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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
The City of No Return was founded countless years ago. It was said to be closely related to the Immortal Palace.
The ancient land it was built on was known as the Floating Nether Realm, which was one of the Nine Mysterious Realms that once existed in the Immortal Domain.
However, following the collapse of the Immortal Domain and the annihilation of the Immortal Palace, the peerless experts used Divine Techniques to take the realm away and transform it into a world of its own.
The Floating Nether Realm was not actually an independent world of its own but a territory that threaded the line between real and illusionary. Therefore, it did not have a fixed location.
The Nine Mysterious Realms could not be located through memory or records. One could only enter the realms by chance. Naturally, the Floating Nether Realm did not float around all the time. It would hover in places for a while before moving away after a certain period of time.
Those who lived in the Floating Nether Realm were unaware of this. It was simply the land where their Families and Ancestors had settled down.
Previously, there had been living beings who left for the outside world, but they never came back as they could not find their way back.
That was how the name the City of No Return came about. It meant that once someone left this city, they would never be able to return. The same meaning applied to the Sea of No Return.
“It seems like the array our Ancestors left behind won’t be able to hold out for much longer. The Elders and I have discussed this matter. If all else fails, we will need to activate the Array Core inside the City of No Return and leave the Immortal Domain as soon as possible.” After hearing what Qing Feng said, Grandma Medicine, who was busy with the medicinal herbs, could not help but sigh. She began to look worried.
“But, if we do that, it means that many of those who live outside the City of No Return will be left behind. If we go ahead with that plan, doesn’t it mean that we’ll be abandoning them and leaving them to fend for themselves? Is this what the Elders have decided upon?” Qing Feng’s hands paused. After a moment of silence, he could not resist calmly voicing his doubt.
The Array Core within the City of No Return was the reason why the city could hover above the Sea of No Return and avoid being attacked by sea creatures.
It was actually the Source Core left behind by the Prime Ancestor who founded the City of No Return. It was made of an unknown material and was the foundation of the array covering the whole Floating Nether Realm.
The Source Core inside the City of No Return was the reason why the Floating Nether Realm remained undetected by the outside world. The array allowed them to be kept out of sight.
The recent decay of the protective array was due to the fact that the Source Core was weakening and losing its power.
Elder Yu had taken the risk to leave the Floating Nether Region and set off for the Immortal Domain in the hopes of testing the waters with the Demon Lord.
That trip used up a lot of the Source Core’s power and further damaged the array. Therefore, many cultivators from the outside world ended up accidentally stumbling into this Realm lately.
“If things truly come to that, we will have no choice but to make a decision. Either we all stay in the Floating Nether Realm or everyone leaves with the City of No Return,” Grandma Medicine said with a sigh.
It was a helpless situation. There was no other way of resolving the issue.
All this while, the Families in the Floating Nether Realm lived harmoniously throughout numerous epochs. However, they did not have the power to go up against the entire Immortal Domain, and especially not the Demon Lord that made even the Immortal Domain tremble in fear.
“I understand. If it really comes to that…” Qing Feng nodded grimly. He looked beyond the walls of the City of No Return and thought about the many settlements outside. He recalled the looks of awe and respect in the eyes of the people who saw him.
All of a sudden, he felt the burden of responsibility on his shoulders growing heavier.
When compared to the living beings in the City of No Return whose Families have been here for generations, he was merely an outsider. No one knew where he had come from. All they knew was that Grandma Medicine found him on the shore of the Sea of No Return. Nevertheless, to him, the City of No Return was his home.
It was understandable for him to feel grim and sombre when it seemed like disaster would soon strike, leaving his home destroyed.
“Where’s Cen Shuang?” Qing Feng snapped out of his thoughts and asked after recalling something else.
“Cen Shuang led a few people to the Land of Blue to hunt down Demons.”
Grandma Medicine continued, “She knows that time is running out, so she wants to use this chance to hunt down more Demons and collect their Cores…”
The balance between Yin and Yang was a core basis of survival. Both were essential for the existence of the City of No Return throughout all these epochs.
Apart from the Source Core left behind by their Ancestors, a large portion of the resources they had came from the Demon Cores left behind when the Demons of the Azure Sea died.
Some of the Elders of the City of No Return speculated that the Source Core left behind by their Ancestors actually originated from an extremely terrifying Azure Sea Demons. Nevertheless, there was no way of validating their speculation. The Azure Sea was filled with Demonic Energy. Only Demons could survive there. If any other cultivator entered that region, they would be affected by the Demonic Energy. Less than one in ten could survive it.
If they remained in there for too long, they could even turn into Demons and become terrifying and bloodthirsty beings.
Over the years, some of the Demons from the Azure Sea would slip through the cracks and engage in the reckless slaughter of those in the Floating Nether Realm.
The Demons from the Azure Sea considered living beings of the Floating Nether Realm as food, while those from the Floating Nether Realm used the Demon Cores left behind upon their as a resource.
Both parties depended on each other for survival and the circle of life continued for a very long time now.
“Cen Shuang and Elder Yu saw the rumoured Demon Lord during their trip to the outside world. Upon returning, she seems to have become obsessed… She even plans on going through the crack to hunt down Demons in the Azure Sea. If you see her, try and reason with her. This is not her responsibility to bear. It’s too heavy. It will wear her down…” Grandma Medicine shook her head and said.
“I understand. I’ll go and see Master now.” Qing Feng nodded and left. He felt melancholic. A bitter smile threatened to form on his face.
Cen Shuang was the Granddaughter of the old City Lord of the City of No Return. She could be considered Qing Feng’s Junior Sister.
When he had first been rescued by Grandma Medicine, he forgot all about his past. Even though he had power within him, he could not wield it.
It was the old City Lord of the City of No Return who took Qing Feng in as his disciple and patiently taught him how to use his powers and abilities.
The old City Lord had a Granddaughter who had been sealed away in a Divine Source for a very long time, only to be brought forth in this epoch.
However, the old City Lord’s condition was bleak. His vitality was decaying and he was no longer at his peak. There was no telling how much longer he could live.
Whenever Qing Feng visited the old City Lord, the latter would be lying weakly in bed. It had been a long time since the old City Lord opened his eyes. He relied solely on his ears to determine the situation inside the City of No Return.
The people of the City of No Return considered the old City Lord as their wisest and most esteemed being. Even Grandma Medicine and the other Elders paled in comparison to him.
Soon, the guards of the City of No Return brought Qing Feng to a majestic but quiet palace.
The billowy curtains flickered around like mist as the smell of herbs and medicine filled the air. A gaunt old man lay there beneath a soft embroidered robe. Only a withered-looking finger stretched beyond the curtain. His breathing was weak, it was like a flickering candle in the wind.
“Master…” Qing Feng greeted the man respectfully before standing aside and waiting for the old man to speak.
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