You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

It is done!

Yao Guang finally showed a relieved expression, and a more genuine sense of closeness appeared on her face.

She floated back to the edge of the pool and sat opposite Chen Yang. Her voice became ethereal and distant, as if she had traveled through endless time and space.

"My lord, the Immortal Realm you are in now is not a simple ancient ruin."

Its real name should be 'Azure Immortal Ruins'.

And it was actually one of the many "blessed lands" that connected the mortal realm with the true "celestial realm" in ancient times!

"A blessed land?"

Chen Yang was startled. He was familiar with this term, as it was mentioned in the Qingwei Sect's classic texts, but he had always thought it was a legendary cultivation holy land with extremely abundant spiritual energy.

"good."

Yao Guang nodded.

"In ancient times, the bridge between heaven and earth was not broken. There was not only one path between the immortal realm and the lower realm: ascension. There were also some special spatial nodes that were naturally formed or created by powerful beings. These nodes formed their own realms, with perfect rules and spiritual energy far exceeding that of the lower realm. They were also easier to reach than the complete immortal realm, hence they were called 'blessed lands'."

Like islands scattered in rivers, they are sacred places yearned for by cultivators in the lower realms, and also one of the windows through which the immortal realm observes and even intervenes in the lower realms.

She paused, a hint of reminiscence flashing in her eyes.

"It is said that there are 36 complete grotto-heavens and 72 blessed lands."

This 'Azure Immortal Ruins' is one of them, and... a rather ancient and important one at that. Completely refining it and controlling its core hub would be equivalent to possessing a relatively stable and controllable... passage to the true fragments of the Immortal Realm!

"A passage to the Immortal Realm?!"

Chen Yang's breathing quickened; this news was too shocking!
"You mean, we can go directly to the Immortal Realm without going through the legendary Heavenly Tribulation and Ascension?"

Yao Guang shook her head.

"My lord, the 'Heavenly Path' and 'Ascension' you speak of are indeed the orthodox paths, but since the end of the ancient times, when the Yin-Yang path was severed and the rules of heaven and earth collapsed, that path has become extremely difficult and dangerous, and is heavily restricted by distorted laws and certain unspeakable beings. The success rate is less than one in a hundred, and even if one succeeds, it is difficult to predict where one will go after ascension."

While searching for a path through these remaining 'blessed lands' is equally fraught with unknowns and risks, it offers a degree of autonomy and... the possibility of bypassing some restrictions.

Chen Yang keenly grasped the key words.

"A true fragment of the Immortal Realm? Could it be that the Immortal Realm also..."

Yao Guang gave a bitter smile.

"Your Excellency is right. The final calamity of ancient times affected far more than just the lower realm. The true 'Immortal Realm,' or what we call the 'Purple Heavenly Court,' also collapsed in the calamity, turning into countless fragments scattered in the depths of the endless void."

The so-called 'immortal realm' today mostly refers to those larger fragmented worlds that retain some of the rules and traditions of the immortal realm.

Many blessed lands and grotto-heavens are connected at their core to such fragments.

Seeing Chen Yang's shocked expression, she continued.

"I am a fragment of that 'fragment of the immortal realm'—a remnant of the Purple Heaven Court."

Due to unforeseen events and a great battle, I ended up here, my true spirit damaged. I became attached to the remaining laws of this 'Azure Immortal Ruins,' and was ultimately trapped within the lingering image of the Vast Ocean Palace until you, my lord, rescued me.

Chen Yang digested this astonishing information and looked around.

"So, this place... this Azure Immortal Ruins was once a prosperous blessed land, connected to a fragment of the Immortal Realm? Then why has it become so dilapidated? Where are the people here? According to you, the cultivators in blessed lands should be far stronger than those in the lower realms."

Yao Guang's eyes dimmed, tinged with sadness.

"Because of... war. The blessed lands and grotto-heavens do not coexist peacefully. The struggle for resources, lineages, and influence over the lower realms... war has never ceased."

The Azure Heaven Ruins were breached and plundered by a more powerful, or rather, more greedy, blessed land over a thousand years ago, according to the timeline of the lower realms. Its core was destroyed, and almost all life was slaughtered, leaving only these ruins. Such tragedies have played out repeatedly throughout the long years among numerous blessed lands.

Of the so-called thirty-six grotto-heavens and seventy-two blessed lands, less than one-tenth remain intact and vibrant.

Chen Yang remained silent, sensing the cruelty that transcended time and space. Even the most powerful civilization can vanish in the face of conflict and calamity.

"So, is there still a way to reach the existing and active blessed lands?"

He asked the key question.

"Have."

Yao Guang affirmed.

"Blessed lands and grotto-heavens exist through hidden, unstable void rifts or ancient teleportation arrays, allowing travel between them. However..."

She looked Chen Yang up and down, her tone becoming serious.

"My lord, with your current strength, if you rashly enter those remaining blessed lands with complete systems, I'm afraid... your situation won't be very good."

"Oh? Where would my strength be ranked in a blessed land?"

Chen Yang was confident in his abilities, after all, he was already among the top in the lower realm.

Yao Guang pondered for a moment, seemingly making a careful assessment.

"The cultivation system of blessed lands and grotto-heavens is similar to that of the lower realms. Both follow the path of refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, refining spirit into emptiness, and refining emptiness into the Dao. The specific realm divisions and titles differ slightly due to different lineages, but the essential power can be compared and interchanged."

She looked at Chen Yang and said slowly.

"If we compare it to the lower realm, you have now undergone the baptism of the 'Purification Pool,' your dantian and sea of ​​consciousness have been transformed, your magical power is pure and vast, your physical body has been reborn, and your soul has become strong and stable... Your true combat power has long surpassed the ordinary Nascent Soul and Divine Transformation realms."

According to the more common classification in ancient immortal cultivation, you should have already begun to enter the 'True Immortal' level.

"A true immortal?"

Chen Yang's eyes lit up; this sounded impressive.

However, Yao Guang's next words poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

"A true immortal, even in a complete blessed land or even a fragment of the immortal realm, has only stepped into the threshold of the 'immortal path'."

Above them are 'Celestial Immortals', 'Golden Immortals', and even the legendary 'Great Luo Golden Immortals'. With your strength at the early stage of True Immortal, entering a still-existing blessed land might not place you at the bottom, but it certainly wouldn't place you at the top, much less allow you to act with impunity.

In any ancient and powerful grotto-heaven or blessed land, there must be elders of the Celestial Immortal level or even ancestors of the Golden Immortal level presiding over it. If you encounter a Celestial Immortal, you still have a chance to maneuver or escape;
If one were to encounter a Golden Immortal... it would be difficult to withstand them.

Chen Yang gasped. True Immortal was just the threshold? Above that were Celestial Immortals, Golden Immortals, and Great Luo Golden Immortals? His strength, which was practically invincible in the lower realms, was only at the lower-middle level in this blessed land? The gap was simply too vast!
"A blessed land... is it really this powerful?" Chen Yang found it hard to believe.

Yao Guang sighed.

"My lord, you must know that blessed lands possess a spiritual environment and more perfect rules of heaven and earth that far surpass those of the lower realms. The flow of time and the abundance of resources within them are often different from those of the lower realms. Many ancient forces have been passed down from ancient times or even earlier, and their foundations are unfathomable."

They viewed the so-called 'spiritual resurgence' in the lower realms as giants looking down on toddlers learning to walk.

"Spiritual energy is reviving..."

Chen Yang's heart stirred.

"Could the resurgence of spiritual energy in the lower realm also be related to blessed lands and grotto-heavens?"

Yao Guang nodded, revealing another astonishing truth.

"Exactly. The depletion and revival of spiritual energy in the lower realm is not a completely natural cycle. To a large extent, it is the remaining blessed lands and grotto-heavens that periodically release some spiritual energy and low-level resources in order to obtain 'fresh blood'!"

She explained.

"The blessed lands and grotto-heavens are constantly at war, resulting in huge internal losses and a need to replenish their ranks with fresh talent. However, they are high above and disdain to come directly to the lower realm to recruit them."

Therefore, at specific times, they would actively guide or open certain channels to scatter the relatively 'excessive' or 'low-grade' spiritual energy within the blessed lands, as well as some cultivation techniques, elixirs, and fragments of magical treasures that they themselves looked down upon but were invaluable to cultivators in the lower realms, into the lower world.

"Is it like...planting and fertilizing?"

Chen Yang's expression was rather unpleasant.

"That's one way to understand it."

Yao Guang spoke frankly.

"Cultivators from the lower realms rise to prominence and become geniuses and powerful figures thanks to these 'opportunities'."

When the time is right, usually when the spiritual energy in the lower realm reaches a critical point, or when enough promising talents appear that interest them, the forces of the blessed lands will appear in various ways, either by descending directly or through agents, to absorb these mature cultivators into their new peripheral forces, servants, or even... cannon fodder.

In this way, they both replenished their population and ensured the new blood's gratitude, while also avoiding internal power struggles that could lead to conflict. The inheritances and relics you previously acquired likely already bore the marks of hidden paradises.

Chen Yang felt a chill run down his spine. It turned out that the so-called immortal destiny and rise to power were actually a meticulously planned "harvest"!
Have we, and even the Qingwei Sect, been "marked" by some blessed land power without our knowledge?

"Given the potential and strength you have demonstrated, sir, it is likely that... you have already attracted the attention of more than one blessed land power."

Yao Guang's words confirmed Chen Yang's conjecture.

"It's just that the current level of spiritual energy recovery in the lower realm and the limitations of the rules prevent them from intervening on a large scale, or they are currently playing a game of cat and mouse with each other and observing. But when the time is right, it is possible that they will recruit or... forcibly take them away."

Chen Yang fell silent. He had previously thought the enemies were the Men in Black organization and rival families within the country, but now it seemed that the real "sky" was higher, larger, and more unattainable.

"So, is there any way to get into a blessed land before they come knocking on my door, at least to get some information and gain some initiative?"

Chen Yang asked the most practical question. Passive waiting was definitely not in his nature.

A glint flashed in Yao Guang's eyes as she steered the conversation back to where it all began.

"The solution is right in front of us."

This was one of the reasons I initially brought you here.

She pointed to the surrounding stone chambers and the wider island space.

"Refine this 'Azure Immortal Ruins'! Transform it into your 'Inner World'!"
If you succeed, you will have control over the remains of a blessed land, possessing an independent base and the 'key' to the depths of the void.

"During this refining process, as your understanding of the fundamental rules of the Azure Heaven Ruins deepens, you will be able to sense the 'beacons' or 'void ripples' that it once connected with other blessed lands and grotto-heavens."

While most of them may be outdated or lead to destruction, with a bit of luck, you might find one or two still stable or repairable passages. Then you can secretly go and investigate, or even… plan ahead.”

She looked at Chen Yang, her voice full of seduction.

"To achieve all this, the prerequisite is that you provide 'soul blood,' and I will lead the initial refining process. I am more familiar with the rules and hidden mechanisms of the Azure Immortal Ruins, which can greatly shorten the time and reduce the risk."

This is currently the fastest and most feasible path.

After going around in circles, we've finally come back to the issue of soul blood.

Chen Yang looked at Yao Guang with sharp eyes.

"You've told me so many shocking secrets, but in the end, you still want my soul blood. How do I know this isn't just an even grander lie fabricated to trick me into giving you my soul blood?"

"Li Rou showed no anger at being questioned; instead, she smiled with understanding."

She drifted closer, her voice calm and sincere.

“My lord, I understand your caution. If I were in your shoes, I would also be cautious after experiencing so many unbelievable things. But please consider this: if I were to go to such lengths to deceive you and obtain your soul blood, why would I go to such lengths to weave a lie that requires a long time to verify and would be immediately exposed if it could not be fulfilled?”

She paused, her tone becoming even more composed.

"I guided you here to help you improve your strength and uncover the truth of this blessed land. My ultimate goal is to use your power to refine this 'Azure Immortal Ruins' together."

This is a mutually beneficial arrangement. If I deceive you, and the refining fails or the results don't meet expectations, will you still trust me? Wouldn't all my previous efforts, the secrets I revealed, and even the primordial soul oath I made be in vain?
What benefit would it bring me? I am merely a remnant soul yearning to reunite my true spirit through the inner world and seek a glimmer of hope. I have neither the reason nor the means to engage in a doomed deception.

Chen Yang remained silent, his mind racing as he weighed the pros and cons and risks. Li Rou's logic was clear, and her demands were reasonable.

More importantly, as she said, if this were a scam, the cost would be too high and the flaws too obvious.

Ultimately, his thirst for power, his urge to explore the unknown, and his urgent need to find a way out of the potential "harvesting" crisis he might face in the future overwhelmed the last bit of hesitation in his heart.

"Okay, I'll trust you this time."

Chen Yang finally made up his mind, and his tone became firm.

"Li Rou, I hope you won't disappoint me."

Hearing Chen Yang call her name, a gentle light flashed in Li Rou's eyes, and she nodded vigorously.

"Thank you for your trust, sir! I, Li Rou, will do my utmost!"

"So, how exactly should it be done? How much soul blood... is needed? How to condense and deliver it?" (End of Chapter)