Realms In The Firmament

“That’s right.” Ning Biluo said, “I have thought that the organization might have a way to control me, but I am sure I won’t submit to them because I am always alone… So I didn’t think much about it afterward…

“However, when I truly joined them, I learned how they control people. The universe is unbelievably broad. A small figure from a low realm can never know all.”

Ning Biluo said, “It turns out they are using some secret method. First, they make you pay homage to a mysterious altar… While the ceremony was ongoing, the altar would spread out some dark lights…

“When the dark lights shined, all the people in the ceremony would be dragged out a slight piece of soul.”

Ye Xiao took a deep breath and looked at Ning Biluo.

He didn’t expect him to do such a big thing on his own.

“Although they only took a little of people’s soul, that tiny piece of soul became the key to control those people. Once anybody betrayed the organization, the power of the altar would torture the traitor for a lifetime, and the traitor would beg for death…

“If the traitor was solitary, it only tortured him alone. If the traitor has families, the families would be controlled too. His families’ life and death all depend on the man alone. Once he betrayed the organization, his entire family would suffer.”

Ye Xiao nodded. “That is why no matter how I question them, none of them tell me anything… I was curious. I know there are lots of tough men in the martial world, but I don’t think all men are tough…”

Ning Biluo smiled and said, “After the soul extraction ceremony, I got to know one more thing… During the extraction process, they put something into my body… It eases the pain. With that thing inside, I feel only one-tenth of the pain when I get hurt or tortured!”

“That’s it. That is the reason!”

Ye Xiao made a long sigh.

The double insurance made the system work perfectly in secrecy!

The organization was brilliant in schemes.

Ye Xiao nodded and thought, [It is reasonable to do this. They have to go extreme because their imaginary enemies were Master Bai, Wan of Clouds, and Xiu of Heavens.]

[They had to make sure Master Bai couldn’t find them.]

[Otherwise, with Master Bai’s great power, he could have destroyed the organization thoroughly within a day!]

[He didn’t even need do it himself. Wan of Clouds and Xiu of Heavens were enough to uproot them all.]

[That is why they need such extreme methods to keep their secrets.]

[Well, people like us are helpless to make them talk, but Master Bai is different. When we were in the Land of Han-Yang, we were at the top of the world. However, in this world, we are just tiny shrimps. Ning Biluo was right. Knowing more makes a man realize his ignorance!]

[The leaders in that organization probably just did their best to feel good about it yet couldn’t truly get what they want!]

[No wonder after a long time of unendurable torture by Elder Xuan Bing and I, those people in black clothes actually kept their mouth shut.]

Suddenly, Ye Xiao thought of something very important. His face expression changed, and he asked, “You know so much about the system. When you joined them, you must have been through the extraction process too… Why are you…?”

Ye Xiao looked at Ning Biluo with uncertainty.

He wasn’t worried that Ning Biluo might have been truly recruited by the organization, but he was worried that Ning Biluo might get himself hurt by the organization!

Ye Xiao could feel that the mysterious altar was not something from Qing-Yun Realm. It might come from some higher realm like Human Realm Upon Heavens. If Ning Biluo got hurt by its power, there was nothing Ye Xiao could do to help!

Ning Biluo blandly smiled and said, “Master, you gave us the second life in Land of Han-Yang. When I joined that organization, I did it because I never forgot what you did for me. Even if I will die because of it, I have to do what is right to do.

“Secret organizations always have some special methods to control the people. I knew it, but I still went for it… because… As long as I can keep staying inside the organization, I will get some information that I can tell you. I just want to get something that gives you initiative in this war. A man should die for the person who respects him. That is not just a saying…”

Ye Xiao and Jun Yinglian were shocked.

When they looked at Ning Biluo, they were different. Nobody had expected Ning Biluo to do things in such a way.

He actually would like to sacrifice himself to get some news for Ye Xiao.

Ye Xiao felt warm in the heart, and he said, “Ning, you shouldn’t do that…”

He made a long sigh.

He knew that Ning Biluo did that to return the favor. He had helped Ning Biluo a few times back in Land of Han-Yang. However, Ning Biluo didn’t like to owe people anything. He only owed Ye Xiao a lot. Back in the old days, Ning Biluo used to said, “Only death could return the great favor to you!”

He actually said so.

What he was doing actually was proving what he once had said!

He smiled and said, “It has been a long time since we last met, master. Why are you like a woman now. There is no need to put it in your heart. When people said the heavens blessed nice people, I always turned up my nose at it. However, this time… Zhao Pingtian and his wife have solved my problem on the reverse impact on my soul. It turns out I am a nice man. The reverse impact that nobody could get away from was actually solved!”

He actually smiled warmly and looked at Zhao Pingtian, which was rare.

Zhao Pingtian smiled too.

The two great assassins, who never showed a warm face, actually became so… friendly to each other. It was a great picture! People would love to see it!

Ning Biluo said, “When I got in, I found Zhao Pingtian there. However, he was just like me, showing a cold face, difficult to reach… One day, when we are on a mission to kill somebody, he finally came to me and asked for a secret meeting…

“When we first met, he talked to me about the reverse impact on my soul. Then he let Rou’er extract a little bit of soul out of me so that the altar lost control of my soul. After that, she used some special technique to fix my broken soul.”

Ning Biluo looked painful, and he said like he was still experiencing it. “When the soul was extracted… It was… It was so…”

He even looked frightened too.

Then he shook his head, smiled bitterly. “That was something I don’t want to think of anymore. I am not going to let that happen on me again.”

“I see. How things changed! The heavens do bless nice people.” Ye Xiao was relieved, and he smiled to Zhao Pingtian. “Pingtian, that is such a capable wife you have.”

Zhao Pingtian bashfully smiled.

If anybody knew Zhao Pintian in the old days saw him now, they wouldn’t believe this man with a warm and shy smile was actually the killer king, Zhao Pingtian!

Ye Xiao asked, “Where is Rou’er? Why isn’t she with you?”

Behind Zhao Pingtian, a cloud of dark fog appeared and then a beautiful body of a lady showed up as a phantom. She smiled at everybody and said, “Master, I am here.”

Ye Xiao laughed and said, “Lady Rou’er is truly much stronger than before. You can actually hide yourself so well. You even got me! Impressive! Come here, I happen to have something that may help you better.”

Then a small jade bottle showed up in his hand. In the bottle, there was a cloud of white dense mist.

Rou’er looked at it and her eyes lit up. She couldn’t stop looking with eagerness.

“Is it Yin Dan?”

Zhao Pingtian was also shocked by what was inside that bottle. He was shaken up, and then exclaimed, stared at the small bottle, couldn’t move away.

Ye Xiao used to tell Zhao Pingtian and Rou’er about several ways for the couple to meet again. One of it was to let Rou’er reincarnate with her memory, which was low-risk. Now, she was ready to have it. However, it took a long time, and nobody knew what she would look like in the future. She might even become a man. That aside, whoever protected her when the reincarnation happened would have to suffer from the divine thunder punishment. This was obviously the last option.

The second way was to make Yin Dan with nine precious materials. With a Yin Dan bead, Rou’er could become a soul of the death and then a soul of Yang energy from a ghost. That meant Rou’er would eventually be with Zhao Pingtian for the rest of their lives.

Zhao Pingtian and Rou’er had learned a lot since they left the lower realm. When they saw the spiritual energy and Yin qi inside the bottle, they thought that it was the Yin Dan!

“Well, this is not Yin Dan. It is much weaker than Yin Dan, to be honest. However, for Rou’er, it is still very helpful.”

Ye Xiao smiled and said, “It takes great luck to collect enough materials to make Yin Dan. Just be patient. Try this Ultimate Essence of Originality!”

Then he handed over the Ultimate Essence of Originality.

Zhao Pingtian took it over with his shaking hands, opened the bottle, and some creamy fog flew out.

Rou’er was thrilled too. She slightly opened her mouth and that creamy fog flew into her mouth. After a while, her body looked more solid.

Her face even looked rosy like a human being.

Apparently, that Ultimate Essence of Originality did help her a lot.

“Thank you, master!” Zhao Pingtian looked at Rou’er, and he burst into tears with joy.

“No need, Pingtian. When we ascend to Human Realm Upon Heavens, it is the day you two can finally hold together!”

Ye Xiao seriously said, “So, you have to take care.”

Zhao Pingtian nodded. “Yes! I will! In fact, I feel bad. I happened to know Rou’er could extract soul and fix up my soul. If I didn’t know, I wouldn’t join the organization for you. I am truly much worse than Brother Ning…”

Ye Xiao nodded.

“You two have been inside the organization. I think you know much that we don’t.” Jun Yinglian asked.

“Yes.” Ning Biluo said, “We have gathered some information, which may not be important to the organization, but important to us.

“First, what we are doing… They sent us here secretly, and we are not the only moles here. We are in a team that has twenty people. Our team is only a small part of a big group of people. Before we came, our leader told us to compete with the other teams!

“Which means… The entire big group was out on this mission. I don’t know how many teams and how many people they have. I heard that some other big groups came here too…”

Ning Biluo looked cautious, and said, “In our opinion, one big group has at least six teams, which has at least a hundred and twenty people… Let’s say there are six big groups… It means they have sent about eight hundred people here…

“When I came here and saw the scale of this base, I think that should have sent sixteen hundred people at least… But then I thought, over a thousand people among a huge amount of people could never stir up any big trouble… I guess… At least three thousand men in black clothes are undercover here!”