NOVPUBA blinding white light flashed through the painting, revealing the scene beyond the Heavenly Court’s gate!
Towering structures, shrouded in mist, ancient bells tolling in the distance, white cranes soaring through the sky… It was a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
Mu Zhi’an hadn’t explored the Heavenly Court during his previous visit, having been too focused on absorbing its Spiritual Energy. Now, with this opportunity, he stepped through the gate without hesitation.
“No wonder Ye Qingxin offered a first-grade Artifact Spirit as a reward… This trial is impossible,” Mu Zhi’an muttered to himself.
Only those who met the requirements, and the Master of the Heavenly Court, could open the gate. And no one here was wearing stockings made of Nirvana Silk.
In fact, the ‘female’ requirement alone eliminated most of the participants.
And even among the female cultivators, who would have guessed such a peculiar rule?
However… Ye Qingxin wouldn’t have imagined that someone among these disciples could actually open the gate.
Even without the Artifact Spirit, the Heavenly Court’s Spiritual Energy alone was a valuable reward.
This energy contained Ye Qingxin’s insights and even traces of Dao Rhyme. Those with sufficient luck might even be able to break through their bottlenecks.
Although she was a Ye family ancestor, she was much more generous than Ye Yu.
“A Dao Integration expert is indeed magnanimous. Unfortunately, the Heavenly Court’s Spiritual Energy isn’t that important to me…” Mu Zhi’an shook his head inwardly, about to enter the depths of the Heavenly Court.
Then, he paused, turned around, and waved his hand, leaving a trace of his Spiritual Energy at the gate.
It was like leaving his mark: Mu Zhi’an was here.
After leaving his ‘footprint’, he continued exploring.
He didn’t realize that his every move was being observed by two Empresses.
On the Ascension Stage, Ye Qingxin stared at the painting, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
The Heavenly Court’s gate, a gate that could only be opened by those who met its requirements… Mu Zhi’an had opened it effortlessly, without even using his Spiritual Energy.
Yao Meng also watched silently, her green eyes filled with a thoughtful glint.
She had felt a sense of familiarity towards the figure at the end of the immortal path, but she hadn’t been able to connect the Master of the Heavenly Court with Mu Zhi’an.
However, now… it seemed her earlier feeling wasn’t just a coincidence.
“It seems you didn’t expect anyone to open that gate, did you?” Yao Meng said, glancing at Ye Qingxin.
Ye Qingxin’s expression remained calm, but she couldn’t hide the surprise in her eyes.
“Did you know he could open the gate, Fairy Yao Meng?” she asked, snapping out of her thoughts, meeting Yao Meng’s gaze.
Yao Meng shook her head gently. “I suspected it, but it was hard to believe… However, his earlier… fantasies… have already given us the answer.”
Ye Qingxin’s eyes flickered, pondering her words.
“There’s something we both overlooked in your first trial.”
Yao Meng continued, “The illusions within the Celestial Realm manifest a cultivator’s deepest desires.”
She looked at the young man in the painting, who was now walking into the depths of the Heavenly Court, and said, “Do you remember the… scene with you earlier…? I mean, the you in his fantasy.”
Ye Qingxin gritted her teeth, remembering the embarrassing scene, but she maintained her composure. “…Of course, I remember.”
How could she forget?
She had never imagined that a mere Core Formation cultivator would dare to… disrespect a Dao Integration expert like that.
A Dao Integration expert’s aura was naturally imposing. Just standing before them was a challenge for most cultivators. Who would have thought that Mu Zhi’an not only harbored such thoughts about her, but had even… acted on them…
Remembering the scene, the scattered clothes, Ye Qingxin’s cheeks flushed.
“Why are you mentioning this?” she asked, suppressing her embarrassment.
“The bedchamber he imagined in the Celestial Realm… wasn’t it the Heavenly Court’s bedchamber?” Yao Meng asked.
Ye Qingxin froze.
Indeed…
The illusions manifested a cultivator’s deepest desires.
And Mu Zhi’an hadn’t just fantasized about women, but also about the Heavenly Court’s bedchamber.
If he had never been to the Heavenly Court, how could he have known what it looked like?
Ye Qingxin’s eyes flickered as she calmed down.
Then, she gave an answer that surprised even Yao Meng. “I’ve never seen the Heavenly Court’s bedchamber.”
“The Heavenly Court is vast, far larger than you imagine. And the place I saw when I ascended was completely different from what young friend Mu saw,” Ye Qingxin explained.
“So the scenes each person sees after ascending might be different?” Yao Meng murmured.
Ye Qingxin nodded slightly. “The Heavenly Court’s gate connects to a random location within. We can’t control it.”
She looked at the painting again, her gaze fixed on Mu Zhi’an.
Despite everything, she still didn’t understand one crucial thing.
—How did he open the Heavenly Court’s gate?
She already had an answer, but she still couldn’t quite believe it.
However… as long as she continued to observe, she would find the proof.
After all, there was a ‘Heavenly Palace’ within the Heavenly Court, a place no one had ever set foot in. If Mu Zhi’an could reach it, it would confirm her suspicions.
As Mu Zhi’an continued his exploration, Ye Qingxin’s gaze shifted to the other disciples participating in the trial.
Including her descendant, Ye Yu.
The trial Ye Yu was facing wasn’t anything… indecent. After all, the Celestial Realm only manifested a cultivator’s desires, and not everyone was as obsessed with breasts as Mu Zhi’an.
Looking at Ye Yu, who had also arrived before the Heavenly Court’s gate, Ye Qingxin’s eyes twinkled with interest.
It was too early to conclude that Mu Zhi’an was the Master of the Heavenly Court just because he could open the gate.
If Ye Yu could also open it, then her earlier assumption about Mu Zhi’an would be wrong.
She watched as Ye Yu placed his hand on the gate and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
Then, his Spiritual Energy surged, and he pushed the gate with all his might!
However, the ancient gate didn’t budge.
Ye Yu didn’t give up. He channeled more Spiritual Energy into his palm and pushed again.
But the gate remained motionless.
“Why… Ye Qingxin is my ancestor. Why can’t I open this gate?” Ye Yu muttered, staring at the gate with frustration in his eyes.
Suddenly, he felt a stir from the old man within him. “Do you know how to pass this trial, Master?” he asked mentally.
“Even I have never been to the Heavenly Court,” the old man’s voice replied, filled with helplessness. Then, he suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “Hmm? Someone has been here recently… There are traces of their Spiritual Energy.”
“Someone was here recently…?” Ye Yu murmured.
“But if so, why can’t I see them?”
“Could it be… they opened the gate and entered the next trial?!”
The old man pondered for a moment, sensing the residual energy.
Then, he fell silent.
Ye Yu felt a sense of unease. “Master…?”
After a long silence, the old man finally spoke. “It was Mu Zhi’an.”
Ye Yu froze, then his expression changed. He clenched his fists, slamming them against the Heavenly Court’s gate, his heart filled with rage. “Why?!” he roared inwardly.
“I’m the Child of Destiny! Why can he pass the trial, but I can’t?!”
Isn’t Ye Qingxin his ancestor?!
Why did she let Mu Zhi’an pass, but not him?!
Ye Yu felt a surge of anger and betrayal, pounding on the gate, unable to move forward.
On the Ascension Stage, Yao Meng, watching the scene unfold, chuckled softly and glanced at Ye Qingxin. “It seems your descendant isn’t very patient.”
Ye Qingxin frowned slightly but didn’t respond.
She had initially thought her descendant was quite talented and diligent, a promising young man.
However, seeing his childish outburst… he was clearly too impulsive.
Regardless, he was still a descendant of the Ye family. She would help him later, as a gesture of goodwill towards her clan.
Thinking of this, she turned her attention back to the painting.
She didn’t realize that the reason Ye Yu was so enraged wasn’t simply because he couldn’t open the gate, but because he had imagined Mu Zhi’an passing the trial.
And this Celestial Realm was created by Ye Qingxin… The fact that Mu Zhi’an had succeeded where he had failed… fueled his jealousy and frustration.
Of course, Ye Qingxin didn’t care about Ye Yu’s feelings. She was more concerned about something else…
As Mu Zhi’an entered the depths of the Heavenly Court, a breathtakingly beautiful scene appeared in the painting.
A magnificent sunset, the sky ablaze with an eternal flame, and beneath it stood a grand and ancient palace.
It was made of white jade, each piece radiating a dense Spiritual Energy.
Golden light streamed down from the heavens, converging upon the palace, its surface shimmering.
“This Heavenly Palace is entirely made of Spirit Stones, even inlaid with special Spirit Stones… If I could take a few pieces back, I could exchange them for a fortune,” Mu Zhi’an thought, looking up at the palace in awe.
Then, he summoned his flying sword and flew towards it.
Yao Meng’s lips curved into a slight smile, her beautiful eyes following his figure.
Ye Qingxin also stared at the young man in the painting, her eyes filled with surprise.
The Heavenly Palace. A mysterious place. She had visited it after ascending to the Heavenly Court, but she had been repelled by a powerful formation before she could even approach.
If she wasn’t mistaken, this was where the Master of the Heavenly Court resided.
And now, Mu Zhi’an was walking towards it, unhindered… as if he were returning home.
He entered the Heavenly Palace, and countless paper cranes filled the sky.
Even Ye Qingxin, who had ascended to the Heavenly Court, was puzzled by this sight.
Why were there so many paper cranes…?
Mu Zhi’an was equally confused. After all, he had a… special connection with paper cranes.
“More paper cranes, and they’re folded using my method…” He picked one up and unfolded it.
“A love letter…?” He tilted his head slightly, his eyes filled with curiosity.
The letter contained words of love and affection.
He picked up another crane and unfolded it.
…Another love letter!
Mu Zhi’an opened a dozen more, and each one contained a sweet and heartfelt message.
Some were written by a young man to a girl, others were replies.
“It seems these are precious memories of the Heavenly Palace’s master… That’s why they’re kept here…” Mu Zhi’an thought, carefully folding the letters and putting them away. He was about to explore the depths of the palace when he noticed a bright pink peach blossom.
It was tucked within a paper crane.
He took the crane and unfolded it, glancing at the message inside.
Then, his gaze froze.
“I like you… I miss you.”
Mu Zhi’an was stunned. Then, he saw new words appearing on the paper: “I want to see you.”
He felt a chill run down his spine.
This person knows I’m in the Heavenly Palace… and they’re even greeting me…?
Is this Yao Meng’s prank?
Or Ye Qingxin’s doing?
Or… like the message in the Primordial Witch’s black box, was it a message from someone expressing their longing for him?
As Mu Zhi’an’s mind raced, Ye Qingxin, watching him from the Ascension Stage, murmured, “Did he see something? Why is he suddenly so still?”
Even as the Celestial Realm’s creator, she couldn’t see the contents of the letter.
Yao Meng was also curious. She formed a hand seal, her green sleeves fluttering, and her beautiful eyes shimmered with a multicolored light.
She looked at the painting again, trying to see what was written on the paper crane, but the Heavenly Court was too far away. All she could see was a blur of white mist.
“He’s going in,” Ye Qingxin suddenly said softly.
Mu Zhi’an, snapping out of his thoughts, was walking towards the depths of the Heavenly Palace.
Ye Qingxin’s hand instinctively tightened around her skirt, her gaze fixed on him.
A closer look revealed a flicker of excitement in her eyes.
Yao Meng glanced at her subtly.
She seemed a bit too excited…
Mu Zhi’an walked along the corridor, and at its end, he saw a bedchamber.
Ye Qingxin’s eyes lit up.
This place… was identical to the one in Mu Zhi’an’s earlier fantasy.
This meant… he had been here before!
As Mu Zhi’an continued deeper into the palace, he came to a simple wooden door.
An ordinary door, in the deepest part of the Heavenly Palace… It was strange. Not only Yao Meng and Ye Qingxin, but even Mu Zhi’an was curious.
He reached out and placed his hand on the door.
Instantly, he felt a powerful force drawing his Spiritual Energy away.
Mu Zhi’an’s expression changed as he realized something.
This door could only be opened with a sufficient amount of Spiritual Energy, and with his Core Formation cultivation, he wasn’t strong enough!
Suddenly, the sound of ripping paper came from the painting on the Ascension Stage.
The Celestial Realm was collapsing!
Ye Qingxin immediately reacted, forming hand seals, trying to stabilize it.
However, the ‘painting’ was shattering, like a fragile drawing, crumbling into pieces!
Boom!
Before Mu Zhi’an could open the door, the Celestial Realm on the southern bank exploded, a powerful gust of wind sweeping through the area, its Spiritual Energy dissipating.
The disciples who had been undergoing the trial reappeared on the Ascension Stage.
Mu Zhi’an clutched his chest, his face pale, his breathing ragged, his Spiritual Energy almost completely depleted. He looked up at the spot where the Celestial Realm had been, his heart pounding.
What was behind that door…?
His Core Formation Spiritual Energy had been instantly drained…
Bai Ruoxi and the others also reappeared, their eyes filled with confusion at first, then they noticed Mu Zhi’an, his face pale and his body seemingly weak.
Bai Ruoxi immediately rushed towards him, but Wei Mengrou was faster, reaching him first and supporting him.
The two women exchanged a glance, then Bai Ruoxi also hurried to his side, her eyes filled with worry.
Ye Qingxin stared at the painting, now covered in cracks, then at Mu Zhi’an, whose Spiritual Energy was almost completely depleted, her eyes thoughtful.
It seems… there’s a terrifying secret hidden behind that door in the Heavenly Palace.
Although she was disappointed that she hadn’t seen it, this trial had still been a success.
After all… she had achieved both her goals.
“Are you alright, Brother Mu?”
Ye Lingxuan looked at him with concern, noticing his pale face. She immediately took out a pill and fed it to him.
Then, she looked up at Ye Qingxin on the Ascension Stage, her eyes cold, seemingly blaming her for Mu Zhi’an’s condition.
Mu Zhi’an shook his head gently. “It’s not her fault, Lingxuan. It’s my own problem,” he said softly.
Although he was exhausted, seeing their worried expressions made him feel a warmth spread through his heart.
He had originally planned to injure himself slightly within the Celestial Realm, but that door had done it for him.
Although he was now weak and tired, at least they wouldn’t be dwelling on Yao Meng’s earlier declaration.
Thinking of this, he looked up at the Ascension Stage and met Yao Meng’s gaze.
She looked down at him, then, for some reason, a playful smile curved her lips.
Then, under everyone’s gazes, she descended from the sky, her jade-like feet treading on air.
“Are you alright?” Yao Meng asked, her eyes filled with concern, ignoring the hostile gazes of the ‘protagonists’ around him.
Mu Zhi’an shook his head weakly, forcing a smile. “I’m fine. I just encountered a difficult trial in the Celestial Realm and exhausted my Spiritual Energy.”
He thought she would be worried about him, but her eyes twinkled with amusement, a faint smile playing on her lips.
“Are you referring to the… activities in the Heavenly Court’s bedchamber?”
Mu Zhi’an froze, then, noticing the playful glint in her eyes, his expression stiffened, his gaze fixed on her beautiful face.
Holy crap, did she see my fantasy…? He wanted to hide his face in embarrassment.
Meanwhile, on the Ascension Stage, Ye Qingxin looked at the scene, then she raised her hand, and a heavy ancient sword appeared in her palm.
A first-grade Artifact Spirit!
The cultivators’ eyes lit up with desire as they stared at the sword.
Then, they saw the woman in the black and red dress gracefully descend the steps of the Ascension Stage, walking towards Mu Zhi’an.
