C1184 Lower Continent
Three venerable leaders from different Outsider tribes stood atop the barren mountain peak, gazing up at Denise's Galaxy Ancient Starship as it gracefully ascended from a distant cliff. They were the chieftains of the Silver Scale Clan, the Fire Lizard Tribe, and the Rock Clan, all boasting Sixth Level bloodlines.
Despite their esteemed bloodlines, the ruler of the Upper Continent had never truly considered taking them away from the Epitaxial Realm. Their advanced age meant there was little hope of advancing their bloodlines to a higher level in the years to come.
Hundreds of warriors from various tribes stood behind them, silently watching the sky.
"With Her Highness Denise here, all we can do is watch them depart from our world," lamented the elder of the Fire Lizard Tribe, his voice tinged with resignation. He clenched his fist in a moment of silent fury, then slowly released it. "My children were among those two lost battle squads! I must inform His Highness Swarz, in hopes that he will return to the Epitaxial Realm to deliver justice for us!"
The towering leader of the Rock Clan, standing beside him, offered his sympathy but remained realistic. "Before leaving, our Highness mentioned he wouldn't return to the Epitaxial Realm for some time. I've heard he's gone to another Starfield to hone his skills, and we're unable to reach him."
The most warlike among them, the Rock Clan leader, grunted in agreement. "We need to be patient. Once Her Highness Denise's Galaxy Ancient Starship departs, we'll be free to resume our battles!"
These words stirred a sense of invigoration in the elder of the Fire Lizard Tribe.
They all understood that Denise and her brother Swarz were unlikely to linger in the Epitaxial Realm for long. Just like before, they would visit briefly before hastening away. Knowing the siblings' dynamic meant they couldn't make any rash moves until Swarz made his stance clear.
But once Denise had gone, the Epitaxial Realm would revert to its old ways, and they wouldn't have to hold back any longer.
"Father!" called a warrior from the Silver Scale Clan, arriving swiftly on an alien beast. He halted before the three leaders of the Upper Continent, his expression grave. "Within a hundred miles, all insects have perished, and the land is scarred with collapses and fissures."
"An explosion from the Galaxy Ancient Starship?" the elder of the Rock Clan exclaimed in surprise.
"No, there's no evidence of bombardment on the surface," replied the warrior from the Silver Scale Clan, shaking his head and frowning. "It's as if some force infiltrated the ground of this desolate wilderness and detonated suddenly."
The Rock Clan elder paused, pondering for a moment before speaking, "I suspect that among those accompanying Princess Denise, there's a true powerhouse!"
"Ah!" The elders of both the Rock Clan and the Fire Lizard Tribe were startled, prompting them to proceed with even greater caution.
...
Gazing out the window of the Galaxy Ancient Starship, Yu Yuan, with Chen Qinghuang on his back, watched the Upper Continent shrink away through the transparent crystal face glass.
He could make out villages, tribal gatherings, and a castle that was clearly a construction of the Star Race, composed of several tall stone palaces. From this altitude, the Upper Continent of the Epitaxial Realm seemed quite small.
Yu Yuan silently estimated that in terms of land area, the Upper Continent of this realm was comparable to just one empire on the Profound Sky Continent. As for the population, it might only match that of a small city within such an empire.
There were no cities to be seen across the entire Upper Continent of the Epitaxial Realm. The sparse villages and tribes were widely dispersed, with the smallest villages likely housing no more than a hundred people. When compared to the vastness of the Boundless Land, known as the Central World, the Epitaxial Realm was insignificant and minuscule.
As the Galaxy Ancient Starship pierced through the dim boundary wall and emerged into the starfield, Yu Yuan captured the entire Epitaxial Realm in his gaze, now reduced in scale.
A look of astonishment crossed his face. Contrary to his expectations, the Epitaxial Realm wasn't a tract of land suspended horizontally across the galaxy. Instead, it stood vertically, resembling a human palm positioned upright in the cosmos, with the back facing the side with the yellow sun and the palm facing the moonlit side.
The Epitaxial Realm stood erect and motionless, ensuring that the alien races from both worlds would always witness the same unchanging sky.
As he had previously surmised, the Rock Clan, Silver Scale Clan, and Fire Lizard Tribe all resided on the Upper Continent, where the night sky was adorned with a yellow sun and a smattering of twinkling stars.
Conversely, the Dark Elfkind, Banshee Clan, Mondnacht Clan, and Void Spirit Succubus inhabited the Lower Continent. The dim moonlight there allowed the stars to sprinkle their light across the land. Thus, the inhabitants could gaze upon an eternal moon as well as the stars.
"The Epitaxial Realm is indeed quite small. Since you're from elsewhere, it must not seem very impressive to you," Denise remarked, her voice trailing from behind Yu Yuan. The ruler of the Lower Continent had gained a newfound respect for Yu Yuan upon learning that he hailed from another world and was a Dark Elfkind apothecary.
She was utterly unconcerned with whatever Yu Yuan had done on the Upper Continent, or how many lives may have been lost because of it. After all, they were merely insignificant servants; their deaths were of no consequence.
"Could you share where exactly you come from?" Denise inquired, stepping closer and gesturing for the seven clan warriors loyal to her father to keep their distance.
"Serene Starfield," Yu Yuan replied coolly.
With Chen Qinghuang on his back, he turned to find Mi Tine, a Dark Elfkind, shrinking back into a corner, her gaze fixed on him from a distance. As he turned to look at her, she quickly bowed her head, her shoulders quivering.
Yu Yuan's expression remained unchanged. He understood that this Dark Elfkind woman must have been aware of Chen Qinghuang's fearsome reputation, which explained her trepidation. Yet, why hadn't she made this clear to Denise?
Mi Tine had been a witness to the extraordinary events and tumultuous upheaval in the wilderness, yet she had remained silent, a fact that surprised Yu Yuan. Was it because they shared the same Dark Elfkind lineage?
As Yu Yuan pondered in silence, Denise's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "The Serene Starfield! I'm familiar with it; it's where the Outland Devaputra are active, and other races have established bases there too. Oh, and I recall my father mentioning that in the current Serene Starfield, humans and great demons have joined forces to construct a Galaxy Crossing!"
Yu Yuan nodded slightly. "Yes, it was a joint construction by the Divine Soul Sect and the Babel Chamber of Commerce."
"The Serene Starfield is not far from the Oblivion Starfield. Have you heard what happened in the Oblivion Starfield? The Great Demon God Grec was apparently killed there! Even the Asura King Sabonis suffered severe injuries. He had to detonate a Frost Well in the Dark Domain to make his escape back."
Denise spoke while intently gazing into Yu Yuan's eyes, trying to discern if he was hiding something.
Yu Yuan remained impassive, shaking his head as he replied, "I'm only familiar with the events in the Serene Starfield. As for the Oblivion Starfield, I'm not too clear on that. My sister and I were exploring an ancient relic in the Serene Starfield when we suddenly passed out. When we came to, we found ourselves in the Epitaxial Realm."
Unable to come up with a plausible explanation, he resorted to fabricating a story.
Whether Denise believed him or not didn't particularly concern him. If it came down to it, he could always summon the Demon Blade and cleanse the Galaxy Ancient Starship with blood.
With a soft whoosh, the Galaxy Ancient Starship belonging to Denise pierced through a layer of silver-gray barrier, transitioning into another world—the Lower Continent, inhabited by Dark Elfkind, Void Spirit Succubus, and Banshee Clan.
Yu Yuan's curiosity was piqued. The Epitaxial Realm was enveloped by two distinct barriers—one shrouding the Upper Continent and another concealing the Lower Continent.
One radiated with the glow of a yellow sun, while the other shimmered with the cool brilliance of moonlight.
He leaned closer to the crystal face glass, peering at the Lower Continent of the Epitaxial Realm. It was teeming with life, far more so than the Upper Continent, with lush forests and verdant vegetation as far as the eye could see. The barren and desolate landscapes were nowhere to be found.
The settlements on the Lower Continent were uniquely designed, and surprisingly, they boasted a larger population than the Upper Continent.
Most importantly, he noticed that the Lower Continent harbored even more precious and rare flora than the Upper Continent, with a greater variety of exotic flowers and plants.
A decision formed in his heart; he resolved to spend some time on the Lower Continent, as it would aid in his and Chen Qinghuang's recovery.
Suddenly, he became aware that the Star Race woman behind him had fallen silent for quite some time after his bout of tall tales.
He turned to look once more.
Denise, whose features could certainly be described as beautiful, caught his gaze again. It was as if she had been jolted from a deep reverie. She managed a strained smile and said, "I've always been aware that the Epitaxial Realm was no ordinary place. I suspected there had to be a hidden passage that connected it to the outside world, but its exact location has always eluded me."
After a brief pause, Denise continued, "If you can demonstrate your abilities and earn my trust, I'll share with you a monumental secret of the Epitaxial Realm, known only to myself and my good-for-nothing brother!"
