After achieving his immortal body, Qiu Xia restrained his aura. He snuck into Ah Xiu's home and watched as she taught her son how to speak and walk. He pondered for a moment whether he should take her back with him,
but ultimately decided against it. He believed that only by being apart could Ah Xiu and Kuang Tianyou truly grasp the meaning of love and evolve into Red-eyed Zombies.
With that thought, he left behind some pills and departed. Shortly after he left, Ma Danna appeared at the house.
"Sister Ah Xiu, long time no see!"
"Danna, it's you! It's been a long time. Do you have any news of Guohua?"
Ma Danna shook her head. "I'm sorry, Sister Ah Xiu. I've searched for Brother Kuang, but I can't find a trace of him. It's as if he doesn't exist in this world anymore."
"I came back this time to find that bastard!" Ma Danna continued.
"That bastard?" Ah Xiu blinked, then realized who she meant. "You mean Qiu Xia."
"Yes. Didn't you feel the lightning tribulation and the immortal aura nearby earlier?" Ma Danna asked.
"I felt it," Ah Xiu said, her expression falling. "But I was afraid I'd be discovered if I went to look. If I'd known it was Qiu Xia, I would have gone. Maybe I could have gotten news about Brother Kuang from him."
Ma Danna reassured her, "Don't worry, Sister Ah Xiu. Once I find that bastard, I'll force the truth about Brother Kuang out of him."
"Thank you, Danna."
After Ma Danna left, Ah Xiu took her son back into the house. On the table, she found a bottle of pills and a letter.
The letter told her that Kuang Tianyou was doing well, though he missed her and their son dearly. He wanted to see them but feared he might hurt them. From the letter, it was clear that Kuang Tianyou had no idea Ah Xiu had already become a zombie.
The bottle on the table contained a new type of pill designed to upgrade her bloodline. Once she used them to become a first-generation Red-eyed Zombie, she could see Kuang Tianyou again and even eat normal human food.
After leaving Hongxi Village, Qiu Xia headed toward the heart of the array he had established previously. He moved cautiously to avoid being detected by the Underworld. He didn't know Ma Danna had become a zombie yet, as the pills he gave her were only supposed to take effect after she finished them or after several years had passed. He hadn't expected her to be so "diligent" and swallow them all at once.
He had to be careful because he had caused quite a headache for the Soul Ferrymen in the past. While they were no match for him, he couldn't just kill them. If he did, that old bastard Pluto A Cha would definitely come after him. Given how much he had bullied the Soul Ferrymen, they would likely contact A Cha the moment they spotted him.
Thus, Qiu Xia resorted to changing his appearance and suppressing his aura to sneak into the Array Core. To an ordinary person, the place looked unremarkable. But to anyone at the immortal level or those who could observe "Qi," the area radiated overwhelming Fortune. Demons and monsters didn't dare approach, and human cultivators stayed away for fear of being entangled in the massive Karma of the place.
While others viewed it with desire or dread, Qiu Xia treated it as his own backyard. He strolled in casually; the barrier around the core didn't block him at allit seemed to welcome his arrival with joy.
Inside the core, the spiritual energy was so dense it was visible. An ordinary human would have "ascended" (died) instantly upon entering. Even a cultivator below the immortal level would have been bloated and burst by the sheer pressure of the energy.
A Human Immortal could stay for a while if they didn't meditate; if they did, they'd only last thirty minutes. Only those at the Golden Immortal level or higher could cultivate here normally.
At the very center of the core, Qiu Xia took out a God Tree seed, dug a hole, and buried it. "I wonder what the barrier over the Divine Land will look like once this God Tree grows? Will it get stronger or just expand? Whatever, I'll find out once I try."
As Qiu Xia poured a massive amount of Source Power into the seed, it began to grow at an explosive rate. During its growth, it devoured the spiritual energy accumulated in the core, fueling its ascent.
With both Source Power and spiritual energy fueling it, the God Tree reached a height of several thousand meters in just three days. The towering tree was visible to every cultivator above the immortal realm. Those below that level couldn't see it, as the array and the barrier kept it hidden from mortal eyes.
Initially, the God Tree required energy to grow, but once it reached a certain height, it began to feed energy and Source Power back into the world. It simultaneously increased the barrier's strength and expanded its range. The barrier, which had once only covered the Divine Land, now stretched out to Jiaopen and Polar Bear Country, even reaching down to the Antarctic.
A protective dome formed above and below the region, looking as if a section of the planet had been carved out. As the tree grew, it fused with the array foundations Qiu Xia had left behind, replacing them. Its effect on suppressing Fortune and regulating spiritual energy was many times more powerful than before.
With this latest upgrade to the barrier, even experts at the Golden Immortal level found their power restricted. Take Jiang Chen, for instance: at his peak, he could easily destroy the Earth. Within this barrier, however, he would be limited to destroying a single city at most. Without the barrier, he could level mountains; with it, he probably couldn't even scratch one.
This new development in the Divine Land quickly caught the attention of the Three RealmsHeaven, Earth, and Man. They sent a delegation to investigate, but due to the barrier's restrictions, it took them a week to arrive. By then, Qiu Xia had finished his work and vanished.
The experts of the Three Realms and the Pangu Clan stared at the giant tree in a daze. Who was this person? How had they grown such a massive tree so quickly? And what was the point of constantly upgrading the Divine Land's barrier? What was he trying to achieve?
Unfortunately, no one could answer them. The only thing they knew for certain was that they would have to leave a faction or a clone on Earth. Otherwise, they would lose the ability to observe the planet from the outsideor more accurately, they wouldn't be able to see into the Divine Land at all.
Where was the culprit behind all this? At that moment, he was sitting in a small pork shop, happily eating pork offal. One gulp of white liquor followed by a bite of offal; he was in heaven.
"Damn, this is good," Qiu Xia sighed. "Ever since I came to this world, I've been craving this. It's a shame the Naruto and One Piece Worlds don't have it. If I want to eat it there, I have to make it myself. My cooking is alright, but it's such a hassle. And I hate a hassle."
After finishing his meal, he settled the bill and left. This time, he didn't pay with copper coins, but with the newly issued RMB.
A huge pile of meat and two bottles of liquor cost less than a single yuan. It was unthinkable, but money went further in this era. Ten thousand yuan back then was equivalent to millions or tens of millions in the future. Prices were low; a house in the countryside cost less than a hundred yuan, while a city house was barely a thousand.
After leaving the shop, Qiu Xia wandered through the small city. Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure. His feet immediately began to itch; he felt a sudden urge to kick something. He quietly crept up behind the person.
As he approached, he realized it was Zhao Li. He thought about giving Zhao Li another kick, but he had already done that several times. If he just called out to him, Zhao Li would probably have some other reaction. Besides, what if Zhao Li had bought a magical treasure to protect his rear? The kick would be wasted.
I have so many ruthless moves, Qiu Xia thought. Why keep using the same one? If I actually break Zhao Li, we'll be enemies for life.
With that in mind, Qiu Xia decided on a new trick. He stepped up next to Zhao Li and slapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey, Brother Li! Long time no see!"
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