Lin Bai didn't head straight into the city but circled the town first. This city, named Pine stone city, was about the same size as Zhen City and capable of holding over a million people. The Lower Realm had existed for tens of thousands of years. The number of Heavenly Beings was vast. Yet, despite this, no legends about them had appeared in the Lower Realm over these tens of thousands of years. This could only mean one thing: Heavenly Beings couldn't enter the Lower Realm. Otherwise, even if it were a pigsty down there, some curious Heavenly Beings would have gone down for a look. Heavenly Beings couldn't go down, yet the Fairy World possessed equipment to turn off the Guiding Light. It would be absurd to think no one was manipulating this. Most likely, it's the work of the game company! Gracefully, Lin Bai flew into Pine stone city without encountering any checks. Inside the city, apart from patrolling soldiers, no other Heavenly Beings were flying; this was likely a city rule. Various shops lined both sides of the streets—teahouses, taverns, Tool Refining Workshops, and more—bustling with Heavenly Beings of diverse appearances. However, unlike in the Lower Realm, the Heavenly Beings in the city not only had no discernible gender but also lacked the old and young; all of them appeared to be in their prime. As Lin Bai landed on the street, searching for a suitable way to approach the situation, the Heavenly Beings there began to cast strange looks at him. "He doesn't even have a name. How did he get to Pine stone city?" "Is there a problem with the people at the allocation office?" Their discussions reached Lin Bai's ears. White Maple doesn't have any identification documents on him! What kind of identification mechanism is this? When he had traveled to Jiamucheng, despite his odd attire, no one had questioned his identity. Yet here, in the World of Heavenly Beings, he was discovered almost immediately. Sure enough, unfamiliar worlds are annoying. No wonder White Maple had been urging him to explore this world. So, this was what awaited him! If his initial trek had been to the Fairy World, he probably couldn't have blended in even with the System. A patrol of soldiers in the sky also noticed Lin Bai. They descended and surrounded him. "Who are you? Why don't you have an identification Nameplate?" The team leader didn't even draw his weapon. He stood before Lin Bai, sizing him up with suspicion in his eyes. Perhaps due to Lin Bai's apparent status as a Heavenly Being, the patrolling soldiers showed no hostility. Lin Bai glanced around and decided to play dumb. "What's an identification Nameplate? I don't know what's going on. I don't have any Skills. After I was born, I flew all the way here..." As he spoke, he activated his Sophistry skill. "So it is a blank-slate newbie. It seems like he was just imbued with language and released. He probably hasn't even been imbued with the knowledge system yet." "Entering the world from the mother body involves so many steps. How did he get out?" "The closest mother body is in Free City. Without an identification Nameplate, he can't use the Teleportation Portal. How could nobody have noticed him flying all the way here, past so many cities?" "I've always heard tales of wild Heavenly Beings—turns out they're real! HA HA HA..." Lin Bai gathered information from the surrounding chatter, and a bold idea began to form in his mind. "Where did you come from?" the team leader asked, sensing something amiss. "From the heart of those mountains over there," Lin Bai said, recalling the previous terrain and pointing towards the continuous mountain ranges. "Black Stone Mountain Range?" The team leader's expression suddenly became serious. "Are you sure?" "Why would I lie to you?" Lin Bai continued to apply Sophistry, saying, "When I awoke after being born from the mother body, I was inside the mountains. Besides me, I couldn't find another of my kind, and those Demon Beasts don't talk. I flew all this way, searching, and finally reached here. Seeing so many of my own kind, I landed. Then you all surrounded me. As for this identification Nameplate you mentioned, I have no idea what it is." "How can there be a mother body in the Black Stone Mountain Range?" "But apart from a mother body, where else could a Heavenly Being be born? Surely not like those Ascenders from the Lower Realm, who give birth to Heavenly Beings!" "What do you guys think... could a new mother body have been born?" "One mother body corresponds to one Heavenly King. Does a new mother body mean a new Heavenly King is emerging?" "It's rumored that the first Heavenly Being born from a mother body possesses unparalleled talents..." With the use of Sophistry, and a little guidance from Lin Bai, the onlookers grew animated, actively filling in the blanks of his story. The team leader realized the gravity of the situation. His expression turned even more solemn. He turned and ordered his men, "Notify the City Guard Army! Strictly suppress any news of this!" The team leader looked at Lin Bai again. "You, come with me." Lin Bai nodded and followed, asking, "What is an identification Nameplate?" The team leader pointed to his own head and explained, "After a Heavenly Being is born, they are imbued with knowledge by the mother body. Then, every Heavenly Being chooses a name for themselves. This name hovers above their head for their entire life. Clicking on the Nameplate reveals their corresponding profession and abilities. For example, my name is Huang Yong. Other Heavenly Beings will instantly know my name upon seeing me..." Lin Bai's thoughts paused. A name displayed above the head? Isn't that like Players and NPCs? Genderless, no old or young, choosing a name at character creation... Is the mother body the initial game interface? Is the Fairy World designed using a game template? Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum... No wonder when White Maple described the realm divisions in the Fairy World, he felt they were somewhat crude... From a game's perspective, everything makes perfect sense. If he weren't in this world, people from the Lower Realm wanting to enter the Fairy World would only have ascension as a path—this applied to both natives and Players. Following the normal game progression: Players, with their immortal and undying bodies, would conquer the Lower Realm. Then they'd ascend to the Fairy World, a new Map, where their Levels would be reset to zero, forcing them to start over. They would face NPCs far more formidable than the Lower Realm natives, with interwoven storylines of oppressed Ascenders... Lin Bai reviewed the plot in his mind. For the first time, he doubted whether this world truly existed. If this world was created by a game company, how could he open a passage between the game world and reality? What role did he play in all this? Why was he, of all people, thrust into this game? What did the System in his mind represent? Realizing the truth about the Fairy World didn't lessen the questions in Lin Bai's mind; instead, they multiplied. He felt an increasing need to see the Fairy World's true mother body for himself... "Can I have a Nameplate?" Lin Bai paused and asked. "You should be able to!" Huang Yong also stopped. "I've never encountered a situation like yours before. But if you were nurtured by a new mother body, you should have had your own name from birth..." "Perhaps the mother body that nurtured me isn't mature yet," Lin Bai sighed. "Perhaps. The birth of a new mother body would definitely cause turmoil in the Fairy World. I'll take you to General Nan later; he'll resolve your identity issue. Before General Nan makes a decision, don't tell anyone else that you were born from a new mother body," Huang Yong glanced at Lin Bai and warned. "One mother body corresponds to one Heavenly King. The Nine Heavenly Kings are unlikely to allow a new mother body to emerge. Your cultivation is insufficient; if you're targeted, your life will be in danger." "Can Heavenly Beings resurrect after death?" Lin Bai asked. "Resurrect? In your dreams!" Huang Yong scoffed. "It's said that the current Mu Tianwang possesses a method of resurrection, but no one has ever seen him use it. Throughout history, many Starlights have challenged the Heavenly Kings, yet they couldn't even take a single life from a Heavenly King, let alone witness a resurrection. Those below the Heavenly Kings might have stronger recovery abilities, but resurrection? That's just a pipe dream. You only get one life; don't throw it away recklessly." Huang Yong was unguarded towards Lin Bai, the blank-slate Heavenly Being, or rather, he wanted to appease Lin Bai, so he was quite forthcoming. "You mentioned there are nine Heavenly Kings. Who are they?" Lin Bai asked. "I don't know anything. If I pepper General Nan with questions later, it might seem inappropriate. Why don't you brief me on some common knowledge?" "Alright." Huang Yong thought for a moment. "This is common knowledge every Heavenly Being knows; it doesn't matter who tells you. In the Fairy World, there are the Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Light, Dark, Thunder, and Dream Heavenly Kings. Each Heavenly King corresponds to a law. The Heavenly Kings are supreme, ruling the world. They are beings we can only look up to." Well, this time the imposter has met the genuine article! He'd been bluffing everyone in the Lower Realm about laws for months, and now he'd encountered the real thing! Thinking of the bizarre Skills the System had granted him, then considering these grand-sounding true laws like Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, Lin Bai felt a pang of inadequacy. He suddenly had the urge to take everyone back to the Lower Realm, sever the Magpie Bridge, and never return. The difficulty spike between the Fairy World and the Lower Realm wasn't just a little; it was monumental! After a moment of contemplation, Lin Bai asked, "Captain Huang, you mentioned Starlights challenging Heavenly Kings. Has anyone ever succeeded?" "Of course," Huang Yong smiled. "If the Heavenly Kings were immutable, what joy would there be in cultivation? Wouldn't the world become stagnant water? The Earth King, for instance, was defeated three thousand years ago. Anyone can cultivate the Way of Laws. As long as one's comprehension of a law surpasses that of a Heavenly King, they can naturally defeat him and take his place. However, for the past three thousand years, all challenges against Heavenly Kings have ended in failure. With each passing generation of Heavenly Kings, it becomes increasingly difficult for newcomers to usurp their position unless they comprehend exceptionally unique Divine Skills." Speaking of this, Huang Yong sighed, seemingly lamenting the ossification of ranks and the dim prospects for advancement. The rıghtful source is 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥 So, they *can* be defeated! Lin Bai let out a sigh of relief and asked, "Captain, do we Heavenly Beings have lifespan limits?" Huang Yong looked at Lin Bai with pity. "The mother body that bore you must indeed be new; it seems to have imparted none of the common knowledge! Heavenly Beings naturally have lifespans. A Bronze Mirror Realm cultivator, if they don't perish prematurely, can live up to five hundred years. Breaking through to the Silver Realm adds another five hundred years. Reaching the Golden Realm allows one to live for two thousand years. Advancing to the Platinum Realm extends lifespan to four thousand years. Star Diamonds have an eight-thousand-year lifespan, and Starlight beings start at ten thousand years. As for the Heavenly Kings, unless defeated, they are said to be immortal. The Dream Heavenly King, one of the Nine Heavenly Kings, has reportedly lived for a hundred thousand years. All Starlights who challenged him perished, and no one has dared to challenge his position for the past ten thousand years." Old monsters who've lived for tens of thousands of years and command the Power of Laws... How could Immortals ascending from the Lower Realm possibly defeat them? Those Ascenders hiding in ruins? They're probably just playthings in a reality show orchestrated by the Heavenly Beings! Lin Bai snorted inwardly. "Which Heavenly King presides over Pine stone city?" "The Thunder Heavenly King," Huang Yong replied. "How does his cultivation level rank among the Nine Heavenly Kings?" Lin Bai asked. "The Thunder Heavenly King is foremost in offensive power; his strength ranks at least in the top four among the Nine Heavenly Kings. However, wars between Heavenly Kings are rare, so their rankings are mostly speculation on our part. But it's universally acknowledged that the Dream Heavenly King is deservedly number one." Lin Bai wanted to ask more. Huang Yong interrupted him with a smile, "You're just a minor Bronze Realm cultivator. Why inquire so much about Heavenly Kings? Do you fancy challenging one? To even attempt that, you'd need to reach the Starlight Realm first. Come on, you've learned most of the common knowledge about the Fairy World. It's time to meet General Nan. Once General Nan resolves your identity issue, you'll have plenty of time to learn about these trivial matters." "Thank you for your explanations, Captain Huang," Lin Bai said, nodding in gratitude. Huang Yong then led Lin Bai to the General's Mansion. The General's Mansion was in the center of Pine stone city. It boasted grand, red-lacquered gates and was guarded by more than a dozen individuals whose cultivation Lin Bai couldn't discern; they were likely Silver or Gold Realm experts. General Nan was at the Platinum Realm, two realms higher than Lin Bai's current cultivation. To seal him with a Card, Lin Bai would need to bridge those two realms. But without understanding their combat capabilities, Lin Bai had no intention of acting rashly and alerting the enemy. Huang Yong had someone announce their arrival. After receiving a response, he led Lin Bai into the General's Mansion. Inside the General's Mansion, exotic flowers and rare plants vied in splendor. Attendants were occasionally seen carrying large chunks of meat to feed Demon Beasts confined in cages. These Demon Beasts varied in appearance but were all impressively robust. A single General's Mansion appeared more luxurious than the Imperial Palace of the Lower Realm. Lin Bai observed everything as he walked. Among the cages holding Demon Beasts, he saw more than ten Cultivators from the Lower Realm, both men and women. These Cultivators were unclothed and mostly sat cross-legged in meditation. The few who were awake regarded the Heavenly Beings with eyes full of hatred... Seeing Lin Bai's gaze fall upon the Ascenders, Huang Yong lowered his voice and explained, "Those are mortals who ascended from the Lower Realm. They reproduce sexually, like animals, their cultivation speed is slow, and they are no match for us noble Heavenly Beings. The discovery of a new mother body is a monumental contribution. Once it's confirmed, you can ask General Nan to reward you with a few of them. You can train them for amusement or send them to the Beast Arena to earn some cultivation resources..." He looked at those ascended masters, a wave of sorrow washing over him. These individuals, who had endured countless hardships to ascend, were now treated as mere curiosities—truly worse than slaves! This is truly excessive! Judging by the Heavenly Beings' attitude towards those from the Lower Realm, the conflict between the two sides is likely irreconcilable... Moreover, with such disrespect for life, these Heavenly Beings would probably treat Players like pets too. If Players bypassed him to interact directly with Heavenly Beings, they would most likely suffer a terrible fate.