Hegemon Of The Nameless Tenth Realm: All Hail Empress Lu Xie Tong.

Chapter 12

The Awakening: Solitary Nothingness (Void)

Endless Catacombs~

Primordial Hall~

.

.

In a hall themed in stark black and white, the enigmatic entity's features remained obscured, yet any observer would be struck with terror at the sight. His visage was as dark as a stormy sky, an expression of unbridled rage that spelled impending doom. A trickle of blood, reminiscent of a ruby gem, stained the corner of his mouth, the sudden loss of target had caused all the power he had infused into the seal to backlash at the enigmatic entity.

He had nearly succeeded in reinforcing the seal on Lu Xi Tong's physique, but at the critical moment, she had been whisked away to an unknown location. The backlash of his power surged through him unexpectedly with his defense basically near zero.

Although the seal had been partially reinforced, it remained incomplete, posing a grave risk should her soul stir again in the future.

Yet, it was not merely the disruption of his plans that fueled his fury. At the instant Lu Xi Tong vanished, he sensed a force severing her connection to the starry expanse. This violent disconnection could lead to catastrophic consequences—her immediate death or her soul trapped in a state of eternal chaos. Even he would struggle to maintain the seal without endangering her life if it was the latter.

Previously barred from accessing the world within the tapestry, the enigmatic entity had now siphoned a fragment of energy from the Primordial Ancestral Guardian, granting him the ability to bypass the protective forces that had once held him back through a mysterious technique. With a flick of his wrist, he cast aside the two primordial guardians before plunging into the tapestry.

Unique World Within the Tapestry~

The enigmatic entity materialized on a desolate mountain, which was once vibrant with life, but not desolate, courtesy of Lu Xi Tong's soul pulse. He extended his divine sense, spreading it like delicate tendrils into the earth and sky, capturing even the slightest movements of the tiniest microorganisms.

Fury flickered in his eyes as one of his tendrils locked onto Lu Xi Tong, now on the tenth floor of the Sky Reaching Pagoda, alongside another strange entity concealed within a pocket of space.

With a surge of green, gaseous energy, the enigmatic entity vanished from sight.

Unknown Pocket Space Within the Sky Reaching Pagoda~

In this hidden realm, a peculiar youth sat in meditation on a futon, striving to stabilize his qi, which teetered on the brink of chaos. A crystalline, iridescent pearl hovered above his head, radiating a resplendent rainbow light as he murmured a mantra.

*Warp*

The fabric of space twisted violently as the enigmatic entity blinked into existence before the youth, who wasn't surprised by the arrival of the new presence, almost as if expecting him .

"The all-present ability, I see. You and that girl are certainly not from this world, are you? I doubt you used your power to intrude upon this space merely to regard me with such cold indifference," the youth remarked, his tone measured and unhurried, as he continued his meditation.

**Wenge**

A ghostly green saber, weathered by the nether air, materialized before the enigmatic entity and shot toward the strange youth. Instead of engaging in conversation, the entity had opted for an immediate attack.

"Freeze!" The strange youth's eyes snapped open, a knowing smirk playing across his lips as he anticipated the assault. He lifted a finger, halting the incoming saber in mid-air, encasing it in a shimmering frost before shattering it with a snap of his finger.

"Friend, let's discuss this like civilized individuals, not as barbarians who strike without so much as a greeting," he said, his words dripping with sarcasm. The harmless smile on his face belied the insult he had just hurled at the enigmatic entity.

Raising an eyebrow, the enigmatic entity responded with a single, cold word

"Drop dead."

In an instant, thousands of ghostly green sabers materialized, spinning vertically like a deadly cyclone. They surrounded the strange youth, filling the pocket space with an eerie green hue as they whirled, unleashing waves of sword qi toward him.

This time, the strange youth's demeanor shifted; the smirk vanished, replaced by a serious expression. He tapped his finger on the ground, and an exquisite icy blue lotus blossomed around him, each petal dancing gracefully as it repelled the onslaught of ghostly sword qi.

Without hesitation, the enigmatic entity crossed his index fingers, sending them out in a crisscross motion. Instantly, the power of each saber doubled, resonating in harmony and amplifying their strength exponentially. The icy blue lotus struggled to hold its ground, with green threads slicing through its petals one by one.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the strange youth understood that the enigmatic entity was not to be trifled with. If this continued, he would surely meet his end. His attitude shifted dramatically.

"Senior, please hear me out. If we unleash our full power, it would wreak havoc across this world and beyond, bringing no benefit to either of us. Most importantly, it would endanger that girl's life even further. I concede defeat and acknowledge your superior strength."

"You are quite the eloquent speaker, aren't you? Very well, I will listen to what you have to say, but mind you if you speak rubbish I will let you know the immensity of the heavens" The enigmatic entity recognized the youth's cunning nature but also saw the merit in his argument. Despite his apparent rage, he remained level-headed, having no real intention of killing the strange youth. His goal had merely been to deflate the youth's ego.

"Make it quick; I have no time to waste," the enigmatic entity said, his voice carrying a weight that could fell mountains and sever steel.

"I am Xie Xing. May I know how to address you, Senior?" the strange youth inquired.

"No need for pleasantries. Get to the point," the enigmatic entity replied sharply.

"I noticed that she possesses a rare dual soul, but strangely, they seem intent on destroying one another. Therefore, I tampered with her tria ....."

"You did what?!" The enigmatic entity interrupted, his voice dropping to an unnaturally chilling tone that sent shivers down Xie Xing's spine.

"I only made minor adjustments—just a little tweak here and there, nothing too serious," Xie Xing said sheepishly, forcing a smile while scratching the back of his head.

"I tried various methods to stimulate her soul, but nothing worked. I never expected the starry space to yield such wonders. Trust me, I regret it too; that young lass nearly ruined everything. Ahhhh! This is why one should never poke their nose where it dosen't belong." He spoke begrudgingly, as if he were the victim in this scenario.

The enigmatic entity regarded Xie Xing with a blank stare, unimpressed by his dramatics. He was far too seasoned to be fooled by the youth's facade. There had to be more to Xie Xing's interest in her dual souls than he let on; after all, one didn't go around stirring souls without a compelling reason.

"I'll compensate the young lass with an extra vial of yin-yang sanguine essence and two additional vials of void sanguine essence if she can pass the tenth level. What do you say?" Xie Xing proposed, his tone hopeful.

"You call that compensation? Do you take me for a fool?" The enigmatic entity's aura intensified, suffocating Xie Xing like a rabbit before a fierce tiger.

"Fine! I'll add the complete totem of the healing art she comprehended on the fourth floor," Xie Xing quickly amended, desperation creeping into his voice.

"And?" The enigmatic entity pressed, clearly intent on negotiating for more benefits for Lu Xi Tong. "Why not include that soul relinquishing pearl above your head, along with a spatial ring? Double the sanguine essence, too, and throw in a wisp of the Grand Primordial Carp's true soul."

"You jest, Senior! I can reluctantly agree to everything else, but not the pearl!" Xie Xing forced a laugh, trying to mask his discomfort.

"Do I look like a jester to you? If you won't hand it over willingly, I have no qualms about taking it by force." The enigmatic entity's fiendish grin spread across his face as he reached out, grabbing Xie Xing by the neck and lifting him off the ground.

"Will you do it or not?" the entity tune shifted sardonically.

"I will! I will!" Xie Xing gasped frantically, clutching at the entity's hand, which was firmly around his throat.

In that moment, Xie Xing cursed his assailant's ten ancestors and ten generations in his mind, feeling the weight of regret swell in his heart. He realized he had suffered too many losses at the hands of that lass, who remained blissfully unaware of the turmoil unfolding around her.

A victorious smile crept across the enigmatic entity's face, though it was obscured by the straw conical hat he wore. If Xie Xing could see the entity's expression, he would have spat blood in anger.

Once they arrived in the independent space, the entity swept his divine sense across the area, pinpointing the locations of both Lu Xi Tong and Xie Xing. Discovering that Lu Xi Tong's condition was not as dire as he had feared—and that it could even serve as a blessing in helping her unite her dual souls before the upcoming fourth night, now less than a day away—the entity chose to seek trouble with Xie Xing instead, determined to extract as many benefits from him as possible.

Now it seemed that his plan had unfolded seamlessly, and it was no surprise that the enigmatic entity was pleased.

"Could you please let me down now? I'd much prefer a friendly chat over a cup of bloody petal tea," Xie Xing said, managing to stifle a warm smile.

To his surprise, the enigmatic entity nodded in agreement, dropping Xie Xing unceremoniously onto his backside with a loud thud.

Xie Xing quickly scrambled to his feet, wincing as he rubbed his sore rear, but a crafty smile crept onto his face despite the discomfort.

Tenth Floor of the Sky Reaching Pagoda~

After an indeterminate amount of time, life flickered back into Lu Xi Tong's eyes as she gently awoke from her deathly slumber. The forceful severance of her soul from the starry space had plunged her into a trance, where she experienced a long dream of another life. Yet, all those memories vanished the moment she opened her eyes.

Sitting up slowly, a series of long-stifled coughs erupted triumphantly from her throat. Lu Xi Tong's hair was disheveled, and her once-pristine dress was now crumpled and wrinkled.

As she gathered her bearings, she noticed four vials, an obsidian black ring, a golden phial beside her, along with an iridescent pearl the size of a pea. Just then, Xie Xing's voice broke the silence, emanating from an unknown pocket space on the tenth floor.

"The vials contain the sanguine essence of the Grand Primordial Carp's yin-yang layer. The golden phial to your left holds the true soul essence of the Grand Primordial Carp, while the iridescent pearl to your right is known as the Soul Relinquishing Pearl. Its uses are yours to unravel. Both are compensation for the mishap you encountered in the starry space. Lastly, this is the remaining part of the mystic healing art you comprehended on the fourth floor."

A green phantom light flew into Xi Tong's forehead, bestowing upon her the final piece of the mystic healing art.

"The Emerald Cuckoo Art," Xi Tong murmured, finally learning the true name of the mystic art. "What a strange name," she couldn't help but comment.

"Ah! Lest I forget that dark ring is a spacial artifact of an extremely high grade you can't even comprehend."

Upon hearing this Lu Xi Tong's eyes glowed ecstatically. She could now basically move around a lot of things easily. Spacial artifact could store up things within their unique space, what can be stored, the time limit and the amount of space within it varied based on the quality of the artifact.

From the strange youth's words it seemed like this artifact should be of a very high grade. Very few people she had encountered had a spacial treasure. Then it dawned on her that the strange youth's attitude towards her was extremely odd after what had transpired between them during their last encounter.

"What's going on? Why is that annoying guy suddenly so nice to me? Did he get kicked in the head by a donkey or something?" Xi Tong muttered to herself, she could easily recognize that cocky voice even in the depths of her sleep. She was certain it was him speaking to her.

"Still acting all mysterious, huh?" she thought, feeling displeased with his refusal to show himself. Unbeknownst to her, Xie Xing was in a miserable state; he had somehow offended the enigmatic entity during their "friendly chat" after finalizing their "compensation." As a result, he had been bullied and beaten black and blue, his face swollen like that of a butchered pig. If she could see him now, she might have even felt a twinge of pity or maybe even loath at him.

"Welcome to the Void Level. You must withstand the pressure of the void for one hour to pass. Different scenes will unfold before your eyes; if you can comprehend them, you will be bestowed with additional benefits. You also have one hour to assimilate the sanguine essence and the true soul essence. That should be more than enough time, as you are quite peculiar and can assimilate those essences as easily as chewing candy. I'll leave you to your devices." Xie Xing's voice faded into the ether.

*Boom!*

An hour later, the trial truly began as the pressure of the void descended upon Lu Xi Tong. It was reminiscent of the intangible weight of the Year of the Void outside the tapestry, yet distinctly different in its essence.

Surprisingly, Lu Xi Tong felt an unusual sense of comfort under this bizarre pressure; it didn't weigh on her at all, much like the outside world. As she closed her eyes, a kaleidoscope of scenes unfolded in her mind.

A sea of fire was quietly consumed by an encroaching nothingness.

A massive mountain was silently devoured by the same creeping void.

A vast desert...

A lush forest...

An expansive ocean...

A raging thunderstorm...

A tempest...

A resplendent light...

A pitch-black night sky was gradually consumed by the creeping nothingness, even the stars within it.

Ever scene came to an end after being devoured by the all-engulfing nothingness. These scenes replayed over and over again.

Not feeling any actual pressure, Lu Xi Tong chose to delve into the mysteries hidden within the scenes that played out before her.

Within that hour, she grasped the concept of solitary nothingness from the visions flashing in her mind. She surmised that this skill, solitary nothingness, was the reward she had been promised.

The trial on the tenth floor felt like a mere breeze to her. As time expired, she was rewarded with four vials of the Grand Primordial Carp's void sanguine essence.

At this point, Lu Xi Tong realized why the trial had deviated from its intended course at some unknown moment. According to the information provided by the ancestral primordial guardians, the true trial lay in the amount of sanguine essence one could assimilate. However, for her, assimilating the sanguine essence was a simple task, which suggested an increase in difficulty in other aspects.

This was merely her speculation, but she had a strong hunch that she was absolutely right.

After the time it takes to finish a meal, Lu Xi Tong was teleported to the eleventh floor of the Sky Reaching Pagoda.