Luo Ao was not yet thirty years old, but he was already an early Martial Spring Realm cultivator, serving as a manager disciple in the Outer Court of Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

One could say he had a bright future ahead of him. If he wanted, with his talent, he was fully capable of entering the Inner Court of Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

But he had rejected the opportunity to go to the Inner Court, choosing instead to remain in the Outer Court.

This was a very clever choice. Although his talent was sufficient to enter the Inner Court, once he stepped inside, he would be the type of marginal figure most easily overlooked.

His plan was to first work in the Outer Court, secure a higher position and accumulate enough seniority, and only then be transferred into the Immortal Sect's Inner Court.

That way, his prospects in the Inner Court would be far brighter than if he entered as an ordinary disciple.

Someone this intelligent naturally knew how to weigh options and handle such trivial matters.

Luo Ao had not hesitated for even a moment. He chose to stand unconditionally on Chen Yan's side.

This was an investment. Given the talent Chen Yan had displayed during the assessment, he was certain to make a name for himself once he entered the Inner Court of Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

Gui An had been forced to kneel on the narrow deck of the ferry for an entire day and night.

It was precisely because of this incident that those hotheaded youngsters no longer dared to target Chen Yan or stick up for Su Ying.

The rest of the journey was smooth sailing.

One month later.

They were now only a few dozen li away from Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

The ferry floated through the air, continuing its flight toward Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

The newly recruited disciples filed out of the cabin, crowding onto the narrow deck as they gazed toward the direction of Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

What lay before them was a towering mountain range, thousands of zhang high, entirely covered in lush green—a majestic expanse of verdant peaks and clear waters.

Qingxuan Mountain, the very gates of Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

Above the mountainside, thick clouds and mist swirled. Clearly visible were the bluestone steps winding up the mountain, spiraling all the way from the foot to the summit.

Countless clusters of buildings dotted this towering peak. At the very top sat a grand, magnificent hall, along with three thousand green-tiled courtyards.

Chen Yan stood among the newly recruited disciples, gazing at this cultivation sect before him—one that could rival Heavenly Summit Mountain in its prime.

From today onward, he was finally stepping into the world of immortal cultivation in this realm.

...

Five years later.

Qingxuan Immortal Sect, Inner Court, Scripture Repository.

Wearing a dark cyan daoist robe, Chen Yan emerged slowly from the Scripture Repository, holding two historical texts in his hands.

"Senior Brother Chen!"

"Greetings, Senior Brother Chen!"

As he walked along the Inner Court's streets, the young Inner Court disciples of Qingxuan Immortal Sect passing by all bowed respectfully in his direction.

Over these five years, Chen Yan had earned a considerable standing among the younger generation of Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

Looking at the current crop of young disciples, his achievements placed him firmly in the top five.

From an ordinary mortal to the Martial Spring Realm, it had taken him a total of five years.

This speed wasn't too outrageous. Back in the day, the chief disciples of the Five Great Sects on Chenping Continent had basically all maintained a similar pace of cultivation.

During these five years, aside from attending required events, Chen Yan had spent all his time in dedicated "cultivation."

Call it cultivation, but in reality, he had just been holed up in the Scripture Repository, reading through all kinds of texts and records.

His gains were far greater than one might imagine.

For instance, he had discovered the true and complete system of immortal cultivation.

The Nine Realms Below Immortality were exactly as Chen Yan had known them: starting from the Lower Three Realms—Body Forging Realm, Qi Circulation Realm, and Martial Spring Realm—then the Middle Three Realms—Qi Sea Realm, Spirit Connection Realm, and Myriad Transformations Realm—and finally the Upper Three Realms—Unity Realm, Divine Ability Realm, and Dao Union Realm.

Then came the Immortal Ascension Realm.

But in the true classification of cultivation systems, the Immortal Ascension Realm could not be considered a genuine realm Above Immortality.

Rather, it was a transitional realm between Below Immortality and Above Immortality.

The true realms Above Immortality were called the Five Realms Above Immortality.

They were, in order: Returning to Void Realm, Uncarved Simplicity Realm, Creating Illusion Realm, Primordial Beginning Realm, and the highest—Immortal Heaven Realm.

Mr. You's cultivation level was at the peak of the Returning to Void Realm, half a step into the Uncarved Simplicity Realm.

In other words, right when he was about to step into the Uncarved Simplicity Realm, he had been targeted by that existence from within the pitch-black rift.

Chen Yan suspected that the being who had set its sights on Mr. You was very likely connected to that withered eyeball he had seen in the Heavenly Summit Mirror.

Based on the texts Chen Yan could currently access in the Inner Court of Qingxuan Immortal Sect, he could only learn the names of the Five Realms Above Immortality. As for more specific details, he knew nothing.

Aside from that, Chen Yan had also obtained another very important piece of information.

That was the fact that cultivators at the Immortal Ascension Realm in this realm could freely unleash their immortal qi and dao rhyme without fear of backlash from the laws of heaven and earth, unlike the Immortal Ascension cultivators on Chenping Continent.

The laws of heaven and earth in this realm were countless times more resilient than those of Chenping Continent.

But interestingly enough, just like on Chenping Continent, the total number of Great Daos in this realm was also forty-nine.

This meant that this realm could accommodate at most forty-nine Ascended Immortals.

When Chen Yan, carrying the texts he had borrowed from the Scripture Repository, returned to his courtyard in the Inner Court of Qingxuan Immortal Sect, he saw a young man who appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen standing at the gate.

"Senior Brother."

The young man, upon seeing Chen Yan approach, respectfully bowed in his direction.

This youth was named Li Qing, Chen Yan's fellow disciple in Qingxuan Immortal Sect.

The moment Chen Yan saw Li Qing, he knew that his master in Qingxuan Immortal Sect was looking for him.

In truth, Chen Yan rarely had much communication with his master in Qingxuan Immortal Sect. From the very beginning, Chen Yan had displayed enough comprehension that his master believed Chen Yan was better suited for solitary cultivation rather than being taught or lectured by others.

"The master is looking for me?" Chen Yan said to Li Qing.

"Yeah," Li Qing replied with a smile, his gaze falling on the two texts in Chen Yan's hands. "Senior Brother still loves studying history."

"Just a hobby," Chen Yan said, handing the texts to Li Qing. "Put these in my room for me. I'm going to see the master."

"Got it!" Li Qing responded.

This junior brother of his had a pretty good personality.

With that thought, Chen Yan turned around and made his way toward his master's cave dwelling.

And just as he was walking down the street...

*Clang!*

Suddenly, the sound of a bronze bell—one he knew all too well—rang out, echoing across the heavens.

In an instant, every hair on Chen Yan's body stood on end. An icy chill coursed through him, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Why?

Had he been discovered?

Every muscle in Chen Yan's body tensed. Slowly, he raised his head and looked up toward the sky above Qingxuan Mountain.

There, suspended in midair, two statues of goddesses adorned with seven-colored flowing gold slowly drifted, moving forward.

Behind the statues was a pitch-black carriage pulled by eleven ninth-realm great demons—golden-feathered demon steeds.

Chen Yan stood frozen in place, staring up at the sky.

What in the world... was this?