"The Celestial Golden Immortal Realm. I originally thought I could enter it by refining this Chaos Demon God's heart, but it seems I was overthinking it."
Han Xuanji sighed.
In the Primordial Chaos Golden Immortal Realm, every step forward becomes more difficult the further one progresses.
Even with his extremely high Aptitude, throughout history, those who could step into the Primordial Chaos Golden Immortal Realm were all favored by Luck, individuals with excellent Talent and Heart-Nature.
Han Xuanji even suspected that his Aptitude seemed to be falling behind.
"To enter the Limitless Primordial Golden Immortal Realm before the Demon Race rises, it seems it won't be that simple."
Han Xuanji mused to himself.
Regarding controlling time for Cultivation, Han Xuanji had already entered the Primordial Chaos Golden Immortal Realm; simple time arrays could no longer affect him, or rather, even if they did, the impact would be minimal, and his efficiency in comprehending the Dao would also slow down.
Watching Jiang Hao and Nether Crow wander in the Nether Sea, Han Xuanji felt this was also an opportunity.
Nether Crow's previous incarnation was the Nine Nether Devouring Phoenix, an ancient being of unparalleled power, and the location of the Azure Other Shore Flower and the Reincarnation Demon Refining Array was precisely the Guixu Land deep within the Nether Sea.
It should also be a place imbued with Dao, a treasure containing the Dao of life and death, and Reincarnation.
Before this, Han Xuanji used his Eyes of Destiny to observe the changes in destiny.
Perhaps due to the System, it was difficult for him to deduce his own fate, but he was quite accurate when observing others.
Jiang Hao's journey this time was... a near-certain death.
"Hmm, no problem."
Possessing two great Divine Pupils, there wasn't much that could escape Han Xuanji's Eyes.
Even though Jiang Hao was blessed with great Luck, venturing deep into the Nether Sea was essentially seeking death.
However, since there was still a sliver of Life Qi, it meant the problem wasn't significant.
Han Xuanji's deductions were akin to a God's-eye view of others' destiny changes, especially since Han Xuanji had simulated Jiang Hao, making it even more effortless to deduce his fate.
Even in the Nether Sea, he could observe many future changes.
For a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, the depths of the Nether Sea might be very dangerous.
But for a Late Stage Primordial Chaos Golden Immortal like him, it was nothing.
Seeing that Jiang Hao didn't seem to have encountered any life-or-death crises yet, Han Xuanji stopped thinking and decided to Cultivate for a while... in the Nether Sea.
Twenty years passed, and Jiang Hao had been struggling in the Nether Sea for an unknown duration.
Although Nether Crow claimed to know the location of the Azure Other Shore Flower, it kept leading him around the Nether Sea, as if for training. He gained many benefits, but there was no progress on the crucial matter of finding the flower.
On this day, Jiang Hao finally couldn't hold back and said irritably:
"Hey, you smelly crow, what exactly are you planning?"
"I've been following you because I trust you. If you don't know, then don't lead me running around everywhere."
"You brat, if it weren't for your Crow Grandpa leading you, you wouldn't know how many times you'd have died by now!"
Nether Crow retorted, annoyed.
But seeing Jiang Hao so angry, it thought for a moment and still explained:
"With your Cultivation, do you really think if I told you the place, you could just go in and pick it?"
"Do you know the true terror of the Nether Sea? Do you really think we're just playing house in this outer region?"
Hearing this, Jiang Hao was speechless, but he quickly grasped the key information:
"You mean, you really know the location of the Azure Other Shore Flower?"
"Caw."
Nether Crow tried to feign inability to speak, hoping to brush him off.
But Jiang Hao naturally wouldn't let it continue to fool him, and he said resolutely:
"Even if it's a near-certain death, I must go... Otherwise, I will never be able to forgive myself in this life."
"If I shrink back due to fear of death, my Dao Heart, Jiang Hao, will never achieve Perfection in this life!"
Hearing this, a highly human-like expression of helplessness appeared in Nether Crow's Eyes.
It naturally knew, because the place where the Azure Other Shore Flower grew was precisely the most crucial location sealing its former self, the Nine Nether Devouring Phoenix.
It was also the deepest part of the Nether Sea, known as the Guixu Land, a place of eternal silence.
Even a Grand Unity Golden Immortal entering it would face a near-certain death.
If it let this brat go, wouldn't that be harming him?
If it weren't for Jiang Hao seemingly having a connection with Han Xuanji, it wouldn't bother with this brat.
"You... you brat are crazy! That's suicide!"
Nether Crow was somewhat exasperated.
"What is there to fear in death? I only seek a clear conscience!"
Jiang Hao refused to back down, his emotions uncharacteristically unstable, as if he would go search on his own if they disagreed.
Nether Crow felt like throwing its hands up and abandoning him, but seeing the resolve in Jiang Hao's Eyes, its Heart-Nature was also somewhat touched.
However, it also had a small plan: Han Xuanji was the only one who saw through its true nature, and it hoped to see him again.
"Brat, you insisted on knowing... Sir, I was forced."
Nether Crow internally justified its actions, its eyes fixed on Jiang Hao. After a long moment, it finally said:
"Fine... Since you are determined to seek death, this Crow Grandpa will grant your wish."
Hearing this, Jiang Hao immediately calmed down; his previous anger was, of course, feigned.
He had long seen that Nether Crow had some scheme, so he decided to play along, and he didn't expect to expose it so easily.
He should have fallen out with it sooner.
"Have you heard of the Guixu Land?"
It flapped its wings, flew to Jiang Hao's shoulder, and pointed its beak towards the deeper, more profound direction of the Nether Sea.
"The Guixu Land, the end of the Nether Sea, the annihilation of all things. It is a forbidden zone that even Grand Unity Golden Immortals are unwilling to easily set foot in. Time is chaotic there, filled with the most fundamental Laws of death. Living beings who enter will have their Lifespan rapidly burned away, their Divine Souls will be constantly eroded by invisible forces until they turn into the most primitive particles, returning to nothingness."
Nether Crow's voice was low and solemn:
"And the Azure Other Shore Flower grows in the center of the Guixu Land, beside the Eye of the Nether Sea. It draws the last wisp of Life Qi from death to grow, a flower of life blooming from the extreme of death.
If you want to pick it, you must first go to the Guixu Land, face the Reincarnation Sinister Spirits capable of devouring Grand Unity Golden Immortals, resist the Guixu Wind that can obliterate Divine Souls, and finally, you must approach the Eye of the Nether Sea while keeping your true spirit unclouded."
It paused, looking at Jiang Hao's face, and cawed:
"Now, do you still dare to go?"
Jiang Hao took a deep breath. The air in the Nether Sea, laden with a rich aura of deathly stillness, rushed into his lungs, making him even more clear-headed.
"Go!"
He only replied with one word, yet it was as heavy as a thousand jun.
"Good! You've got guts!"
Nether Crow let out a strange cry, "Then hold on tight! The path ahead is no longer the scenic tour we've had!"
Before its voice faded, Nether Crow violently flapped its wings, no longer leisurely, but plunged headfirst into the absolute darkness.
Seeing this, Jiang Hao gritted his teeth and followed.
Because of the clear objective, Nether Crow directly led Jiang Hao quickly, avoiding dangerous areas along the way.
After an unknown period of time.
Ahead, an boundless, colossal wall-like outline suddenly appeared, seemingly piled up from countless world fragments.
That was the Wall of Sighs, one of the forbidden zones of the Nether Sea.
"To enter the Guixu Land, you must cross this Wall of Sighs," Nether Crow said faintly.
Jiang Hao gazed at the colossal structure named "Wall of Sighs" before him, and a hint of despair couldn't help but rise in his Heart-Nature.
It wasn't a real wall, but a barrier formed by countless shattered worlds and fallen stars forcibly compressed and piled up by the power of the Nether Sea.
It was boundless, its top unseen when looking up, its bottom invisible when looking down, and it stretched left and right to the end of the visible horizon, as if it separated the boundary between life and death.
What was he to do?
Nether Crow felt a bad premonition. Why hadn't Han Xuanji arrived yet?
Was he really not going to care about this brat's life or death?
Or had it been mistaken?
Nether Crow thought for a moment and advised:
"How about we just go back?"