Inside the Painting World Treasure Mansion, Li Mu sat cross-legged on the cultivation platform, summoning the Time Luck Spirit Turtle, concentrating his spiritual power to fully operate the divination Cultivation Technique, "Celestial Evolution Ephemeral Life," preparing to cast a divination Divine Ability.
As Li Mu’s thoughts circulated, the Time Luck Spirit Turtle slowly floated up, and the trigram spirit patterns on its pure white shell glowed with a faint luminescence, emitting the most mysterious rhythm in the world.
The Spirit Turtle opened its eyes and glanced at Li Mu, then resignedly closed them. A profound aura emanated from its body, creating a subtle resonance with the surrounding space, silently stimulating Age Force and Karma Force for its master to command.
Unable to pinpoint his star position, Li Mu decided to use the Time Luck Spirit Turtle to perform divination to peer into the River of Years, hoping to find the correct way to leave this accursed place through this method.
Li Mu cast the seventh-level divination Cultivation Technique, "Celestial Evolution Ephemeral Life." This method possessed four core concepts: Human Karma, Age Force, Karma, and Celestial Evolution.
Finding the correct way to leave did not apply to Human Karma divination, so Li Mu immediately excluded this type of divination and focused his attention on the other three core concepts in "Celestial Evolution Ephemeral Life": Age Force, Karma, and Celestial Evolution.
In this Shadowy Dark Domain, where star trajectories were chaotic and spatial cracks were ubiquitous, only by discerning the most fundamental forces and Laws of the Universe could a way out be found.
Li Mu attempted to use "Age Force" for divination. He closed his eyes and concentrated, fusing his spiritual power with the Age Force emanating from the Time Luck Spirit Turtle, as if transforming into a small boat in the long river of time, drifting with the current, feeling the flow of time and the changes in power.
In Li Mu's perception, time was no longer a linear flow but transformed into countless interwoven Context, each leading to a different future. He needed to search among these Context for the Dao that could guide him out of this place.
However, the River of Years seemed to be distorted by some force, making "Age Force" divination extremely difficult. Li Mu tried many times but was always unable to capture precise clues.
Li Mu did not lose heart and instead sought enlightenment from "Karma."
"Karma" was one of the most inviolable Laws in the Universe. The reason he was trapped in this Forbidden Land must have its Karma.
Li Mu closed his eyes in contemplation, pouring spiritual power into the Time Luck Spirit Turtle, deducing his experiences along the way, trying to find hidden Karmic chains. Gradually, he discovered some subtle connections; it seemed that several choices had invisibly pushed him along this Karmic line.
Li Mu began to try to piece together these Karmic fragments, hoping to glimpse the truth within.
However, the complexity of the Karma Tree far exceeded Li Mu's imagination. Just as he was lost and helpless, an inexplicable force suddenly surged into his Sea of Consciousness. It was the Time Luck Spirit Turtle activating its unique "Resonance of Tianyan" power, directly allowing him to touch the most fundamental Laws and mysteries of divination. Li Mu's thoughts instantly became clear.
Li Mu immediately cast the "Celestial Evolution Ephemeral Life" Divine Ability—Resonance of Tianyan, injecting a massive amount of spiritual power into the Time Luck Spirit Turtle.
The Resonance of Tianyan divination Divine Ability caused Li Mu and the Time Luck Spirit Turtle to achieve a brief resonance with the Karma Tree and the River of Years.
The Time Luck Spirit Turtle's eyes burst forth with bright light, and Age Force surged from its body, successfully leading Li Mu to view the River of Years. Li Mu began to see vivid scenes, which played out like a movie in his Sea of Consciousness, revealing the intricate connections between him and this Shadowy Dark Domain, as well as the hidden Karma and secrets behind it.
Just as Li Mu was about to clearly see the future scenes in the River of Years, a powerful and mysterious force suddenly swept over, interrupting Li Mu's resonance with the River of Years. This force seemed to come from the lofty Heavenly Dao, carrying an ancient and oppressive aura, capable of distorting all Laws.
With a "crack," a crack appeared on the Time Luck Spirit Turtle's shell, helping Li Mu resist the backlash force of the divination. The artifact spirit let out a wail and involuntarily closed its eyes in pain.
Li Mu was startled and immediately stopped, turning to fully protect the Time Luck Spirit Turtle, his heart filled with worry.
If not for the Time Luck Spirit Turtle's proactive sacrifice and protection, he would have probably been severely injured by the backlash of this Heavenly Dao force. Li Mu was sincerely grateful for the Time Luck Spirit Turtle's protective actions.
"Spirit Turtle, are you alright?" Li Mu asked anxiously, while also continuously supplying it with spiritual power.
The Time Luck Spirit Turtle slowly opened its eyes, a hint of fatigue and pain on its face, and replied in a weak voice: "Master, I'm fine, but the force intertwined with you is too powerful, not something you can peer into right now. It's best not to use divination for now!"
"I understand!" Li Mu's heart was a mix of emotions. He nodded, put away the idea of continuing to divine, and instead began to help the Time Luck Spirit Turtle recover from its injuries.
After casting the Artifact Nurturing Method to stabilize the Time Luck Spirit Turtle's injuries, Li Mu put it away to let it continue recuperating, and then began to think of other ways to leave this accursed place.
Soon, Li Mu remembered something and took out a dark, ancient spiritual pearl from the nine storage spiritual pearl.
Li Mu looked at the soul world pearl in his hand, his brows tightly furrowed, a hesitant expression on his face, somewhat reluctant to disturb the existence within.
The soul world pearl housed the remnant Divine Soul of the Body Integration mighty expert, Qingyang Zi. He was a Body Integration mighty expert from ancient times, knowledgeable and well-traveled, and perhaps knew about the situation in this Star Domain.
However, facing this perilous and unknown Star Domain, Li Mu knew that he could not cope with it alone. Every attempt and exploration was like dancing on a knife's edge; a slight misstep could lead to eternal damnation.
Thinking of this, Li Mu took a deep breath, his eyes gradually firming, and he immediately made a decision.
"Senior, Junior has encountered some trouble. I am now trapped in a predicament, and in desperation, I have no choice but to disturb your peaceful cultivation. Please guide me." Li Mu respectfully released a gentle Divine Thought towards the soul world pearl, attempting to establish contact with Qingyang Zi's remnant Divine Soul.
A moment later, a faint fluctuation of Soul Power emanated from within the soul world pearl, and Qingyang Zi's voice slowly echoed in Li Mu's Sea of Consciousness, carrying a hint of vicissitude and indifference: "Oh? Little friend, what trouble have you encountered?"
Li Mu quickly described his current predicament in detail, including the abnormal distribution of stars, the pervasive Nine Nether Qi, and the compass's failure to locate, informing the other party that he was adrift.
After listening to Li Mu's detailed account, Qingyang Zi fell silent, seemingly recalling something.
"Senior, do you know this Star Domain!" After a long time without a reply, Li Mu couldn't help but press.
"This old man needs to see it with his own eyes to confirm!" Qingyang Zi transmitted weakly.
After a pause, Qingyang Zi continued: "Little friend, just do as I say. First, find a relatively safe place with relatively sparse Nine Nether Qi, and lend me your Physical Body to sense the outside world and determine the origin of this Star Domain."
Upon hearing this, Li Mu frowned, feeling some apprehension in his heart.
Qingyang Zi was a Body Integration expert, and his remnant Divine Soul was no small matter. If he lent out his Physical Body, it would be terrible if he was taken over by Possession.
However, this thought flashed through Li Mu's mind and was immediately dismissed. His current cultivation was Void Refining Middle Stage, and his Divine Soul, having condensed into a star through the Star Cloud Contemplation Method, was not weaker than the opponent's at all.
Moreover, with Little White, the seventh-rank Gu King, protecting him at all times, he was not without safeguards. Furthermore, Li Mu had been in contact with Qingyang Zi for some time and had a general understanding of his character; he would definitely not do such a despicable thing.
"No problem, Senior. I'll go find a place with sparse Nine Nether Qi first!"
After a moment of thought, Li Mu readily transmitted his reply to Qingyang Zi. The next moment, his figure flickered, and he exited the Painting World Treasure Mansion.
Li Mu appeared on top of the Nine Nether Kun Whale's head, looking at Little White, who was diligently controlling the Nine Nether Kun Whale, and smiled slightly. He immediately released his Divine Sense to survey the surrounding Star Domain.
The Nine Nether Kun Whale's massive body slowly cruised through the turbulent Star Domain, and Li Mu stood on its back, scanning the surroundings.
This Star Domain was sparsely populated with stars, and the starlight was dim, enveloped by thick Nine Nether Qi. The unchanging dark starry sky appeared particularly bizarre and oppressive. Li Mu took a deep breath, trying to calm the unease in his heart, and began to search for a suitable place.
After a careful search, Li Mu finally found an area with relatively sparse Nine Nether Qi in a seemingly calmer Void Realm. Although there were few stars there, the Star Power seemed purer, without that strong corrosive feeling.
Li Mu was slightly pleased and immediately instructed Little White to have the Nine Nether Kun Whale fly to that Star Domain.
Little White obeyed the order, and the Nine Nether Kun Whale's massive body swayed slightly, changing direction, and slowly swam towards the Star Domain indicated by Li Mu.
Time seemed to have stopped for a moment. Li Mu calculated, and about seven months had passed before the Nine Nether Kun Whale finally reached the area with sparse Nine Nether Qi.
Li Mu sent out a set of formation plates to block the influence of the Nine Nether Qi and also ordered Little White to protect his Divine Soul.
Having prepared all this, Li Mu took out the soul world pearl from the nine storage spiritual pearl.
"Senior, I'm ready." Li Mu transmitted his Divine Thought to the soul world pearl in his hand, re-establishing contact with Qingyang Zi's remnant Divine Soul.
Qingyang Zi's voice resounded in Li Mu's Sea of Consciousness, carrying a hint of anticipation: "Good, little friend. Now, please relax your mind and let me take over your body."
Li Mu took a deep breath and, following Qingyang Zi's instructions, slowly relaxed his control over his body.
In an instant, a warm and powerful Soul Power surged from the soul world pearl and merged into his body. Li Mu immediately felt a chill, and then his Divine Soul instinctively recoiled, temporarily relinquishing control of his body, allowing Qingyang Zi's remnant Divine Soul to successfully take over his Physical Body.
Qingyang Zi, using Li Mu's body, adapted for a moment and then cast an eye technique to examine this Star Domain.
At the same time, Qingyang Zi released a more refined Soul Power perception, capturing information about this area. As his perception deepened, Qingyang Zi's brows gradually relaxed, seemingly having made a discovery.
Not long after, Qingyang Zi somewhat reluctantly withdrew from Li Mu's body, and his remnant Divine Soul returned to the soul world pearl.
Li Mu couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, regaining control of his body.
"Senior, how is it? Do you know the Star Domain we are in?" Li Mu eagerly transmitted his inquiry to Qingyang Zi.
Qingyang Zi transmitted to Li Mu, his voice resounding in Li Mu's Sea of Consciousness, with a calm and certain tone: "Little friend, I have generally investigated it. The Star Domain we are currently in should be located on the edge of the Jiuyou Forbidden Land, called the 'Shadowy Dark Domain.' It is located at the junction of the Jiuyou Domain and the normal Star Domain of the outside world, a very special and dangerous area. Here, Nine Nether Qi is ubiquitous, full of unknowns and variables. This place is one of the most mysterious and dangerous areas in the entire Universe; even Body Integration Cultivators rarely dare to easily set foot here."
"Shadowy Dark Domain?" Li Mu's heart tightened upon hearing this. He hadn't expected to have stumbled into such a dangerous place.
"Yes, the Shadowy Dark Domain. This place not only has chaotic star trajectories but also hides countless spatial cracks and bizarre illusions. A slight carelessness can lead to getting lost, or even being unable to leave forever. Moreover, some ancient beings reside here. They are either mutated species eroded by Nine Nether Qi or evil spirits escaped from the Netherworld. Their strength is formidable and difficult to deal with." Qingyang Zi continued to explain.
After listening, Li Mu's brows furrowed even more tightly. In this Forbidden Land, he was undoubtedly an extremely insignificant existence. But since he had already stepped in, there was no turning back; he could only find a way out.
"Senior, since you know this Star Domain, is there a way to escape?" Li Mu respectfully transmitted his inquiry.
Qingyang Zi pondered for a moment and explained: "There is a way to escape, but it is extremely difficult. You need to find a place called the 'Netherworld Gate.' This route connects the Netherworld Domain and the outside world, the only passage, but its location is extremely hidden, and the surroundings are full of traps and illusions. To find this gate, you must first find a planet called the Dark Spirit Star to determine the star position."
"Dark Spirit Star?"
Li Mu's spirits lifted, and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes as he asked with concern: "Senior, how can we find this Dark Spirit Star?"
"This star is like a dim lighthouse in the Shadowy Dark Domain. Although inconspicuous, it is the key to locating the Netherworld Gate due to its special magnetic field and energy fluctuations."
Qingyang Zi slowly transmitted: "The Dark Spirit Star is special because it was once the convergence point of Nine Nether Qi and external spiritual power. After countless Years of erosion, it formed a unique landscape. Because its entire body is dark, it is called the Dark Spirit Star. This star is a planet that is almost invisible in the Shadowy Dark Domain. Its surface is covered with a strange force field that can absorb and distort light, making it difficult to detect by ordinary observation methods. Finding this planet is not easy; it is easily obscured by the surrounding mysterious illusions. To find it, you might need extremely good luck."
"This... Senior, then aren't we going to be trapped in this Star Domain?" Li Mu asked, greatly disappointed and incredulous.
Qingyang Zi laughed: "Little friend, don't worry. The Law of star positions is often constant. Although locating this star is difficult, it's not impossible. Although I cannot directly calculate the exact location of this star, based on my remaining astronomical knowledge and understanding of star positions, I can teach you how to calculate a roughly correct range for the Dark Spirit Star, making it easier for you to search for it."
"That's great! Please guide me, Senior." Li Mu's spirits lifted, and he asked for guidance.
Qingyang Zi did not hesitate to teach, immediately instructing Li Mu in detail on how to use astrology, astronomical calendars, and his own Soul Power perception to calculate the approximate location of the Dark Spirit Star. (End of this chapter)
