Battle Through the Heavens: The Rock King Emperor's Leisurely Wanderings in the Mortal World

Chapter 13 The Lock of the Mortal World

Xiao Yan glanced at Zhong Li and noticed that he seemed to be caught in a vortex of extremely painful memories. For Zhong Li's expression to become somewhat dazed, the memory must be filled with endless heaviness and sorrow. Seeing this, Xiao Yan unconsciously put on a perfectly timed smile, attempting to ease the slightly heavy atmosphere with this gentle smile.

"Haha, Master Zhong, look at the sky, it's getting late." Xiao Yan said softly, his voice carrying a natural intimacy. "I'll go back to my room with Master Zhong to rest first. You should rest early too. Good night."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yao Chen seemed to sense the subtle atmosphere and leisurely returned to Xiao Yan's storage ring.

Xiao Yan moved swiftly and efficiently, quickly storing the bathtub in his storage ring. Then, he carefully stepped forward, gently closed the door, and slowly turned around, quietly leaving Zhongli's room.

As night fell and twilight deepened, Zhong Li sat quietly in his room. The flame named Burning Thousand Sun Flame danced merrily in his hand, like a lively and playful child, radiating a vibrant energy. Zhong Li's gaze was somewhat unfocused, his thoughts seemingly carried away by an invisible breeze to a distant and unknown place. He didn't know how much time had passed before he slowly came back to his senses.

"Ha... Huff..." Zhong Li slightly opened his lips, slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, and then murmured to himself, "The dead are gone, the living remain. Since you have chosen me, then I shall take your place and walk around this Dou Qi Continent properly, and see it for myself."

The moment Zhong Li spoke, the Thousand Sun Flame in his hand seemed to understand his words and instantly quieted down. After he finished speaking, the flames danced joyfully again, as if actively responding to Zhong Li and expressing affirmation and agreement with his words.

Zhong Li slowly turned his gaze to the window, through which he could see Xiao Yan's room.

"Xiao Yan is truly an extraordinary child." Zhong Li nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his eyes. "The training plan that Yao Chen devised today was remarkably effective. However, it also demands extremely high levels of willpower."

"Yao Chen skillfully combined the two cultivation methods of medicinal foundation building with physical training, and with the help of Xiao Yan's indomitable spirit, Xiao Yan broke through the peak of the third stage of Dou Qi and reached the fourth stage. It has to be said that Yao Chen has extremely rich experience and amazing knowledge in Dou Qi cultivation."

Zhong Li pondered for a moment, thinking to himself, "Now that I've taken Xiao Yan as my disciple, I can't just ignore him." Going back 3,700 years, when he and the immortals created Liyue together, he had always maintained a close relationship with immortals like Ge Chen and Liu Yun, a relationship that was both teacher and friend. However, throughout this long period, Zhong Li had always played the role of the teacher.

"What kind of assistance can it provide to Xiao Yan?" Zhong Li lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on the Burning Thousand Sun Flame, as if discussing it with an old friend he had known for a long time.

Zhong Li knew perfectly well that Xiao Yan's Dou Qi attribute was fire. However, the Burning Thousand Sun Flame was highly bound to his soul and heart, making it impossible to separate a sub-flame from it and give it to Xiao Yan.

As his thoughts drifted to this point, Zhongli subconsciously reached into the inner pocket of his divine armor. Suddenly, he touched something extremely familiar. He quickly took it out and examined it; it turned out to be the mortal lock that had accompanied him for thousands of years.

This Lock of the Mortal Realm was a covenant given to her by the Demon God of Dust Gui Zhong on the eve of the Demon God War, containing all the crystallization of her wisdom.

Although the Lock of the Mortal World belongs to the category of magical artifacts, thanks to Gui Zhong's ingenious carving and design, this unique Lock of the Mortal World has been transformed into an extremely spacious storage space.

Over the course of more than three thousand years, Zhongli collected all the items related to himself and other demon gods into the storage space of the Lock of the Mortal World.

Zhong Li slowly closed his eyes, immersing himself in the tranquility of meditation. The delicate and flowing divine power of the Rock God, like a lively stream, flowed continuously along his fingers, transmitting strand by strand to the mortal lock, which was only the size of his palm.

As if sensing this familiar yet powerful divine force, the Lock of the Mortal World seemed to come alive, like an exquisite keyhole into which an invisible key was inserted perfectly. In an instant, a mysterious power was quietly awakened, and some hidden seal slowly opened.

As the seal was broken, a wondrous sight began to appear. The originally small and exquisite lock of the mortal world seemed to be endowed with the power of growth, gradually expanding and growing larger. Its outline appeared and disappeared in the light, and finally, it returned to its original normal size, quietly floating in front of Zhongli, exuding a mysterious and solemn aura.

With a slight thought, Zhongli's divine sense instantly probed into the interior of the Lock of the Mortal World. There, it was like a vast and boundless microcosm, filled with all sorts of things and a dazzling array of treasures.

Wendy's ethereal lyre hangs quietly in a corner;

Zhongli's own Piercing Rainbow Spear emitted a chilling light, while the Peak-Chopping Blade and the Uncrafted Sword left over from the Demon God War seemed to be telling the story of the past years of war.

The Ice God's one-handed sword exuded a cool, frosty aura;

And Fucarus's hat has a touch of mystery...

Zhongli walked slowly, his steps unhurried, and soon arrived at the most hidden and mysterious place within the Lock of the Mortal World. This place had a unique name in Zhongli's heart—the Lock of Return to the End.

Thinking back to what the God of Dust once said:

"This is a token of our covenant, and also my challenge to you."

"All my wisdom is hidden in this stone lock."

He recalled their first meeting, when the girl in the long sleeves of her coat presented the token with a mixture of solemnity and excitement.

How foolish! There was no formal contract; they were just acting together without any regard for their own interests...

But when I recall the scene of our first meeting in the field when the glass lilies were in full bloom...

The latest novel is first published here!

Although Gui Zhong hoped that Zhong Li could unlock the lock, Zhong Li always believed that there was no contract between him and Gui Zhong. Therefore, for the next three thousand years, Zhong Li never put his mind on how to unlock the Gui Zhong Lock and enter the space within it.

Zhong Li turned his head slightly, his gaze inadvertently falling on the two naginata of Lei Yingdian and Lei Dianzhen.

Zhongli slowly lifted the lid of a mysterious purple box beneath the naginata, revealing an old notebook and a yellowed ancient scroll.

After the epic war between demons and gods ended, Raiden Shin perished, but her soul did not vanish. She fought bravely to protect Inazuma, and her soul then embarked on a dreamlike journey through time. Could it be that the mysterious continent she visited was the legendary Battle Qi Continent?

With a hint of confusion, Zhong Li gently unrolled the old scroll. Though covered in dust, it could not conceal the unique lightning mark. At the beginning of the scroll, three large characters stood out—"The Ranking of Extraordinary Lightning."

(End of this chapter)