A journey through immortal realms begins with a phantom tale.

In the blink of an eye, another year has passed.

The Starry Night slowly came to a stop. Luo Cheng, Li Qiang, and Dai Nanfengyu stepped out of the Starry Night, and Qian Shanyong put the Starry Night away.

Li Qiang looked around. There was a star and a dozen planets, forming a small star system, but no inhabited planets. He asked curiously, "Did the ancient immortals live here?"

"Yes," Qian Shanyong answered with certainty. "This is Huanlangtian, one of the hermitages of the Venerable Yuangu."

Luo Cheng said, "Junior brother, there is a celestial array set up here."

"Oh?" Li Qiang channeled his divine power into his eyes, which shimmered with golden light. This was the basic use of the Divine Eye, which could see through illusions and perceive divine arrays and restrictions.

Even so, he still couldn't see any trace of restrictions or magic arrays in this place.

"This place involves the laws of space, and with your current cultivation level, you can't see through it yet," Luo Cheng explained.

He knew some secrets: the Primordial Heaven Ring was a quasi-King-grade Immortal Artifact, comparable in level to the Primordial Realm. The Primordial Realm was the world Li Qiang had created, its level was equivalent to the Immortal Realm and the Buddhist Realm, belonging to the category of large worlds and possessing the origin of the world.

At this moment, Li Qiang wanted to see through Huanlangtian's illusion array, which was equivalent to trying to see the outline of the immortal realm from the perspective of the cultivation world. How easy was that? It would require extremely heaven-defying supernatural powers. Luo Cheng did not elaborate on the specific reasons.

At this moment, Qian Shanyong took out a talisman, which floated in front of him. He rapidly formed hand seals, his fingers moving like phantoms, and uttered a low shout: "Go!"

A beam of light pierced through the void.

A moment later, a small boat appeared in the void, with two children of seven or eight years old sitting on it, like a golden boy and jade girl from mythology.

Qian Shanyong used his divine sense to transmit his voice: "These are Rongxi and Rongxian, the Venerable One's attendants. They cultivate a special technique. Although they appear to be only seven or eight years old, they have actually cultivated for over 100,000 years."

Li Qiang was utterly shocked.

Luo Cheng remained calm, but inwardly he was curious: 'What kind of cultivation technique is this? Is it for maintaining a pure state of mind?'

Rongxi spoke first, her voice clear and crisp: "Qian Shanyong, it's you?"

"Greetings, two celestial children." Qian Shanyong bowed respectfully.

"Gan Seonyong, did you bring any toys?"

Qian Shanyong was dumbfounded. Why would a dignified immortal like him prepare toys?

Li Qiang found it amusing and took out the toys he had bought on Tanbang Star from his storage bracelet. They were a few extra items he had bought on the side when he was helping Nashan's son. Even Luo Cheng couldn't do that; he would never intentionally collect such things.

Rongxi and Rongxian were overjoyed to receive the toys, and chatted and laughed with Li Qiang.

After a while, Rongxian said, "Let's finish our business first, then we can play with our toys."

"Yes, yes!" Rongxi echoed, turning to the crowd, "Guests, please board the ship."

This small boat looks ancient, yet it can travel smoothly through the void, clearly a divine artifact.

After everyone boarded the small boat, Qian Shanyong warned, "Don't look around. There are illusion arrays around. If you get lost in them, you'll be in big trouble."

Li Qiang, curious, couldn't help but look around, and soon he was trapped in the illusion array. Luo Cheng felt helpless, but he also knew that this was not a bad thing for him. Li Qiang's cultivation level had improved too quickly, and this was a good opportunity to hone his skills.

These illusions had no effect on Luo Cheng. His mind had reached a state of perfect clarity. Looking around, he saw a lotus lake, with a small boat moving slowly on it, creating ripples.

Luo Cheng used his supernatural powers to sense that the small boat was traversing time and space, and those ripples were layers of time and space walls.

About two hours later, the small boat moored beside a wooden house. The wooden house was simple and natural, and at first glance it looked like an ordinary hut on Lotus Lake, with a small pavilion next to it. But if you looked closely with your divine eyes, you would find that the wooden house was radiating rays of colorful light, exuding the aura of a celestial paradise.

Rongxi moored the small boat on the shore and led everyone up to the wooden house, to the reception room.

The reception room was very simple, with no chairs, only a table and a few decorative ornaments. Rongxi casually waved his hand, and several lotus leaves appeared on the ground.

"Please have a seat, everyone. The Venerable Master will be here shortly."

"it is good."

Qian Shanyong appeared reserved. Ever since he stepped into Huanlangtian, he had been like an obedient baby, not daring to even breathe loudly.

In contrast, Li Qiang, though he had just escaped from the illusion array, remained casual, his eyes full of curiosity.

Luo Cheng, however, appeared more solemn. Unlike Li Qiang, who was recklessly bold, he was well aware of the terrifying power of ancient immortals. In fact, it could be said that Yuan Gu Shangren was the pinnacle of the lower realm. She, along with Qingdi and Boju Shangren, were known as the three top experts in the lower realm, and were also the rule-makers.

Luo Cheng was confident in his own cultivation level and profound realm, yet he dared not challenge Yuan Gu. Moreover, he knew that Yuan Gu had a powerful backer, Ling Xu of the Divine Realm, who had been secretly watching her.

Even Dai Nanfeng, who was known for her princess-like temper, restrained her sharp edge and appeared extremely obedient.

After everyone sat quietly for a moment, a girl of about eighteen years old, dressed in a simple long dress, walked barefoot on lotus leaves.

This scene reminded Li Qiang of the fairies in mythology, and he thought to himself, "This is the real fairy!"

At this moment, Master Yuangu was like a true immortal descended from the celestial realm, lively and agile, with spiritual energy flowing through him.

This was the first time Luo Cheng had seen Yuan Gu since arriving in this world, and for a moment, he was somewhat lost in thought. But only for a moment, he regained his composure, stood up, and greeted him: "Greetings, Venerable Yuan Gu."

Qian Shanyong quickly stood up: "Greetings, Heavenly Maiden."

Dai Nanfeng also bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Heavenly Maiden."

Only Li Qiang stood there dumbfounded, blurting out, "So beautiful."

Luo Cheng secretly rubbed his forehead, thinking, "This is Lingxu's sister." But then he thought again, his appearance was actually in line with Li Qiang's personality.

Yuan Gu stopped, first looking at Luo Cheng, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "You don't belong to this world?"

Luo Cheng was already familiar with this question, and calmly countered, "Then tell me, where do I come from?"

Yuan Gu did not reply to Luo Cheng, but said, "I really didn't expect that such an unexpected guest would arrive."

The implication is that she could foresee the arrival of Li Qiang, Qian Shanyong, and Dai Nanfeng, but she did not foresee Luo Cheng's appearance.

These words shocked Qian Shanyong, Dai Nanfeng, and Li Qiang. Li Qiang thought to himself, "As expected, my senior brother is still the most mysterious."

Suddenly, Li Qiang felt a burning heat all over his body, and the divine power within him surged wildly, almost causing him to explode.

Seeing this, Yuan Gu flicked her finger, instantly immobilizing Li Qiang, and said to Rong Xi, "Take him to rest for a while." She had stabilized the restless divine power within Li Qiang's body, and then turned to Luo Cheng, "It's really strange, your realm is so stable."

Luo Cheng said, "Master, although my realm is stable, my understanding of the ordinary realm is insufficient, and it seems difficult for me to break through this level. Please give me some guidance."

"The realm of ordinariness must be comprehended in the mortal world. You may conceal your cultivation and live in the mortal world for a period of time."

"Thank you, Master." Luo Cheng understood, this was just as he had guessed. However, at his level of cultivation, even if he went to the mortal world, it would be difficult to truly integrate. But some things need to be experienced firsthand to comprehend the realm.

Luo Cheng reciprocated, saying, "Master Yuangu, I can tell you some news about Lingxu."

Upon hearing the name "Lingxu," Yuan Gu's mind trembled violently, and she nearly lost her composure. It should be noted that she was only one step away from becoming a god, and her mind was already as steady as a rock; yet, a single name had thrown her into disarray.

Luo Cheng transmitted his thoughts: "Master Yuan Gu, the Heavenly Venerable Ling Xu has achieved perfect enlightenment and his status in the Divine Realm is equivalent to the Azure Emperor in the Immortal Realm."

"Hmm." Yuan Gu nodded gently, without asking about the source of the information. But knowing that Ling Xu was well, she felt much more at ease, and her desire to ascend to immortality became even more urgent.

Luo Cheng added, "Master Yuangu, when you ascend to immortality, you can give all the divine artifacts and items you wish to take with you to Li Qiang, and let him help you carry them up."

"Oh, I've got it."

Luo Cheng said this to make up for a regret. He remembered that in the original story, when Yuan Gu ascended to immortality, he couldn't take the two quasi-King-grade immortal artifacts, Lianhuan Langtian and Beiye Danding, with him. These kinds of divine artifacts would rank among the top ten even in the Divine Realm, but they were given away in the end, which was a real pity.

In addition, Luo Cheng had another guess: the fact that Yuan Gu, Qing Di, and Bo Ju were able to obtain a large number of divine artifacts must mean that Ling Xu had gone easy on them.

You must understand, the Ancient God's Lair is where the Celestial Venerable resides. Even an ancient god would be in mortal danger if they went there.

As for why he let Li Qiang take him to the Divine Realm, Luo Cheng had already figured it out: his path and Li Qiang's were different. Yuan Chu chose Li Qiang, not necessarily him; moreover, the Heavenly Venerable's inheritance was both a blessing and a constraint. The Heavenly Venerable passed on his origin to Li Qiang in order to break free from the constraints and reach a higher realm.

Next, Qian Shanyong asked Master Yuangu for advice. Master Yuangu said, "You can follow Li Qiang, or you can follow this Mr. Luo."

In Qian Shanyong's view, Luo Cheng was stronger and more mysterious, so he immediately looked at Luo Cheng and showed his goodwill.

Luo Cheng said, "Old Gan, I suggest you stick with Li Qiang. In a while, the Azure Emperor will descend to the mortal realm to take Li Qiang as his disciple, and even the Heavenly Venerables of the Upper Realm are preparing to take him as their disciple."

"This..." Qian Shanyong was completely dumbfounded.

Even Yuan Gu was shocked; she hadn't expected Li Qiang to have such good fortune. She had just learned from Luo Cheng that the Heavenly Venerable was already the pinnacle of existence in the Divine Realm.

Yuan Gu composed himself, smiled, and said, "In my opinion, Mr. Luo's achievements will surpass Li Qiang's."

"Master Yuangu is joking. You have cultivated with the Azure Emperor for the longest time, so you should know how difficult it is to become a god. In the Divine Realm, becoming a god is just the beginning. Cultivating from a low-level god to the Heavenly Venerable realm requires not only time, but also talent."

Yuan Gu became interested: "Mr. Luo, could you tell me about the realm of the divine?"

"Since you asked, I will naturally tell you. After becoming a god, the ranks are: God-man, Partial God, Great God, Main God, Heavenly God, Ancient God, and Heavenly Venerable. In the God Realm, there are only two Heavenly Venerables." Luo Cheng smiled slightly as he said this, "One of them is your brother Lingxu."

"Hiss—" Qian Shanyong and Dai Nanfeng gasped, wanting to cover their ears to stop listening, but they couldn't resist their curiosity, feeling as if they had heard a huge secret.

Yuan Gu looked at the two of them: "What you have heard must not be spread."

"It is the Lord's decree," the two replied hastily.

Qian Shanyong then realized just how terrifying Yuan Gu's background was, and secretly clicked his tongue in amazement: 'With such a powerful backer, he could walk sideways even in the God Realm.'

Yuan Gu was overjoyed: "I never imagined that Brother Lingxu was such a big shot in the Divine Realm."

When Luo Cheng talked about Lingxu and the Divine Realm, Yuan Gu was in a good mood and took out many divine fruits to entertain his guests.

At this moment, Li Qiang also woke up. Luo Cheng used his divine sense to transmit his thoughts: "Don't mention what we just talked about to Li Qiang. Some paths he has to walk himself."

Yuan Gu, Qian Shanyong, and Dai Nanfeng all nodded in agreement.

Afterwards, Yuan Gu shared some insights on cultivation and allowed Dai Nanfeng and Qian Shanyong to ask questions, which was a great favor to the two of them, obviously thanks to Luo Cheng.

At the end of the conversation, Yuan Gu took out the Bei Ye Dan Ding (a type of alchemy cauldron) and presented it to Luo Cheng, indicating that he should accept it as a temporary loan. Luo Cheng understood her meaning but declined, saying, "Master, please give it to Li Qiang."

"Senior brother, this is a divine artifact! How could I possibly use it with my current cultivation level?" Li Qiang quickly waved his hand.

Upon seeing this, Yuan Gu understood Luo Cheng's intentions. She had offered the pill cauldron earlier to test him.

Luo Cheng said, "Junior brother, please accept it. In a while, we'll return to Fengyuan Star together to refine pills."

"Alright, I'll listen to my senior brother." Li Qiang no longer refused and accepted Bei Ye Dan Ding.