Jiang Yi rested for a few hours; he didn’t get rid of all the scars on his face, however.
He then left the inn, and someone was actually waiting for him outside and very courteously invited him to board a war chariot that sped straight for the City Lord castle.
Jiang Yi’s divine senses swept by and did not find anything out of the ordinary. When he was outside the City Lord Manor, many divine senses swept at him. After realizing who he was, the gate was opened; and the war chariot went ahead unobstructed to a standalone huge castle.
Many guards stood outside this castle. Not only were there Dao Gui’s men, but formidable martial artists from the thirty-thousand-strong army were present as well. He Nongying’s identity was very special, and the Dao Clan didn’t dare to let anything happen to her on their territory. If anything happened and the Qilin Empress pursued the matter, the Dao Clan would not be able to bear the consequences.
Jiang Yi alighted from the war chariot as countless people turned to look at him. This time, no one dared to reveal any sense of hostility; they all looked at him rather warmly as if he was like their own kin.
Naturally, someone went ahead to report his arrival. Soon, someone came out smiling and said, “Brother He Da, Young Mistress He invites you in.”
Jiang Yi’s face was still scarred, and when he smiled a little, he actually looked rather savage. He didn’t say anything but nodded as he walked briskly inside. He walked with a slight limp, and it seemed as if his injuries had not healed completely.
He walked straight into the castle as a maidservant brought him to a side hall. He Nongying was sitting inside and playing with some pearls. That middle-aged woman was standing next to her, looking warily at Jiang Yi.
“Auntie Shuang, you can leave first; I have some things I would like to ask He Da.”
Once the maidservant had left, He Nongying waved her hand at the middle-aged woman. The latter’s face changed as she said seriously, “Young Mistress, this…”
“Rest assured; I know my limits.”
He Nongying glanced at Auntie Shuang lightly as the latter looked at Jiang Yi again, sending a look of warning as she left the side hall. He Nongying then sent out a streak of shooting stars that activated the side hall’s restrictions.
Jiang Yi did not say anything as he stood there coldly in front of He Nongying. He kept on staring at He Nongying, feeling slightly doubtful and uneasy. This Young Mistress He was rather gutsy; she dared to be alone with him? She wasn’t afraid that he would kill her? He could even kill Dao Feng while it didn’t seem as if He Nongying was stronger than Dao Feng.
“You look really ugly like this. However, you are rather smart. If not, you wouldn’t have been able to hide within this city.”
He Nongying looked over breezily as she then pointed at a chair near her and said, “Sit!”
Jiang Yi did not move as he looked at He Nongying coldly. The latter smiled a little and asked, “Are you hesitating and thinking of taking me down and holding me hostage so that you can return to the Earth Domain?”
“En?”
Jiang Yi’s eyes flashed coldly as his killing aura surged, and his ring lit up. In his other hand, a six-colored light glowed; he was on the verge of releasing his attack.
At the last minute, Jiang Yi did not attack. He Nongying had not moved the slightest, and her expression was still the same as she looked at Jiang Yi quietly, her eyes clear and her mouth carrying a sliver of a smile. She was just like a fresh flower blossoming.
The light in Jiang Yi’s hand faded as he turned and sat in that chair. He then turned, looked at He Nongying, and asked, “You aren’t afraid that I would do something to you? You do know we are enemies, right?”
“You would do something to me?”
He Nongying smiled and said, “If you had acted rashly just now, you would have been destined to die. Even if you managed to hold me hostage, you would perish without a doubt. My godmother is the Qilin Empress; do you think that you could flee back to the Earth Domain with a Thearch-Ranked formidable martial artist hunting you?”
“Uh…”
Jiang Yi was stunned. He did not think that He Nongying had such powerful backers. He knew of the Qilin Empress; she was one of the Heaven Domain Four Supreme Thearchs and ranked second in terms of strength, just behind the Azure Supreme Thearch.
“Enemies?”
He Nongying paused and said, “From today onwards, we are no longer enemies. I had helped you today, and so let’s start afresh, shall we? Jiang Yi, I am helping you at great personal risk. Without my help, you would not be able to leave the Azure Region.”
Jiang Yi looked at He Nongying for a long time as he asked seriously, “Why are you helping me?”
“There are actually many reasons.”
He Nongying turned her head as she looked at the pearls in her hands as she toyed with them for a while. She then said, “I have reviewed your data and history. You are indeed a talent. For an ascendant to accomplish what you have at such a fast pace, there has only been one other in history. I actually think that you could be the next him.”
Jiang Yi wasn’t an innocent child and wasn’t going to be satisfied with a few sentences by He Nongying. He asked coldly, “And?”
“Sigh…”
He Nongying’s eyes dimmed as her voice grew serious as she said, “Jiang Yi, do you know the Heaven Domain’s current situation?”
“Not very clearly!”
Jiang Yi answered as he said, “I am all ears.”
“The Heaven Domain is actually now waiting for the end to come…” He Nongying’s voice was very heavy as she lifted her head and continued. “Out of the Ten Great Domains in the Heaven Domain, nine have been taken over by the Netherworld Realm; countless humans have become lackeys for the Netherworld Race, living life like living hell. If it wasn’t for the Demon-Killing Supreme Thearch who severely wounded the Netherworld Thearch at the cost of his life and caused the Netherworld Thearch to reincarnate, this Heaven Primordial Domain would have fallen as well.
“The Netherworld Thearch had been reincarnated many years now, and his strength would soon reach his zenith. Once he returns, the Heaven Primordial Domain would be finished. The Earth Domain, Fire Domain, Water Domain, Gold Domain, Wood Domain, Wind Domain, and Thunder Domain would all be finished. The entire human race would then forever be enslaved by the Netherworld Race…”
“Wait!”
Jiang Yi heard the last few sentences and felt that something was strange. He interrupted and asked, “Fire Domain, Water Domain, Gold Domain, Wood Domain, Wind Domain, and Thunder Domain; what are these? Why have I not heard of them before?”
“Keke!”
He Nongying laughed and said, “Of course, you don’t. Even the Earth Domain great family clans’ young masters and young mistresses don’t have the right to know, much less you. All the Earth Domain formidable martial artists that return from the Heaven Domain back to the Earth Domain will have portions of their memories sealed. The news regarding the Fire Domain, Water Domain, Gold Domain, Wood Domain, Wind Domain, and Thunder Domain can never be allowed to leak.
“Similarly, most people from these other domains do not know of each other’s existence as well. These seven Minor Chiliocosms are the foundation of the Heaven Domain’s resistance against the Netherworld Race. Without these seven Minor Chiliocosm continuously sending formidable martial artists to reinforce us, do you think that based on the Heaven Primordial Domain’s might alone, we can withstand the Netherworld Realm’s onslaught?’
“Why can’t this news be made known?” Jiang Yi still did not understand. Why was there a need to seal this information?
“The reason is simple!”
He Nongying explained, “If everyone in the Earth Domain knew about the other six domain’s presence, would your domain’s formidable martial artists still keep on coming to the Heaven Domain and risk their lives to fight against the Heaven Domain and Netherworld Race?”
“Every formidable martial artist has a family and clan; they are all chiefs of their areas of jurisdiction. No one wants to die, and everyone wants to live. If the Earth Domain formidable martial artists do not know about the other six domains, they would think that they do not have a choice but to fight to the death, for their clans and for the Earth Domain. After all, if the Heaven Domain falls, the Earth Domain would as well.”
“En, I understand now!”
Jiang Yi nodded deeply. He Nongying’s words rang true: if the Earth Domain formidable martial artists knew about the other domains, they would all think that if they didn’t go to the Heaven Domain, the other formidable martial artists from the other domains would go in their place…”
“Minor Chiliocosm? Is the Heaven Domain the Major Chiliocosm? What is the Mortal Domain called?” Jiang Yi asked.
He Nongying nodded and said, “The entire world is called the Primordial World. This world is split into three levels and called the Three Realms! It can also be seen as a pagoda. The top of the pagoda is the Major Chiliocosm called the Heaven Domain. The middle section would be the seven Minor Chiliocosms while the bottom section would be the billions of small domains. We in the Heaven Domain call these billions of small domains the Pan Universe Small Realm.”
“Three Realms? A pagoda? Major Chiliocosm? Minor Chiliocosm? Pan Universe Small Realm?”
Jiang Yi’s eyes lit up. He finally had a clear picture of what this world was like. This world was indeed like a pagoda. The bottom section was the likes of the Stellarsky Domain, billions of small domains and formed the base of the pagoda.
In the middle section were the Earth Domain, Wind Domain, Fire Domain, Wood Domain, Thunder Domain, Water Domain, and Gold Domain… the seven Minor Chiliocosms. The top of the pagoda was… the Heaven Domain!