on the spot.

Let alone the temporal abyss that had spread and engulfed everything afterward.

At most, the two Lingshan Great Shamans could try to use shamanic techniques to fake death and revive later.

But to truly uncover the secrets of the Great Formation? They simply weren’t capable.

If the abyss above was too strange and domineering, they might not even get the chance to fake death—their souls could be swallowed up instantly.

In that case, Lei Lei wisely chose not to say more.

“We should return to Lingshan and report to our King,” she finally said.

Sun Li smiled calmly. “Of course.”

He paused, then added, “There seemed to be huge changes around the underground entrance of the inverted valley, too. Someone might’ve triggered something.”

Lei Lei scanned the surroundings of the mortal realm. “The places where people return from the Great Formation aren’t fixed. We can’t be sure.”

As they spoke, the two returned to Lingshan.

Along the way, a message came from the Shamanic Order of Lingshan.

“Brother Jia’s stirring up trouble again,” Lei Lei said as she handed the message to Sun Li.

Though she had doubts about this colleague, he was one of the Ten Shamans, and thus had access to the same internal communications.

Sun Li read it silently, then said, “Elder Jia never does anything small.”

Elder Jia—full name Jia Xianting—was one of the Ten Shamans, titled Shaman Zhen. He was one of the top three experts among them, a Great Shaman at the ninth heaven, fifth layer, perfect stage.

Lingshan’s mortal world operations during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms were primarily under his control.

While Lei Lei, Sun Li, and the two monks had ventured into the Great Formation, Jia Xianting had taken action in the mortal realm.

Zhou Wei, Emperor of the Later Han, had been assassinated.

The Later Han had fallen into chaos.

“The Later Han replaced the Later Chu, and the Later Chu was originally backed by Elder Jia,” Sun Li commented. “So it’s no surprise he would take them out himself. But…”

He read the message again. “Wasn’t the Buddhist sect supporting the Later Han? Even if Abbot Zhiquan and Master Duci are gone, there should be other Buddhist experts in the mortal world. It shouldn’t have been so easy for Elder Jia, but it seems it was.”

According to the report, Emperor Zhou Wei hadn’t died on the spot.

But the shamanic arts were infamous for being deadly—if they didn’t kill you outright, they could still claim your life later.

“We’ll see what tricks the monks of Saha are playing once more intel comes in,” Lei Lei’s corpse said, turning to look at Sun Li. Her hollow eyes betrayed no emotion. “Since Brother Jia made his move, he’ll have his reasons. Let’s leave this to him and return to Lingshan.”

“Elder Lei is right,” Sun Li replied as usual.

Though his expression remained calm, many thoughts swirled inside.

Though new to his high rank in Lingshan, he had seen and heard much already.

Many—Lei Lei included—harbored doubts about Shaman Zhen Jia Xianting.

He was known to act independently, and rumors claimed he secretly hoarded spiritual resources from the mortal realm.

Sun Li had done something similar in the Great Formation just now.

But the difference was—Jia Xianting’s actions suggested he was building his own power outside Lingshan, possibly aiming to surpass the Ninth Heaven.

His hoarding might even hinder the Shaman King's plans.

If the stone blade hadn’t been gathered through a separate channel into Lingshan, this entire Great Formation mission might’ve played out very differently.

Still, the Shaman King had never interfered in Jia Xianting’s affairs. Perhaps he still trusted the man.

So Lei Lei and the others kept their suspicions to themselves.

As for Sun Li—he watched silently.

...Lingshan wasn’t peaceful, either. But in these changing times, the world itself was in turmoil.

Best to stay sharp and keep strengthening himself. Sun Li’s face remained calm as he followed Lei Lei back to Lingshan.

----------------------------------------

Zhou Pu left the Great Formation and returned to the mortal world, taking time to recover his turbulent qi and blood.

Before he could reach the Later Han capital, he heard the news that his foster father, Emperor Zhou Wei, had been attacked.

Zhou Pu was stunned. “What happened?”

His trusted general reported anxiously, “The Northern Liang invaded. His Majesty personally led the army, but during the battle, he was suddenly ambushed. Our army suffered a crushing defeat. His Majesty was gravely wounded—we don’t know his current condition…”

Zhou Pu immediately set off to find and protect the emperor.

But on the road, he calmed down and quickly sensed that something was off.

Though Abbot Zhiquan of the Buddhist Luoli Monastery had entered the Great Formation, Master Duming of Little Western Paradise had stayed behind—his role was to keep an eye on Shaman Zhen Jia Xianting of Lingshan.

Yet based on incoming intel, Jia Xianting had assassinated Zhou Wei, and Duming had reacted... oddly slowly.

Zhou Pu’s heart sank.

He composed himself and calmly asked, “What about General Lu and the others in the capital?”

“To maintain order in the capital, General Lu stayed behind, but he’s sent reinforcements to His Majesty,” the general replied.

Zhou Pu nodded, saying no more.

But his suspicion was now certainty.

The Buddhist sect didn’t act out of carelessness—they had allowed Jia Xianting to kill Zhou Wei.

Not because they wanted a change of dynasty—but because they wanted to replace the emperor.

Zhou Wei, despite his respect toward Buddhism, was an ambitious ruler. Under his leadership, their influence in the Later Han was already declining.

And his favorite heir, Zhou Pu, wasn’t fond of Buddhism at all.

In contrast, the other rising general, Lu Shaorui—Zhou Wei’s son-in-law—was deeply aligned with the Buddhist sect.

Lu Shaorui, like Zhou Pu, had fought under Zhou Wei from a young age and was immensely popular—second only to Zhou Wei and Zhou Pu himself.

He was the Buddhist sect’s chosen candidate for the next emperor of the Later Han.

As for who would bear the burden of killing Zhou Wei—that, of course, was left to the shamans.

The Buddhist sect and Lu Shaorui would then ensure that the empire didn’t fall to the Shamanic Order, and Zhou Pu would be replaced.

“We go to Father first,” Zhou Pu decided, though countless thoughts raced through his mind.

Aside from following Zhou Wei in his rise against the Later Chu, this could be the most important moment of his life.

No matter how many bloody battles he’d faced, this one was different.

Breaking the deadlock wouldn’t be easy.

Two key points: First, Abbot Zhiquan and Master Duci—two Ninth Heaven Buddhist experts—had died in the Great Formation.

Meanwhile, the two Great Shamans had escaped.

This would shift the balance between shamans and monks.

Even the southern Chu King, Li Weilie, who was backed by Buddhism, had also died inside the Formation.

Southern Chu was bound to fall into chaos next.

The outcome of the Grand Matrix was truly unexpected—surely not something Abbot Duming of Little Western Heaven had foreseen. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have tacitly approved of Wu Zhen and Jia Xianting’s assassination attempt on Prince Zhou Wei of Han.

As for Zhou Pu, the second key to breaking the situation lay in...

He took a deep breath and reached for his chest.

Beneath his inner armor, hidden away, was a Confucian Coordinate Box rarely seen in this world.

Inside the box lay an object from the Grand Matrix—something that looked like a radiant crystal, yet also like a human eye.

——————————

After returning to the Tang realm, Lei Jun and Chu Kun went their separate ways. Chu Kun immediately began closed-door cultivation in the mountains.

“The Abyss of Time…”

After hearing everything Lei Jun had gone through in the Grand Matrix, Yuan Mobai fell into thought. “Do you believe the Abyss of Time already existed before the great disaster at the end of the Han Dynasty split the human realms?”

Lei Jun replied, “I believe it did, though it likely wasn’t as it is now. The calamity caused changes, and only afterward did it manifest into its current state. The specifics of how it once looked are now difficult to verify.”

Whether it was Yan Rizhōng and the other Martial Immortals who joined the old Heavenly Palace, or Lord Zhuang who killed them—they were all gone now.

Empress Zhang Wantong’s past life as the Celestial Dweller Tianrui had only heard bits and pieces about the Grand Matrix, but never actually entered it.

According to her descriptions, however, the upheaval in the Heavenly Palace began in Biluó and ended in the Grand Matrix.

The final catastrophic change was jointly triggered by Biluó and the Grand Matrix.

Biluó had also undergone massive transformation because of it.

“Maybe once Biluó reopens and the heavens and earth align again, we’ll finally know the whole story.”

Lei Jun pondered briefly before continuing, “As for the Abyss of Time, it's filled with fragmented shards of time and space. Everything flickers past in the blink of an eye—it’s hard to distinguish anything clearly. But… I believe some of what I saw in there was extremely strange. It looked ancient, but didn’t quite match the timeline before the great Han catastrophe.”

Yuan Mobai’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Lei Jun.

Lei Jun remained calm. “I have no intention of jumping to conclusions. Many ancient texts have been lost or scattered. Much of what remains is mere legend—still needs verification.”

Yuan Mobai nodded lightly. “Since the Grand Matrix has stabilized for now, we’ll just wait and observe. Once Chongguang finishes his seclusion, he can take over monitoring it.”

Lei Jun nodded, smiling. “That’s what I was thinking too.”

He added, “Junior Brother really gained a lot from this trip. I suspect his divine realm won’t just stabilize—it might even evolve. He could probably form his Divine Court's Upper Aspect within a few years.”

Yuan Mobai smiled too. “That would be excellent.”

Chu Kun’s Divine Court Outer Aspect was called Xiaohan Divine State, and it had a unique mystique. Deep within the myriad changes of the Doumu Star Heavens cultivated through his Milky Way Immortal Physique, it felt like there existed a vast divine land on the far side of the river of stars.

This didn’t entirely match his prior Daoist studies.

Which is why Lei Jun called this third junior brother an onion—layered and full of secrets. The way his Divine Court appeared likely had a lot to do with what he kept hidden.

As expected, the source of it all could be traced back to one of the Ten Lands: the Grand Matrix.

This trip changed Chu Kun significantly, and its influence would show in his Xiaohan Divine State in the future.

Lei Jun summoned his eldest disciple Zhuo Huajie and handed him spirit talismans that had been tempered by Martial Immortal intent and refined by the spiritual energy of the Grand Matrix.

“Give one to every disciple in the sect who focuses on physical cultivation and vital energy. The rest go to the treasure vault. Those who want one can earn it through merit.”

“Yes, Master.” Zhuo Huajie received them respectfully.

He was already a senior elder in the sect, responsible for internal affairs. Lei Jun entrusted the matter to him for execution.

Naturally, he got one too.

Among his generation of peers, Zhuo Huajie had always been the foremost in physical cultivation.

Although someone of Yuan Mobai’s level didn’t need them, seeing how the younger disciples could benefit brought a smile to his face.

Lei Jun, however, spoke quietly on the side, “There’s another matter I should report, concerning Elder Sun of the Reincarnation Abyss.”

Yuan Mobai’s smile didn’t fade. “You ran into Brother Sun in the Grand Matrix?”

Lei Jun nodded. “Elder Sun entered Mount Ling. From the looks of it, he holds a pretty high position now—possibly one of the Ten Witches of Ling. Zhou Pu mentioned that Witch Luo of the Ten Witches was recently replaced.”

Yuan Mobai said, “I knew Brother Sun had joined Ling, but since it was personal, I hadn’t brought it up. Didn’t expect he’d also head into the Grand Matrix.”

Lei Jun smiled. “No wonder Daoist Li Tianqing from the Blood River Sect said the Eastern Emperor Taiyi Formation was only possible thanks to Elder Sun.”

Yuan Mobai laughed. “I’ve heard Brother Sun gained a lot in Ling.”

Lei Jun added, “And he made a fortune in the Grand Matrix, too.”

He wasn’t the only one who profited.

Take Zhou Pu, for example.

That Grade-Two destiny at the bottom of the Abyssal Gorge ended up in his hands.

Through Lei Jun’s Heavenly Talisman of Divine Insight, he had only a fleeting glimpse—but it was enough. What Zhou Pu obtained looked like… an eye.

A Martial Immortal’s Eye.

Naturally, it was a treasure. But apart from the catastrophe blocked by Li Weilie of Southern Chu, there were hidden dangers within it.

From afar, Lei Jun judged that the danger didn’t lie in the eye itself.

At least, not enough to downgrade it from a Grade-Two opportunity.

More likely, the real danger was in what else the eye was connected to.

For example—why was only one eye left in the Grand Matrix?

Clearly, Zhou Pu’s risks were greater.

But he had no other options.

He had to carve out his own path.

———

Another new year approached.

Tang Xiaotang finally emerged from her seclusion on Mount Longhu.

Her sole direct disciple, Cheng Rongrong, was about to participate in the upcoming Talisman Bestowal Ceremony.

After coming out, Tang Xiaotang heard Lei Jun recount the events in the Grand Matrix and clicked her tongue in admiration. “No wonder Chu Kun is such a big shot. So, what’s the current situation?”

Lei Jun replied, “Venerable Puguang and the Witch King of Ling haven’t made any further moves. The Grand Matrix is stable for now. But over in the Martial-led human realm, things are even more chaotic.”

Even though the dark side of the Heavenly Tome couldn’t reveal every detail of Zhou Pu’s life, Lei Jun still picked up quite a lot.

For example, Zhou Pu—who had already reached the peak of the Eighth Heaven—had used the Martial Immortal’s Eye to finally break through to the Ninth Heaven and become a Martial Sage. He successfully took control of the Later Han.

Although he had rushed to see Zhou Wei, the latter still didn’t survive the ordeal.

The Saha Buddhist Sect successfully replaced the ruler of Later Han.

But unfortunately for them, only the first half of the plan worked.

Abbot Zhiquan, Master Duci, and King Li Weilie of Southern Chu all perished in the Grand Matrix.

On the other hand, the Witch Sect—especially Wu Zhen, Jia Xianting, and their supporters—grew even stronger.

If Zhou Pu were still in the Eighth Heaven like Lu Shaorui, Little Western Heaven might have pushed forward with their original plan despite difficulties.

But a Ninth Heaven Zhou Pu was an entirely different story.

Regardless of the future, for now, as long as Zhou Pu didn’t reject the Buddhist Sect as he did before, Little Western Heaven had no choice but to pinch their noses and switch allegiance to support him to stabilize the Later Han.

It seemed Zhou Pu had no other choice either.

After all, Zhou Wei had died at the hands of the Witch Sect. There was no way Zhou Pu would side with them.

Everything fell into place naturally.

The throne of Later Han had changed hands, and Southern Chu teetered on the brink.

This Martial-ruled human world was descending into greater bloodshed.

Tang Xiaotang asked, “So Zhou Pu really bowed to the Buddhist Sect?”

Lei Jun answered, “That’s how it looks. But what he really thinks—only he knows.”

Tang Xiaotang curled her lip.

Lei Jun changed the subject. “Meanwhile, something new is happening in the former Song realm.”

The void portal connecting the former Song realm to Guixu reopened.

A monstrous beast from Guixu had returned to the world.

It landed on the eastern coast.

Its target: the Jiangnan survivors of the Song Dynasty.

“Although the Kunpeng Monster Saint hasn’t appeared, more than one Ninth Heaven beast has.”

Lei Jun continued, “Zhu Junjie and the others are struggling to hold the line.”

Tang Xiaotang raised a brow and smiled. “Looks like Elder Zheng of Pure Yang Palace should come out of seclusion.”

Lei Jun said, “With these beasts plunging the world into chaos and the people into suffering, it wouldn’t hurt if you made a trip too. As for the Undersea Realm, it can wait. I’ll open a passage through the Yellow Springs and send you in secretly.”

He added, “But here’s my suggestion: for now, only let Elder Zheng come out. Let him stabilize the situation so it doesn’t completely collapse. Even a slow retreat would be fine.”

Tang Xiaotang smiled fearlessly. “You’re worried Ongqinfu is coming for me?”

Lei Jun: “Mostly I suspect both Sumeru and Guixu might be planning something big—not immediately, but soon. The Western expedition of the Lotus Division and the southern invasion of Guixu monsters together… feels a bit like clearing the field in advance.”

Tang Xiaotang: “Oh?”

Lei Jun: “I want to see what they’re preparing for.”

The Golden Khanate's western campaign against the Canglang Khanate? Lei Jun didn’t even care.

Let them kill each other.

But now that the Guixu beasts were moving, he took it seriously.

Because this likely involved both the Enlightened Venerable of Sumeru and the Golden Khan Ongqinfu.

Lei Jun hadn’t forgotten Ongqinfu’s previous attempt to enter the Undersea Realm, even taking a detour through Sumeru and the Jinhan realm, forcing Datong to seal itself off.

It wasn’t just Elder Tang who held grudges.

Celestial Master Lei had his own scorebook too.

He’d previously advised Tang Xiaotang to focus on cultivation and wait for her chance.

Ongqinfu was also working on changing his circumstances.

If he left an opening, then naturally—Lei Jun wouldn’t let it go.

———

After the New Year Talisman Bestowal Ceremony, Elder Tang of Mount Longhu went back into seclusion.

Meanwhile, Elder Zheng of Pure Yang Palace emerged from his.

Tang Xiaotang’s disciple, Cheng Rongrong, was already used to her master’s ways. Calmly, she continued her cultivation under Lei Jun and the other senior brothers’ guidance, soon breaking through to the Fourth Heaven—Origin Talisman Realm.

After secretly sending Tang Xiaotang to the former Song realm via the Yellow Springs, Lei Jun returned to his own training.

Atop the Immortal Mountain of Biyou within the Dongtian of the Upper Purity Thunder Mansion, Lei Jun sat in quiet meditation.

The Temporal Blade Soul lay across his knees, its watery light constantly shifting, its shape ephemeral.

As he meditated on its mysteries, Lei Jun suddenly smiled. “So that’s it. That friend from the Shu Sect of Southern Jin—Shen Xi—is a Celestial Body of Chronolight.”

The Celestial Body of Chronolight had many wondrous qualities, but it was especially prized for one reason: those with this physique experienced time differently during cultivation. This allowed them to save massive amounts of time and improve rapidly.

It was arguably the most optimal physique for cultivation—no exaggeration needed.

No wonder Shen Xi had managed to reach the peak of the Ninth Heaven during the Liang-Jin era, even before the spiritual energy tides began. He had even reached the Fourth Layer of the Ninth Heaven—just one step away from becoming a Loose Immortal.

“Command!” Lei Jun chanted sonorously, one hand holding the Temporal Blade Soul, the other flicking his fingers.

In a way, this blade could now mimic the effects of the Celestial Body of Chronolight.