Erendriel chuckled upon seeing Cade’s confused expression.

  “You’ve never heard of the Life and Death Divine Realm?” the elf asked. ”Not even a word or two overheard from all the chatter among the inner disciples?”

  Cade shook his head, unsure whether he was supposed to know these things. Since joining the Sword Dao Monastery, he was always busy, with very little time to socialize. He hadn't had time to make any friends in the inner court yet.

  “No matter, here’s the gist of it: every nine years, Elders from the Tower of Arts, Shadow Dao Palace, and naturally us, gather together to open a pathway into an ancient Divine Realm where an enormous battle took place. We don’t know exactly when the clash occurred, but it could have been millions of years ago.”

  The Asura’s eyes widened in disbelief as he continued to listen, now all ears.

  “Divine Realms are artificial worlds created by ancient cultivators, whose power was as far above our Sword Matriarch as hers is compared to someone in Qi Condensation. Suffice it to say they could bend reality to their will in ways we can’t begin to comprehend. Divine Realms are just like the spaces in our storage rings or bracelets, except incomparably larger and more complex,” the Grandmaster’s hand played with the teacup in front of him, as if he was deciding what to share, and Cade waited patiently. The old Saint took a small sip from his cup before continuing.

  “These worlds had many uses. For example, some served as private heavens, where all your wildest dreams could come true. Most of the time, they were used as the headquarters for organizations many times larger than most of today’s city-nations. Some had millions of disciples. The Life and Death Divine Realm is what one of these ancient sects—called Thousand Life Pavillion—used to call home, before the forces of Death Dao infiltrated it—though from the records we know they were called the Undead Alliance at the time. There was a huge battle which destabilized the whole Realm, creating many corrupted areas of frozen time.”

  Cade loved learning new things related to cultivation, and he drank in every word. Is Chthon a giant Divine Realm—an Asura heaven? Whenever Lao Ren spoke about the Asura homeworld, Cade got the distinct impression he wasn't talking about a planet. Yet, whenever Cade asked him directly, his Master would suddenly turn tight-lipped, smiling mysteriously.

  These thoughts flashed through his mind while listening to Grandmaster Erendriel.

  “Luckily, the ancient cultivators’ powers were vast, and they predicted many future catastrophes. Ages have passed, and the Divine Realm began healing itself. Around forty thousand years ago, a lone cultivator discovered the world gate leading to the Life and Death Divine Realm within a set of ruins under the Desert of a Thousand Lakes. However, his own power wasn’t enough to use the gate. Not long after, the combined forces of three organizations—Sword Dao, Shadow Dao Palace, and the Tower of Arts—managed to open the gateway, gaining access to the heart of the Divine Realm. Only a small group of cultivators who entered on that day returned, and most took nine years to do so.”

  Cade listened to the story with bated breath. He could barely imagine the sense of wonder and discovery these experts must have experienced the moment they entered this ancient, forgotten domain. Nine years, though?

  “As it turned out, the Life and Death Divine Realm was far from fully healed. Currently, the Realm goes through phases—a short one, when time flows normally in most areas, and a longer one, when time comes to a near stop. It’s only during the short phase that we dare to enter. Sadly, the Realm has powerful defensive measures. Anyone approaching the late stage of the True Core or Muscle Enhancement realms has a good chance of triggering the killing formations. We know this because, from the first voyage into the Life and Death Divine Realm, only cultivators below the late stage have returned,” Erendriel gave a detailed explanation, his tone unusually serious. “Now, have a look at this little thing.” The elf pulled out a small, polished bell from his storage ring, sliding it over the table towards his disciple.

  Cade tentatively touched the bell before picking it up. Even though at first glance the bell appeared to be made of silver, it definitely wasn’t ordinary. Unless he was imagining things, the bell felt slightly warm to the touch, barely on the edge of perception. He tilted his head, briefly examining the small object. Where have I seen this before…

  “Doesn’t seem that special, right?” Erendriel's tone carried a note of mischief, forcing Cade to focus on the present. “Appearances can be deceiving. Let’s go outside, a little demonstration is in order.”

  The Asura followed the Saint, now greatly intrigued. After stepping into the courtyard, they were once again welcomed by the pleasant light from thousands of sunstones hanging below the distant ceiling.

  Erendriel grinned like a child. The small bell shot upwards from his hand, stopping around a hundred feet above them. Cade observed the elf’s actions, his curiosity peaking.

  “Watch,” the Saint said, snapping his fingers.

  The bell, which from their perspective was now a tiny silver dot, suddenly released a powerful glow and rapidly increased in size to enormous proportions. The bell’s crown now nearly touched the ceiling as its huge shape filled their vision. The wave of displaced air struck at their surroundings, and the citadel's protective formations flashed with bright light. Strong winds tore at the trees planted in the courtyard, nearly uprooting nearby bushes and sending plenty of exotic orange fruit falling onto the grass. Both their robes billowed as if in a storm, before the commotion died down just as quickly as it began.

  Above Cade hung a huge silver bell, its massive lip encircling the darkness within, though his eyes could easily pierce through it, revealing a huge silver clapper in full. The bell hovered over them, its opening like a cavernous mouth of some ancient beast. The Asura involuntarily stepped back, awestruck.

  This is no spiritual projection, but a real, physical object!

  “How…” he muttered, blinking several times in quick succession. Erendriel beamed, apparently very satisfied with the effect of his little presentation. His hand reached upwards, and the bell shrank back down, landing in his palm.

  “We’ve learned from ancient texts that this material is called protoform. It’s supposed to be some kind of living metal, though sadly we no longer understand how it works. Protoform is extremely tough and can be resized with a thought, though only cultivators capable of using soul qi can operate it. As you saw, the process is almost instantaneous. One of the features of protoform is that the distance between its particles can stretch a great deal, sustained by soul qi, though its current size is the bell’s upper limit. It requires a fair amount of energy to operate. I found it when I was still in Foundation Establishment, during my first visit to the Life and Death Divine Realm a few thousand years ago. Compared to some of the other objects discovered within the Realm, this is merely a trinket,” the Grandmaster elaborated with a touch of nostalgia in his voice, likely revisiting his memories.

  “It’s… magnificent,” Cade admitted, his voice full of childlike wonder.

  “There are hundreds of thousands of fallen cultivators inside—from both sides—some of whom have been perfectly preserved in bubbles of frozen time. Thousands of treasures, artifacts, and cultivation arts are still waiting to be retrieved. An unimaginable number of powerful beasts fell during the battle, and occasionally you can encounter carcasses which appear as if the creatures died only yesterday. There are spiritual herbs no longer encountered in our world, and who knows what else. Don't get me wrong - It’s not easy to find these things; it all depends on luck and fate. I honestly have no idea how vast the Life and Death Divine Realm is, as the areas we’ve mapped seem to cover only a small portion. Our exploration is limited by the amount of time we can spend inside.”

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  However, all Cade could hear was “powerful beasts” and “carcasses” echoing through his mind.

  “I’m in!” he exclaimed in a burst of excitement.

  The spherules forced a deviation in his cultivation, requiring a much higher potency of blood compared to what was written in the Book of Life. Just one such potent corpse could be enough for him to effortlessly reach the great circle of Flesh Fortification. He absolutely could not allow this chance to slip away.

  “Why am I not surprised,” the Grandmaster smiled. “But, you need to know there are major dangers inside the Realm. The most common one is bubbles of frozen time, which can either trap you or release unknown ancient threats. A lot of time has passed, and it’s not something that happens frequently anymore, but even during the last opening we’ve had one such situation. A mixed group with nearly twenty third tier cultivators from all three organizations braved an undiscovered area and never returned. They were wiped out by something immensely powerful. We later found several bodies—well, the pieces, really. Still, if you ask me, it’s absolutely worth taking that risk.”

  If I could obtain a preserved Rank 4 corpse… Cade’s eyes gleamed with greed. The prices on those carcasses were exorbitant, reaching several million crystals due to scarcity.

  “No matter what, I’m going in,” he said with a determined expression.

  Erendriel chuckled upon hearing his resolute tone, likely not expecting any other reaction.

  “Alright. Enter your seclusion, but don't delay. We will be opening the world gate in just over two months, and you only get to spend one week scouring the Realm. Once inside, every moment is precious.”

  “I’ll do my best to hurry,” Cade said. “Oh, is everyone allowed inside, or are there certain prerequisites?” He was wondering whether his outer court friends would be allowed.

  “You have to be either an inner court or a core disciple. It’s not that we don’t want to let outer disciples in; after all, the Realm is vast. It has been done in the past, but the death toll was in the hundreds,” Erendriel sighed. “It’s just not worth losing all this young talent.”

  Cade was expecting something along those lines, so he wasn’t surprised by the elf’s answer. “I understand. Thank you, Grandmaster,” the Asura cupped his fist and bowed respectfully before departing with a wide grin plastered on his face. He immediately sent voice messages to Brickwall and King, letting them know of the situation. Both of them were waiting for their scheduled inner court duels, and if he wasn’t mistaken, both should be taking place before the Realm opened.

  —

  After leaving the Saint level, Cade could barely stop himself from running back to the house and entering seclusion, but he first stopped to check on Jade. The young healer he had spoken to earlier shook her head, her face carrying a dispirited expression. Apparently, her efforts had turned out fruitless. Physically, it was as his life sense had told him—the princess was fine, other than her blood qi levels being a little low. Someone with a soul sense—like Grandmaster Erendriel—would be able to examine her thoroughly.

  Did Castien hurt her soul? If he somehow siphoned off her soul qi…

  His excitement immediately dimmed. Severe soul wounds were notoriously difficult to recover from, taking an extremely long time. Years, if not decades, definitely not months. They affected everything—weakening a person both physically and mentally. It was the soul that provided the body with nourishment from the heavenly daos. After all, the phrase “to become one with the dao” described someone passing away, leaving behind their physical shell and merging with the universe, awaiting reincarnation.

  For a cultivator like Jade—who was preparing to attack the Low Ladder for an inner court position—a serious soul wound would be a terrible blow, one that would completely stall her momentum, forcing her into a long period of recovery.

  Exiting the transportation formation inside the inner court, Cade released a deep sigh. Death Dao was undeniably powerful, able to flaunt their disciple in front of Soul Avatar Saints and get away with it for more than two years. From what Erendriel had said, it seemed only the Matriarch had a way of detecting their presence.

  His thoughts moved back to the opening of the Life and Death Divine Realm. It presented a huge opportunity, one he couldn't miss out on. Cade checked his timekeeper—it was already past midday. Not even a day ago, he had left the monastery to search for Jade. It was hard to believe that he had nearly died twice during that time. I am far too weak. Even though he had managed to regenerate a lot of skin, his body still needed healing, especially all the internal damage.

  Cultivation and getting stronger is what matters now. I’ll quickly recover inside the coffin. There’s just one thing I need to do first.

  He used his token to enter through the front gates into his garden, then walked inside the house.

  “Senior, you’re back!” Lucy welcomed him with a beaming smile. It appeared she was genuinely happy to see him. The curly-haired, sixth-stage body refiner was on her knees, cleaning the polished, wooden floor of non-existent dirt. Even though Cade knew it was her job, it still didn’t feel right to have others serve him. The servants were paid only a few crystals per month, which was a huge amount of wealth to a mortal, but Lucy was a cultivator. She could have found a much better position in just about any city, but she clearly preferred to stay in the monastery.

  “Hello, Lucy. Please stop with the cleaning already; everything is spotless. I’m sure you have plenty of your own matters to attend to,” Cade returned her smile. He took a quick peek at her life signature, happy to see it glowed with vitality. The tea had helped her make substantial progress towards the seventh stage of Qi Saturation. With just a little more spiritual qi, she should be able to break through without complications.

  Lucretia quickly stood up, straightening her brown robe and cupping her fist, this time also bowing at the waist.

  “Senior, I wanted…” she started saying, but Cade didn’t let her finish. His form blurred, appearing right beside her, gently stopping her from completing the bow. Startled, Lucy flinched and took an unsteady step back, nearly tripping before his arm caught her.

  “Sorry, but please, no more bowing. I’m being serious,” Cade said in a quiet voice, his hand lightly supporting her lower back. It was easy to forget how terrifying someone like him was to a low-level cultivator. “I already have to deal with all the outer disciples, even those I know personally, constantly cupping their fists in my presence. Bowing is far too much,” he added.

  “But Senior…” Lucy dropped her eyes, her cheeks burning upon their unexpected physical contact. When her lower back tensed, Cade briefly felt her developed muscles working under her robe to stabilize her. She definitely wasn’t skipping out on training, despite her time-consuming work.

  “How about you steep some leaves for both of us?” he smiled, removing his hand.

  Lucy immediately perked up, gratitude flickering in her sparkling green eyes.

  “Yes, Senior!”

  After she disappeared into the kitchen, Cade sat at the large table in the main room, taking out paper, ink, and a quill. He then brought out the Death Dao memory crystal from his ring and started copying the words to the best of his ability. Since he could only view two out of three techniques, his plan was to write them down, then seek out a discreet scholar who could translate them. Without the diagrams, the descriptions would be of no use to anyone and could be treated as a curiosity.

  A short while later, Lucy walked into the room, carrying the small, azure kettle and two cups. She couldn’t help but take a peek at his sloppy handwriting.

  “Can you read this language, Lucy?” he asked, noticing the interest in her eyes.

  She quickly shook her head in embarrassment, knowing she wasn’t supposed to stick her nose into his matters. Cade chuckled inwardly, recalling how his mother would peek over Jon's shoulder whenever he sat down to write.

  “It’s fine. I’ll have to look for someone who can,” he said with an easy smile.

  At that moment a realization struck him. Wasn’t Aien Faeven researching some old language when we first met?!

  He quickly sent Aien a voice message through his black monastery token.

  “Senior?” Lucy observed him with interest after pouring tea into both cups and passing him one, unsure of what to do next.

  “Thank you, Lucy. Please, sit down and enjoy the tea. I have to finish this page,” he put away the token, downing his cup in a single gulp.

  Lucy settled herself in the cushioned chair, breathing in the fragrant steam rising from her cup, eyes closed in delight. He could tell she was deeply curious about what he wrote. Most of the knowledge in the cultivation world was jealously guarded, and all organizations were very strict when it came to dispensing it. A brief look into an ancient cultivation art could provide someone with a flash of enlightenment, allowing them to break through an obstacle in their progression that might have otherwise troubled them for years.

  This made him think about the art Lucy was currently cultivating. It’s probably nothing spectacular, unless her family had a powerful inheritance.

  He took a quick glimpse inside his storage ring to see if any of the cultivation arts he took from Darkheart could be used by a body cultivator. He was originally planning on showing these manuals to his friends, but he didn’t actually know whether they were all dedicated to qi cultivation.

  To his surprise, Darkheart owned one complete body refiner art, called the Elemental Weaving Art, divided into nine stages. This type of art could convert energy from physical blows into powerful low-to-mid range spiritual attacks. There was also one movement technique called Spirit Steps, and it didn’t require making any changes to existing cultivation arts. In general, most body refinement techniques were intrinsically linked to a combat art, similar to his Feral Path. The Law Severing Art was one of the rare exceptions, an example of an art that could be used by everyone in addition to their main cultivation technique, and Spirit Steps appeared to be another.

  He was just about to ask if she’d be interested when his token buzzed. It was a message from Aien.

  “I might be able to help.”