The Prison King of the Abyss was repeatedly hunted, but he hadn't seen anyone from the Sky Realm, which left him bewildered, even astonished.
In his plans, the Shepherd of the Sky should have intensely hated him and been the first to attack him, leading him step by step towards a confrontation with the righteous powers of the Bitter Sea. This would give his plan a starting point, allowing him to strategize.
Yet, the Shepherd had not appeared. He couldn't help but wonder why the Shepherd would suddenly abandon his pursuit.
It was an answer that was difficult to explain.
“This isn't right, why is it like this? Those hunting me are all from the Bitter Sea or the Abyss. What's going on?”
Always self-assured, the Prison King was now deeply confused. His assumptions were sound: the Shepherd's personality could easily be predicted. But why hadn't he seen anyone from the Sky Realm? It didn't make sense.
Even if he didn't see anyone from the Sky Realm, the Shepherd wouldn't abandon his hatred for him.
These were not things easily relinquished. But what was the reason?
The more he thought about it, the more it didn't make sense. But there was still no movement. He knew that the Sky Realm had already emerged and that the Shepherd had reappeared, but why was he nowhere to be found?
“Father.”
“Xuantong, you're back. How was it? Did you find out anything?”
“Father, the Transformed Black After has led people to relentlessly pursue him. As for other news, it seems that the Sky Realm has closed its gates, appearing to not interfere with the Bitter Sea. Other than that, I don't know anything else.”
Xuantong spoke calmly, but he already knew the root of the hatred between the Sky Realm Shepherd and the Prison King.
The true source of this hatred was the Prison King. His ambition had instigated the ancient war between the three realms, causing the Sky Realm, the Abyss, and the Bitter Sea to break their connection and seal themselves off.
The Sky Realm Shepherd was forced to wander the Bitter Sea, lost and unaware.
In any case, all this karma, this debt of sin, was clear.
But why was the Sky Realm acting so unusually, not taking action? Were they simply watching the world turn?
These mysteries, one after another, had no explanation. There was nowhere to look for answers, no way to explain them.
The Prison King wore a serene expression, lost in thought. From time to time, he would glance at the sky, as if waiting for something.
There was a deep uncertainty within him, an indescribable tangle of thoughts.
He couldn't understand. Why had the Shepherd's thoughts changed so rapidly? This was not right.
Perhaps the Shepherd had undergone a complete transformation after his slumber. That wasn't impossible.
The key was finding the reason. Otherwise, how could his plan be realized? The future would be even more uncertain.
“Father, we should leave. Someone might find out. Let's go.”
Xuantong didn't say anything more, speaking urgently.
The Prison King nodded. There was no need to explain. There was still progress to be made, or the consequences would be unimaginable.
The fate of everything was shrouded in mystery. Who could unravel it?
“Let's go.”
The two of them sped away. They couldn't stay in the same place for too long, lest they be discovered.
The Transformed Black After and her followers wouldn't stop pursuing the Prison King. They wouldn't let anyone who might help him escape.
The situation was completely different now that the Sky Realm was firmly guarding its borders and had no intention of interfering with the Bitter Sea. The Three Suns in the Sky was out of the question, and anyone who wanted to come out was unable to do so.
For the time being, the righteous powers of the Bitter Sea were using all their resources to counter the Abyss. They were definitely not going to let things go unchecked.
Of course, they were very different from the Transformed Black After. They wouldn't be able to form an alliance, especially with the war of the Yellow Springs Return Line still raging, and with the Abyss's immense power, it was not to be underestimated.
In the end, the truth was that you had to have power, otherwise, failure was the only outcome.
The reversal of Yuanyuan Wuxiang had caused the likes of Juanshoutian to rack their brains. But for now, they really had no way to restrain Yuanyuan Wuxiang. The anger and resentment within him had been deeply affected by the demonic energy. Add to that the practice of the Prison King's martial arts and the dual cultivation of the Dao and demons, and if they didn't take care of it soon, he might be lost forever.
This was what was unsettling the righteous powers of the Bitter Sea.
What was truly happening, was also a matter of crucial importance. It was not something to be taken lightly.
“This is a problem. Suhuizhen, you speak quickly. The situation, though seemingly simple, is incredibly difficult to solve.”
“Indeed, Suhuizhen, what should we do?”
Juanshoutian and the others were anxious. But there was nothing they could do.
Suhuizhen said, “Our only option is the Sky Realm.”
Juanshoutian said, “But the Sky Realm has closed its gates and doesn't want to get involved. There’s no way.”
Suhuizhen shook his head and gazed intently, “No, the Shepherd of the Sky has a weapon. It is in the hands of the Prison King, said to be in the Abyss. If I can obtain it, perhaps I can persuade the Sky Realm Shepherd to take action.”
Upon hearing this, the others couldn't help but focus their attention. This was a feasible solution, perhaps even a good path to take.
“But if we go to the Abyss, we, the people of the Bitter Sea, would have our cultivation suppressed.”
“Yes, that would make it even more difficult to obtain what we need.”
Everyone was deep in thought. This was a crucial point.
At that moment, someone arrived—Shanlong Yinxiu.
“Let me take care of this. I will go find the Sky Realm Shepherd's weapon.”
“Shanlong, why? The Abyss is not a good place.”
Many people said with worry. After all, the Abyss was truly dangerous. While Shanlong Yinxiu was not weak, going to the Abyss was still too risky.
“If so, we’ll go together. We'll just have to venture into the Abyss!”
After hearing this, Suhuizhen said directly, “Right. The Prison King is preoccupied with his own problems right now. This is a good opportunity. If we don't have something to offer the Sky Realm Shepherd, how can we expect him to act?”
Everything needs value. If it’s not valuable enough, it's pointless. If it were that simple, it would be easy to deal with the Prison King.
Everyone nodded in agreement. They needed something equivalent in value, otherwise, no one would agree. If it were that easy, they would have been able to deal with the Prison King a long time ago.
That was the answer they were looking for.
The Sky Realm Shepherd’s strength was a mystery. But from some information, it was evident that the Prison King feared him greatly. This alone showed its importance.
“Good. That's decided. All we need to do is take care of the necessary arrangements. We can't let the Prison King realize this. Juanshoutian, this part is up to you. Even though Yuanyuan Wuxiang’s demonic obsession has taken root, I believe his Dao heart is still strong.”
“Don't worry. I'll take care of that myself. I will personally bring Yuanyuan Wuxiang back. Just rest assured.”
Juanshoutian understood. He couldn’t stay out of this. He had to bring back the original Yuanyuan Wuxiang. It was the righteous way, without regret. He wouldn't let himself down.
He would free his friend from the demonic affliction, at any cost.
Suhuizhen and the others nodded silently. They agreed wholeheartedly. With him, they could buy themselves time, until they achieved their goal. That was enough.