So this is my Heavenly Abode? Raising his head, he saw half of the sky in daylight, the other shrouded in night. The blazing sun hung to the left, and stars twinkled to the right. Follow current novels on novelFirｅ.net Light and darkness blended in a gradual transition. Amid the sea of stars, a great purple star stood at the center, commanding all others. The phenomena mirrored the state of his Golden Core. Merging his Pure Yang Immortal Mantra and Heavenly Ziwei Sword Intent had created a path uniquely his own within the Great Dao. At the center of the "sky," where day faded into night, bolts of lightning constantly flickered. Above them, wisps of yin-yang qi swirled and danced. Looking down, he saw a vast lake that was as clear as a polished mirror, yet it did not reflect the sky above or reveal what lay within it. He assumed it reflected the state of his Dao Heart. After all, water symbolized supreme virtue. According to Daoist sects, the Dao always held water in the highest regard. In the distance, surrounding the lake, were mountains shrouded in mist. The mist marked the edge of his Heavenly Abode. With no one to compare it to, he had no way of judging the quality of his Heavenly Abode. Personally, he found it quite nice. He stepped forward and drifted into the clouds. A great palace glowing with starlight then appeared before him. He was involuntarily drawn in and seated on the throne in the middle. Wang Sheng looked down. He was no longer a mere wisp of spiritual consciousness—no longer a drifting mist. Now, he had a physique identical to his Dao Body, and it was clad in a blue Daoist robe. This was the nascent form of his Primordial Spirit, or rather his Primordial Soul. Once he shattered his core and condensed the Nascent Soul, he would be able to fully manifest his Primordial Spirit and be considered a true powerhouse. Wang Sheng, who had only just entered the Heavenly Abode Realm, was still a long way off from that, though. He would have to first transform his spiritual consciousness into spiritual perception and nurture his Primordial Soul within his Heavenly Abode. Afterward, he would have to reach the peak of the realm. Only then could he break through to the Nascent Soul Realm. Condensing a core was dangerous, but shattering one was even more perilous. Moreover, once he had gone past the Nascent Soul Realm and entered the Rebirth Realm, he would still have to face heavenly tribulation—the greatest tribulation before immortality. The path of cultivation was fraught with hardship. However, only through such trials could cultivators appreciate the difficulty of ascension and steadily align themselves with the Great Dao. Inside the Heavenly Abode, his Primordial Soul sat cross-legged with eyes shut. Wang Sheng regained his awareness and slowly opened his eyes. Sounding like a gentle spring, Yaoyun telepathically congratulated him. "You have completed your heavenly abode. You are now one step closer to immortality." Wang Sheng smiled and offered his thanks. Remaining seated, he then quietly examined the many changes within himself. Numerous insights surged forth, making him close his eyes once more and meditate. Beside him, Yaoyun appeared atop Spiritless. The small immortal was now three chi tall, and she had mostly recovered her breathtaking beauty. Once she regained human stature, she could begin the next phase of her cultivation as a spiritual entity. It would allow her incorporeal form to gradually become tangible. Gazing at Wang Sheng, Yaoyun drifted slightly in thought. Instead of returning to the sword, she waited quietly. Three days later, Wang Sheng emerged from his meditation. Yaoyun, who had been waiting, took the initiative to discuss cultivation methods for the Heavenly Abode Realm with him. The two discussed the Dao at length. As usual, though, Yaoyun shifted the conversation toward tales of the Heavenly Court and the Immortal Realm. Three years into their "imprisonment," Wang Sheng and Yaoyun had grown quite close. Yaoyun's only pastime was sharing anecdotes from the Heavenly Court, and Wang Sheng had become a willing listener, content to hear her reminisce. Yaoyun had a hundred thousand years' worth of stories. Endlessly curious about the Heavenly Court and Immortal Realm, Wang Sheng never grew bored of listening. "Why is your forefather such a scoundrel? Everyone calls him 'ancestor' out of respect, and he does have unique insights into cultivation. But he's always been a bit frivolous, always using his looks and talent to chat up female immortals over wine. If not for the strict rules of the Heavenly Court, he'd probably have offspring everywhere by now. "Tathagata Buddha? Of course, he exists. The Buddhist sects are among the oldest lineages. The Buddhists helped my father sweep through the star domains. In modern terms, you could say they had a powerful alliance. The Buddha still had to obey my father's decrees, though. "Emperor Ziwei had plenty of consorts. The Heavenly Court's rules couldn't bind someone of his stature. Yes, he and Emperor Gouchen were true brothers. Their mother was a peerless expert, a terrifying cultivator who had remained in seclusion for countless years... "Didn't I tell you before? Be it in strength or character, the four emperors are beyond reproach. There are many powerful figures in the Immortal Realm, some so formidable that even the Heavenly Court dares not provoke. Back in its heyday, though, the Heavenly Court was undoubtedly the strongest force." Whenever she sank into her memories, her eyes shone brightly. Every time Wang Sheng saw that look in her eyes, he would smile and keep listening quietly. In their early days together, Yaoyun had kept a haughty distance and spoke to him in a deliberately archaic tone. As they grew familiar, she relaxed, the distance between them faded, and their conversations broadened. She now occasionally got excited enough to make playful expressions, which only brought the former Heavenly Court princess and the humble sword cultivator closer. Perhaps the greatest change was her attitude toward the phrase "sword spirit." Yaoyun had once resisted it, but she could now say it freely. She would often say, "Cultivate faster. Once you attain immortality, my sisters won't mock me as much when I meet them again." Wang Sheng would always respond with a gentle smile. Deep down, though, he reminded himself that he was still far from becoming a Heavenly Immortal, Golden Immortal, and the like. It was not worth worrying about for now. The path of cultivation comprised five major stages: Foundation Establishment, Celestial Embryo, Ascending Immortal, Earthly Immortal, and Heavenly Immortal. The Foundation Establishment Stage encompassed three realms: Breath Condensation, Spirit Convergence, and Seed Formation. Meanwhile, the Celestial Embryo Stage consisted of the Illusory Core, Golden Core, Heavenly Abode, and Nascent Soul. After getting past the Nascent Soul Realm, a cultivator would begin to shed their mortal shell in preparation for immortality. Rebirth, Tribulation, and the Grand Immortal-Ascension Realms followed. The Grand Immortal-Ascension Realm encompassed both the Grand Ascension Passage and the Rite of Immortality, which could be treated as two distinct realms or two phases unified in this realm of cultivation. The Grand Ascension Passage varied in duration, while the Rite of Immortality-Ascension was a fixed ritual. Upon completing the rite, a cultivator would truly become an immortal. However, even among immortals, strength was precisely divided. After the Grand Ascension Realm came the Earth Immortal Stage, which was composed of the Ascended Immortal, Primordial Immortal, and True Immortal Realms. Reaching the True Immortal Realm meant one had become a true expert in the Dao. Back in the Heavenly Court's prime, even a weak True Immortal could command hundreds of celestial soldiers. Beyond the Earth Immortal Stage was the Heavenly Immortal Stage. Anyone who could reach it would be considered a powerhouse, capable of asserting dominance even in the most remote star regions. The Heavenly Immortal Stage started at the Heavenly Immortal Realm, which was the average realm of cultivators at this stage. Past it was the Golden Immortal Realm, the long-sought "Dao Fruit of Immortality." Each Golden Immortal possessed unfathomable power. Even outside the Immortal Realm, they held considerable influence and could even become overlords in more remote star domains. The Daoist realms did not stop at immortality. After the Golden Immortal Realm came the Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm. Those who had reached it had fully grasped their Dao and truly achieved immortality, becoming a free and unrestrained being. Every Taiyi Golden Immortal who wasn't deliberately hiding their presence was famous across realms. Above that was the legendary Grand Dao Realm. Grand Dao signified transcendence and true immortality. Haotian of ages past had reached the peak of the Grand Dao Realm. Believing he had reached the limit of the Great Dao, he attempted to add himself as a fourth brother to the Three Pure Ones, which triggered the calamity that later befell the Heavenly Court. Wang Sheng counted on his fingers. To get to the realm of his senior sister in her past life, he still had to go through Nascent Soul, Rebirth, Tribulation, Great Immortal-Ascension, Ascending Immortal, Primordial Immortal, True Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, Golden Immortal... Eight major realms, and countless minor realms?! Forget it; I shouldn't think too much about this right now. Overreaching ambition helps no one. I should just move forward one step at a time. Become an immortal first, worry about what comes after later. Attaining immortality was no easy feat. However, since Mu Wanxuan was the reincarnation of an immortal, she likely wouldn't have trouble reaching it again. He had to do whatever it took to keep up. "Fairy, has my senior sister broken through again?" "She has. She recently advanced her realm and is now ready to open her Heavenly Abode at any time." Sealed within the Earth Qi Seal, Yaoyun and Spiritless were now both part of it. Through the seal, Yaoyun could observe her surroundings, which allowed her to monitor Mu Wanxuan. She could not send messages, though. Every time they spoke, Wang Sheng would ask about his senior sister, to which Yaoyun would always answer that Mu Wanxuan was doing well and standing guard outside, urging him not to worry. Over time, though, Wang Sheng grew puzzled. When I triggered that heavenly might warning, did Senior Sister… actually get the message? Troubled, Wang Sheng scratched his chin. "If she knows I'm alive, why hasn't she come in? That's not like her. No phone, no internet, yet she's actually managed to wait this long." Yaoyun subtly shook her head and smiled, unwilling to point out the real issue. From her perspective, even if Mu Wanxuan did notice, it would make no difference. Wang Sheng could risk everything and trigger another heavenly might warning, but Mu Wanxuan still likely wouldn't notice. Wang Sheng stood up and walked to a corner. "Fairy Yaoyun, I'm going to bathe." "Mm," Yaoyun replied, then returned to the blade. Before long, thunder and lightning filled the sealed space again. Each bolt had grown as thick as two fingers, yet no matter how much they struck him, they only seemed like waves crashing against a cliff. Hence, the lightning grew more intense. Though Wang Sheng started trembling uncontrollably, he refused to resist using enchanted power. He endured it all with his Dao Body. When the final two bolts struck, he was once again blasted unconscious. When he awoke this time, Yaoyun telepathically said, "Hua Qing has left." Wang Sheng froze for a moment, sighed deeply. The quiet worry in his chest finally eased a little. Still, he couldn't help but wonder, Why did she leave now? Did something happen in the cultivation world? If so, what could it have been? The timing doesn't match the Immortal Dao Conference, and it's still far too early for corrupt cultivators to rise again. The Special Warfare Unit of the Hua Republic should be more than enough to deter local threats. Was… Master injured in combat? Pfft, nonsense. Master is wise and mighty. Who could possibly beat him? Wang Sheng chuckled softly to himself. As long as his senior sister wasn't off matchmaking or something, he thought it was probably good for her to get out for a bit.