Mortal: Starting with the Falling Cloud Sect, I proved my Dao through gacha pulls.

"Yes, this is it!"

Ge Li lightly touched the storage bag with his fingertips, and a slightly worn bright yellow brocade handkerchief quietly appeared in his palm. At first glance, it did not seem unusual at all.

"It has been more than two hundred years since the Void Heaven Palace last opened. It is expected to reappear in the world in a few decades."

At this point, Ge Li stared at the fragmented map of the Void Heaven in his palm, his tone carrying a complex and enigmatic meaning.

"To be honest, young friend, I obtained this map by chance several years ago. These days, I have been struggling with whether or not to go to the Void Heaven Palace."

"As you can see, my lifespan is nearing its end, with only a few decades left. If the Void Heaven Palace opens as scheduled in a few decades, I may risk exploring it, hoping to find a few Longevity Fruits to prolong my life."

He seemed to recall old memories, and his gaze towards the tattered map held both covetousness and longing, as well as deep apprehension.

"Although the Void Heaven Palace holds immense opportunities, it is also a perilous place where one is almost certain to die. I had a friend from several hundred years ago, known as Jade Immortal, whose cultivation far surpassed mine, but he has been missing for over two hundred years. I am certain that he has long since perished in that palace."

Ge Li sighed softly, his gaze toward the snow ginseng and the divine spring water growing even more intense.

"I am ashamed. With these two treasures in your possession, fellow Daoist, I can directly increase my lifespan. Naturally, I am unwilling to risk my life at the Void Heaven Palace. After all, whether I can find the Longevity Fruit is still unknown."

After saying this, a look of relief appeared on his face, and he had made up his mind completely.

Upon hearing this, Su Mu's face showed a hint of difficulty, and he hesitated as he said:

"If the Void Heaven Palace is truly so dangerous, with my current cultivation level, wouldn't it be...?"

Seeing this, Ge Li quickly shook his head and advised, "Young friend, there's no need to underestimate yourself. I observe that your essence, energy, and spirit have already reached perfection in your current realm. Now that you've obtained the Dust-Descending Pill, you can expect to form your core within a few decades. At that time, your chances of exploring the Void Heaven Palace will naturally increase significantly."

"Moreover, regardless of whether you go or not, this fragment of the Void Heaven Map is still very valuable. Even if you resell it to other cultivators who are interested in exploring it, you will not lose out."

Su Mu pretended to struggle, pondered for a moment, and then seemed to finally make up his mind.

"Very well! This junior is indeed quite interested in this Void Heaven Palace, so I will exchange with you, senior."

Ge Li was overjoyed. With a flick of his wrist, he handed the fragment of the Void Heaven Map directly to Su Mu, while simultaneously taking the jade bottle and jade box.

He carefully held the half-snowflake mixed with half a bottle of diluted divine spring water, and put it into his storage bag as if he had found a treasure, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

Su Mu was secretly pleased. He had obtained both the Dust-Subduing Pill and the Void Heaven Remnant Map in one fell swoop, and the price he paid was negligible. This deal was a huge profit.

Of course, in Ge Li's view, this was also a very profitable business.

Rather than traveling to the Void Heaven Palace and fighting to the death with Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators for the Longevity Fruit, it is far better to safely accept this readily available treasure for prolonging life.

The two were delighted with the transaction completed. However, both were preoccupied with studying the newly acquired treasure and had no desire to say anything more.

Ge Li stroked his beard and laughed loudly. He flicked his finger, and a bronze token flew straight towards Su Mu.

"I wish you a speedy Core Formation and ascension to the Great Dao. We have a good rapport, and I have indeed taken advantage of you today. Keep this token safe. If you encounter any trouble on Tiantai Island, you can show this token, and I will still have some face with you."

Before he finished speaking, he had already transformed into a streak of crimson light and sped straight towards the mountaintop cave, clearly eager to return and refine the longevity-enhancing treasure, not wanting to waste even a moment.

Su Mu bowed and saw him off, only turning to leave after Ge Li's escape light had completely disappeared into the horizon. He deliberately circled the island several times, and after confirming that no one was following him, he casually buried the token in a corner.

Only after confirming that he was completely safe did Su Mu breathe a sigh of relief. With a thought, a faint light flashed around him, and he instantly shed his disguise, restoring his original appearance.

He didn't even return to his cave dwelling. Instead, he took out a sea chart from his storage bag, activated his true essence, and rode the Rainbow Shuttle into the air, speeding towards Tianxing City.

......

Months later, a crimson rainbow streaked across the vast sea. At the top of the rainbow, Su Mu rode the Rainbow Shuttle, rushing through the dust and wind, heading straight for the depths of the Inner Star Sea.

During this period, he focused solely on his journey, never stopping to rest despite the numerous islands scattered along the way. The seascape initially seemed novel and interesting, but after months of being surrounded by the vast ocean, Su Mu inevitably grew somewhat weary of it.

"We'll be there soon. Follow the map, and after crossing two more small islands, we'll reach the territory of Tianxing City."

He held the nautical chart and examined it carefully, a sense of excitement rising in his heart.

Tianxing City stands majestically on a giant island in the center of the Inner Star Sea. It has stood for countless years, its existence untold.

In addition, the outer eight regions and the central four regions of the Inner Star Sea are divided into twenty-four outer star islands and twelve inner star islands, which form a protective ring around Tianxing City.

Tianxing City is the headquarters of the Star Palace, and is personally overseen by the two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, the Twin Saints of Tianxing.

This city is extremely free; cultivators of all levels can freely enter and exit, and private duels are strictly prohibited within the city, making it a veritable safe zone.

This is why numerous forces and independent cultivators flocked to the city, making it a bustling metropolis teeming with merchants and a melting pot of all sorts of people.

Su Mu's most important purpose for this trip was to find the teleportation array in the city that connected dozens of monster islands in the outer sea. By paying enough spirit stones, he could go directly to the outer sea, saving him from countless dangers on the voyage.

After several more days of high-speed travel, Su Mu finally spotted the distant sea, where a blurry black shadow stood like a pillar supporting the sky. His spirits lifted instantly, and he increased his speed by another three points.

A moment later, he slowly reduced his speed.

At this time, they were only a few dozen miles away from Tianxing City. Merchant ships came and went on the sea, and cultivators in the air shuttled back and forth in various magical artifacts. Occasionally, a Core Formation cultivator's sharp escape light would flash by, creating a lively scene.

Su Mu looked up and was shocked. The entire Tianxing City completely covered the giant island. It was not built flat, but rather spiraled upwards in layers, with the sacred mountain in the middle of the island as its core, reaching straight into the sky.

He put away his magical artifact and landed on the edge of Tianxing City. The first thing that caught his eye was the thick stone wall that surrounded the entire island and was nearly a hundred feet high.

Numerous portals are scattered along the giant wall, allowing mortals and cultivators to come and go freely.

Su Mu paused and stared for a moment before slowly coming back to his senses.

He had traveled to several countries in Tiannan, but he had never seen such a magnificent city. It truly deserves to be called the number one city in the Chaotic Star Sea, and it is qualified to compete for the title of the number one city in the human realm.

Su Mu randomly chose a city gate and slowly walked forward. At this time, there were already many cultivators queuing to enter the city, each wearing a ring on their wrist, mostly blue, with a few red.

Two Foundation Establishment cultivators were guarding the city gate. When it was Su Mu's turn, one of them noticed that he had no ring on his hand and asked:

"Fellow Daoist, are you staying temporarily or permanently? Temporary stays require only three spirit stones and can last for seven days. If you wish to stay permanently, you will need eight hundred spirit stones to receive the permanent residence ring."

Su Mu was not short of spirit stones, so he immediately took out a storage bag containing eight hundred spirit stones and handed it over, choosing the permanent residence ring.

After confirming the count was correct, the guard nodded, took out a crimson ring, handed it to Su Mu, and instructed him:

"This is a red permanent ring. Fellow Daoist, you only need to drip your essence blood into it to recognize it as your own. There is no need to worry about it being stolen."

Following instructions, Su Mu performed a blood oath ceremony, put on the ring, and then stepped through the city gate, truly entering Tianxing City.