The six from the Heavenly Sword Sect and Kuang Dao felt their hearts race as they listened, because… Immortal Realm! This was exactly what they'd been chasing all this time. On Lingyun Continent, it had been ages since any cultivators had ascended.
And the reason they hadn't ascended wasn't that their cultivation was lacking, nor was the path to ascension blocked. It was that they simply weren't allowed to. Lingyun Continent had accumulated a group of Mahayana cultivators waiting to ascend, all to counter the looming threat of the insect clan.
Among the major sects, cultivation clans, and high-tier cultivators of Lingyun Continent, this was no longer a secret. So when Hou San said this, everyone was surprised inside, but no one showed it outwardly.
Seeing how calm they were, Hou San's heart sank further. Did they really look like first-timers? How could they be so composed… or had they been here before, just not at this spot?
That was right. The spatial rift here wasn't easy to spot. Once a group entered, that rift would vanish, leaving them lost.
Hou San had already started piecing together Jian Dan and her group's path in his mind. He knew he had to be careful with his words. If they realized what he said didn't match the intel they had, they'd assume he was lying—and then he'd truly be dead.
Jian Dan listened, her mind spinning. She felt like she was almost onto something, but there was always a thin veil blocking the final link to connect all the clues.
She didn't rush, instead keeping her usual tone as she said, "This seems off… the last time we came here, it wasn't like this."
Jian Lu and the others stayed silent, showing nothing. They knew Jian Dan was testing Hou San.
"Senior, when exactly did you last come here? This place is huge. The spot you entered last time isn't the same as this one. Differences are inevitable," Hou San said quickly, relieved that she was now admitting she had been here before.
"Really?" Jian Dan raised a skeptical brow.
"I, Hou San, wouldn't dare deceive you. This is the outermost area, a graveyard for fallen cultivators. It's where remnants from the Immortal Realm's battles against the insect clan are dealt with."
"Then why are you still here? What's the point?"
"Even if it's just leftovers, some scraps can still be useful. If you've got guts and can survive the rain of fiery stones, you might find something good," Hou San said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Not necessarily! That firestorm's meant to destroy these remnants. After all, whether human cultivators or insects, they wouldn't want their corpses scavenged and turned into profit!" Jian Dan said, a faint smile on her lips.
She'd gotten plenty of insect carapaces before, all from her own kills, but on a proper battlefield, it was another story.
"You're wise, Senior. We can't touch the corpses, but the damaged treasures and clothes—even a scrap of armor—are treasures to us lower-world cultivators!" Hou San admitted.
"I see. How long have you been here? And why target us?" Jian Dan asked.
"We're a group of loose cultivators. We've been here three years. We targeted you because of your spirit beast," Hou San stammered when Jian Dan's gaze sharpened.
"Huh?"
"Spirit beasts were rare here. Their keen senses could detect treasures invisible to us. More importantly, they could lead us out of this space," Hou San explained nervously.
"How's that?" Jian Dan asked, her sharp gaze making him hesitate.
Hou San froze. Didn't they already enter here before? How could they not know the way out?
Jian Dan read it in his eyes and cut him off, "Speak!"
"The spirit beast can locate the rift connected to where we came from last time."
"Even if you stole our spirit beast, you wouldn't get back to the same place!" Jian Dan raised an eyebrow.
"We're loose cultivators. As long as we leave here, anywhere is a place to train. And whatever treasures we find here, we can turn into spirit stones outside, grow stronger, and eventually ascend."
"Humph! You're really dumb. Don't you know to speak politely first? Say things properly, maybe you won't end up as ghost fodder!"
Hou San didn't understand, but he could only nod.
"You think we came here for fun? The plane we're in won't allow anyone to ascend, so we risked re-entering to find a way out," Jian Dan said, eight parts truth, two parts lie, but she sounded entirely sincere. Jian Mao the others nodded in agreement, while Kuang Dao behind Hou San twitched, thinking their Jian Lu Zūnshàng really knew how to sell a lie as truth.
Hou San instantly regretted it. He shouldn't have pushed his boss to attack immediately. If they'd spoken nicely, they might have bartered some resources. Now, his fate was entirely in their hands, and he felt more helpless than ever.
Jian Dan's eyes flickered. She knew Hou San wasn't just interested in Xiao Yue. More likely, he wanted the resources they carried. These weren't low-tier cultivators by any measure.
"Enough. Whatever you say now is too late. Focus on saving your own life first!"
"Yes!" Hou San straightened up at Jian Dan's words.
"Tell me the current power distribution. Has anything changed since I left?"
Hou San realized this was the real test and took a moment before replying.
"The three main powers haven't changed much. First, cultivators from the Immortal Realm who fell with this plane—rules suppress their power, mostly Earth Immortal level—but they're still stronger than us, so we avoid conflict.
Next, sect cultivators from other worlds entering through rifts treat this as a secret realm. They loot treasures and use their spirit beasts to find a way out.
Lastly, some fell here by accident or due to space currents. Without spirit beasts, they wander, either serving the Immortal Realm cultivators or teaming up with other sects to leave.
It's risky. Besides paying passage, they might be hunted once they reach another continent. But it's better than staying here. There's no spiritual energy, only Xianyuan power, which we can't cultivate with."
"Can't Xianyuan be converted from spiritual energy?" Jian Chuan asked.
"To go to the Immortal Realm, you either ascend properly or sneak in via the immortal path. But I don't think sneaking works," Hou San said, shrugging.
"Why? You never tried, so how do you know?" Jian Dan asked.
"I once found an unsealed jade slip here. It showed me that the Immortal Realm has nine tiers: Dixian (Earth Immortal), Tianxian (Heaven Immortal), Jinxian (Golden Immortal), Daluo Jinxian (Great Golden Luo Immortal), Jiutian Xuanxian (Nine Heavens Mystic Immortal), Luotian Shangxian (Luo Heaven Superior Immortal), Xianjun (Immortal Lord / Immortal Monarch), Xianwang (Immortal King), and the last is Xiandi (Immortal Emperor), making nine levels in total." Hou San said, eyes shining.
The Heavenly Sword Sect members quietly memorized this. Ascension wouldn't be blind luck after all.
"Dixian is the lowest. They can bring people up, but going to the Immortal Pool isn't easy. To prevent insect spies, ascending cultivators must go to the pool, converting spiritual energy to Xianyuan and verifying their identity."
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Author's Note:
It's been a while since I left a note! The story of the cultivation world is entering its final stretch. After this spatial rift arc, the full-scale war against the insect clan begins. I'll be writing some grand battle scenes. My collections have dropped lately, so please help with recommendations, thank you!