Shen Fei had no way of detecting that the Bloodwind Emperor had just contacted Liang Chen, but he just had to look at Liang Chen's expression to realize that he had discovered something, or that he had just been contacted by someone. Liang Chen didn't say anything about who contacted him, he just removed the dried-up corpse from his interspatial ring and tossed it to Shen Fei.
"Here, take it back to the city for me, will you? I've got to do something for a moment, I'll return to the city in a day or two, maybe even less."
Shen Fei caught the corpse and directly stored it into his interspatial ring, his eyes narrowing faintly as he looked at Liang Chen. He gave Liang Chen a short reminder, but Liang Chen cut him off with a casual wave of his hand before he could finish speaking.
"Don't forget that you s..."
"Yeah, I swore an oath to fight you once this was all settled. I already swore the oath, so there's no point in being so suspicious, I can't really weasel my way out of it."
His statement was logical, but anyone who had travelled around a bit would still be rather suspicious when dealing with others. After all, the multiverse was extremely vast, there was no telling when you might come across someone who could do something you previously thought was impossible.
Shen Fei's eyes remained narrowed for a second before they loosened up, a casual smile surfacing on his face as his body started to fade away like bubbles. The way he vanished was exceedingly strange, but the words he left behind caused Liang Chen's eyes to narrow sharply.
"Oh well, it doesn't matter even if you try to weasel out of it. If you haven't returned within three days then I'll just head over to the entrance of Purgatory's Cradle. With me blocking that, you won't have a choice but to fight me."
Liang Chen hadn't told anyone that he was heading to Purgatory, or he had at least not told it to someone who would spread the news. This Shen Fei had only learned of Liang Chen's arrival a short while ago, so how was it that he knew exactly where he was planning on going? In the end, he could only click his tongue in annoyance.
His knowledge couldn't even be considered a drop in the ocean, compared to his enemies and others at his realm, he was far too young. He also didn't have the slightest smidgen of backing, no great organization that would feed him information to make sure that he didn't make a mistake somewhere along the way.
On the contrary, he was technically the leader of the Storm Wolf sect, it was just that the few disciples he had picked up all scattered to fulfil their own goals. So in reality, the duty of handing out information and creating rules should actually fall on him, it was just that he knew that leading wasn't a role for him so he never did much with it.
Liang Chen didn't immediately call out to the Nine Star Demon God after Shen Fei left, sitting down on Yumao's head and checking his condition for a bit. He went over all his veins to make sure that there was no problem with them, keeping an especially close eye on his meridians to make sure that nothing strange had happened to them.
After all, while he might be confident in the job he did of altering them, this was the first time he actually used his altered meridians in combat. But luckily, they had managed to hold the rampant energy just fine and showed no signs of strangeness, allowing Liang Chen to let out a breath of relief. There wasn't much point in making any preparations, so he spoke out the moment he finished checking up on his own body.
"Yao Jun, I've got some questions I'd like to ask you as well."
It wasn't often that he got to call out to someone as powerful as the Nine Star Demon God, but now that he actually had an excuse to call down such a peak existence, he had some questions he wanted an answer to. And he didn't have to wait long at all, a casual voice reaching his ears a few seconds after he spoke out.
"Alright, seeing as I can somewhat sympathize with your loneliness, I'll answer some of your questions."
A ripple ran through the air in front of Liang Chen, the violet-haired and grey-eyed Nine Star Demon God stepping out of the ripple. He hadn't brought anyone else with him, so it seemed like he was serious about at least answering a question or two. Liang Chen didn't want to spend too much time in front of a stifling existence such as Yao Jun, so he moved straight onto his questions.
"You're in control of this universe, no? You can see what goes on in it if you want to?"
He already knew that this was the main universe of the Nine Star Demon God, so he should most definitely be the Universal Heart of it. But when it came to being a Universal Heart, Liang Chen didn't actually know what it entailed or enabled you to do. Yao Jun nodded his head in a casual manner, Liang Chen moving on to his next question straight away.
"I don't spend too much time here, but I am technically in control of this universe, so I can indeed see what's going on in it if I want to."
"So there's no way you don't know about the Sky-Piercing Sparrow, correct? You know about him, yet you let him run free to cause mayhem? I want to know why."
The Sky-Piercing Sparrow had killed hundreds if not thousands of innocent people just to harm Liang Chen and his reputation. Women, children, and men of all ages had died undeserving deaths. If it was just the heavens being indifferent then he could accept it, but this universe had a different heaven, one known as the Nine Star Demon God. He should have been able to stop the sparrow long ago, so why hadn't he? Yao Jun wasn't bothered by Liang Chen's almost accusatory gaze, shrugging his shoulders without much care.
"Easy, killing him is too hard. Killing the incarnation he's sent here is easy, but he'll just send a new one the moment I look away. And if you're about to ask me to keep a constant eye on this universe to expel him every time he shows up, then I'll just end this conversation right here, I've got my own things to do as well."
Liang Chen could understand from Yao Jun's words that you would have to actually use your concentration to observe the entire universe, which made sense. But what he didn't understand was the first part of Yao Jun's sentence. The Sky-Piercing Sparrow should not have reached a realm where even the Nine Star Demon God couldn't kill him. But he quickly caught on to something, putting it together with what the Sky-Piercing Sparrow had told him last time.
"Even someone like you can't kill him? Is he hiding in a different multiverse?"
If the Sky-Piercing Sparrow was hiding in a different multiverse and only sent down avatars all the time then it would make sense that not even the Nine Star Demon God would be able to kill him. But contrary to what he expected, Yao Jun let out a somewhat disdainful scoff in response.
"If that was it, then he would have long since ceased to exist. No, he's hiding in a different Sphere of Existence, the Sky-Piercing Sparrow that runs around here is nothing more than an incarnation, an avatar he made using his law of duplication."
Others at his cultivation realm might not know, but Liang Chen already knew what a Sphere of Existence was. The entire mass of multiverses surrounding the multiverse he lived in was considered one Sphere of Existence, it was so vast that he couldn't even begin to imagine its actual scope. And it was because he couldn't even begin to imagine its scope that he couldn't help but unconsciously question, Yao Jun raising three fingers in response.
"A different Sphere of Existence? There's multiple?"
"Three in total, one massive natural one and two smaller man-made ones."
If just the information that there was more than one Sphere of Existence made Liang Chen's head swell somewhat, then the piece of information that Yao Jun just casually dropped on him right now almost made his eyes swim.
"You... you can just make Spheres of Existence?"
If he was told that the law of creation allowed one to create a universe, then that alone would be enough to impress him. Telling him that you could make a multiverse would make him doubt a little, but he could still accept it. But to make a Sphere of Existence, a conglomeration of multiple multiverses? What sort of existence would be capable of doing something like that? Yao Jun could understand the shock running through Liang Chen, shaking his head and explaining a bit more.
"If it was as easy as you made it sound, then there wouldn't just be three of them. In all three Spheres of Existence, there is currently only one person who can maybe make a new Sphere of Existence, and that's the Existential Lord who rules over the original and sole natural Sphere of Existence. Other than him, no other being has grasped the Ascended Law of Existence, which can be considered the rival of your own Ascended Law of the Void."
Yao Jun may have tried to ease his confusion, but Liang Chen still felt his head almost hurt from the information. It wasn't even that long since he learned that he lived in a Sphere of Existence, basically a large bubble holding several smaller bubbles filled with bubbles. Yet now he learned that there were two more such bubbles, and there even seemed to exist a person who managed to rule an entire one of those bubbles.
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He also understood another thing from Yao Jun's words, the Sphere of Existence they resided in was likely one of the man-made ones, otherwise, he wouldn't have spoken about the Existential Ruler in such an indifferent manner. He didn't want to keep talking about the topic of Spheres of Existence, he was already starting to feel an oncoming headache, so he moved on to a topic that was a bit more relevant to him.
"You called it an Ascended Law, are there more Ascended Laws?"
He had the law of the Void, which even someone like the Nine Star Demon God referred to as something ascended, so how could he not be curious about other laws that might exist on the same level? And once again, Yao Jun shrugged his shoulders and raised three fingers, not saying too much on the topic.
"Only three, Existence, Balance, and Void. But they aren't worth thinking about, the number of people who can grasp one such law is so low that meeting one is extremely hard. The law of the Void is somewhat easier to encounter thanks to the Void Born, but the Sphere Born and the Stasis Born don't bother showing themselves unless it concerns the fate of their Sphere, so you'd have to look for a cultivator using those Ascended Laws. And don't think that getting a hold of such an Ascended Law is as easy as it was to get a hold of yours, you just got lucky thanks to all the involving factors."
Liang Chen knew what the Void Born were so he could guess at what the Sphere Born and Stasis Born were, beings born directly from something that was intricately tied to the Ascended Laws. But he felt like asking about them would open a whole new can of worms to give him a headache, and if they were really as rare as Yao Jun said, then he was unlikely to ever even encounter one. And since that was the case, he decided to switch subject entirely to move onto one that was much closer to his heart.
"I have a different question, when you take over a universe, can you set down rules for that universe, rules that will be automatically enforced?"
Yao Jun raised an eyebrow after Liang Chen asked his question, but he had already heard a little about Liang Chen and his desires. As a result, he could guess at what exactly Liang Chen was thinking, a soft sigh escaping his lips.
"You have a good heart, but such hearts can easily kill people. Come, let me show you something."
Liang Chen suddenly felt space around him fold up like sheets of cloth, the scenery around him transforming until he stood amidst what looked to be a ruined city. The buildings had fallen apart so long ago that some parts had started to turn to dust, but a wooden epitaph untouched by the passage of time stood right in front of Liang Chen. Yao Jun was still standing at his side, lightly shaking his head as he looked at the man-sized wooden slip.
"I don't have many things that I care about and hold truly dear, but that does not mean that my heart is so cold that I will just ignore atrocities. When I first killed the previous ruler of this universe and took it over, my first act was to set down some rules to help the universe get some peace, I didn't want it to become chaotic due to me killing the previous ruler. The rules were quite simple, you were forbidden from stealing, you were forbidden from murdering, you were forbidden from raping, various rules along those lines."
Yao Jun didn't state it outright, but the context was enough for Liang Chen to realize that the answer to his previous question was positive, you could set down automatically enforced rules. But he didn't say anything about it and remained quiet, allowing Yao Jun to continue speaking, pointing at the wooden slip carrying a very simple epitaph.
*Here lie Jio Xing, Jio Shu, Jio Huo, and Jio Zang. A mistake never forgotten.*
"This grave right here is one I set up with my own hands a mere minute after I set down those rules. The man it represents was a father of two, a poor farmer who hadn't been lucky with his crops for the last year. He and his family were starving due to the bad harvest, and despite hearing the proclamation that was announced through the entire universe, he decided to steal a bit of food to feed his family. He was instantly struck down by lightning and killed. His wife and children died three days later, starving while they waited for a man who would never return. It was only five days later that I learned this, when I was coincidentally taking my own wife for a walk through the area."
Liang Chen's expression shivered for a second after Yao Jun gave him the entire story, but this wasn't the only stop on their journey. Space around Liang Chen folded again the moment Yao Jun finished talking, the two of them arriving in front of another wooden slip, one located inside a sprawling oak forest.
"This grave houses the ashes of a woman who had gotten together with a man she met at an inn. But the man actually had a wife, they had just gotten into a small argument so he was angry at her and was out to have some fun while calming down. Halfway through the act, he regretted his actions and wanted to stop. But the moment he changed his mind and uttered the words no, what the woman was doing was considered rape by the universe, so she was struck dead by a bolt of lightning."
Space around the duo folded again when Yao Jun explained the circumstances of the third grave, the two of them arriving inside a cave where a third grave marker stood.
"And this third grave houses the remains of a man who was struck dead when he killed an attacker that wanted to kidnap his family to force him to pay a ransom. Kidnapping wasn't forbidden so they got around the stealing and killing rule, but the man did not and was struck dead by lightning."
Space around them folded for a final time when Yao Jun finished his explanation, the scenery around them returning to that of the desert where they had originally been. Yao Jun glanced over at Liang Chen, who wore a slightly complicated expression.
"This multiverse can always use more people with good hearts like you, but you yourself must also come to terms with the fact that there will always be different circumstances and the like. You can't just set down some rules and expect everything to solve itself like that, that will harm just as many as it helps."
Yao Jun's tour had directly shattered one of Liang Chen's plans. He had been thinking that since the heavens refused to punish sinners, he could do it in their stead. And maybe, when he reached a certain level of power, he could just set down some rules to automatically punish sinners. But that just became a whole lot harder, precisely because Liang Chen knew that Yao Jun was right.
There would always be circumstances around everything, how could you possibly set up the rules in such a manner that they took every possible circumstance into consideration? It was a rather deflating and even humbling moment, one that left Liang Chen with a bit of a bitter smile. But he couldn't remain stuck in his own thoughts for long, the voice of Yao Jun drawing his attention.
"I've answered your questions so it's about time I do what I came here for."
Liang Chen turned his gaze onto Yao Jun, who waved his hand and caused space at his side to ripple for a short moment. And out of the ripple stepped three people that he hadn't expected to see. One was a girl who looked a bit younger than him, short silver hair and eyes so grey that they were almost black. But while she looked younger than him, she had already reached the middle-stage of the Primordial Immortal, a regal aura radiating from her body.
He remembered that she had been called Xiao Ping when he last saw her, his gaze landing on the two other people that appeared alongside her. One was a middle-aged man with short brown hair and vibrant grey eyes while the other was a woman with long silver hair and dark black eyes.
Just like when he last saw them in the residence of the governor of Sand's Journey city, Liang Chen still couldn't sense their presence or cultivation. The young girl recognized him at the same time as he recognized them, turning to Yao Jun with a slightly suspicious gaze.
"It's him? You're not messing with us, right? He doesn't feel even remotely close to us."
Yao Jun didn't care about Xiao Ping's tone or suspicion, shrugging his shoulder and dismissing her with a casual wave of his hand.
"Of course he doesn't, his bloodline has already transcended your Sebettu bloodline. At this point, the only person who can be his equal in terms of bloodline is probably that arrogant prick. But you have my word, that is your Ren Jue Li."
Xiao Ping turned her gaze back onto Liang Chen after Yao jun gave his assurance, the two middle-aged people at her side walking a bit closer as they inspected his face. Yao Jun vanished while the three people were inspecting Liang Chen, having finished what he came here to do.
Looking at the three people in front of him, Liang Chen could feel his heartbeat speed up slightly, especially when he properly looked at the middle-aged couple. Neither side had really looked closely at each other when they last met, but now that they truly inspected each other, the eyes of the middle-aged woman started to turn misty.
"It really is...Please... Please forgive us..."
The woman stretched out her arm as if she wanted to touch his cheek, Liang Chen instinctively taking a step back, Yumao quickly flying in front of him and spreading his wings to shield him. The woman hastily drew her arm back, but her misty eyes filled with care lingered on Liang Chen. The brown-haired man took hold of the woman's other hand, squeezing it softly while giving Liang Chen a small bow in greeting.
"Ren Jue Li, I know you are confused, so allow me to clear up your confusion. I am Ren Shuren and this is my wife, Ren Yazhu, this is our daughter Xiao Ping. You should have already seen the memories we sealed inside you, but please, give me the pleasure of saying this. I am your father, this is your mother, and this is your younger sister. We've been looking for you for quite some time already, but our family is finally fully back together."