The Five Great Realms and the Fierce Dragon's Valley

The five great realms—Mortal-Shedding, Spirit-Treasury, Sky-Mastery, Nirvana, and Deathless Longevity—clearly demarcated the hierarchy of power among the world's experts. Only those who entered these realms could be called true experts. Mortal-Shedding itself was a watershed, a heavenly moat that barred the vast majority of aspirants. Yet were not Spirit-Treasury, Sky-Mastery, Nirvana, and Deathless Longevity each equally insurmountable chasms? Even if one crossed into Mortal-Shedding and grasped the true essence of cultivation, four more heavenly moats still lay ahead.

Thus, the gap in strength between the five great realms was immense. Few could ever overcome an opponent from a higher realm. Moreover, even within the same realm, the disparity in strength could be vast—a beginner versus a peak expert of that realm were worlds apart. For this reason, each realm was further divided into nine heavens. Mortal-Shedding, Spirit-Treasury, Sky-Mastery, Nirvana, and Deathless Longevity—each had nine tiers.

Five realms! Nine heavens per realm!

The ultimate state of the Nine-Five Supreme, ascending to the summit of Deathless Longevity, was the dream of every practitioner. But from ancient times to the present, how many had ever achieved it?

By this measure, Xiao Chen had already stepped into the Mortal-Shedding realm. Learning the details of the five great realms stirred deep emotions within him.

Among these five realms, those who had reached Deathless Longevity rarely appeared in the world. To the vast majority, they were merely legends. Practitioners at the Nirvana realm struggled bitterly through their death-ordeals, even rarer in the eyes of mortals, almost impossible to encounter. These two realms' experts scarcely walked the mortal plane. In a certain sense, the true terror lay with the experts of Sky-Mastery. They could command the void, fly through the skies, control the forces of heaven and earth, and wield all manner of divine abilities—enough to sweep a region. For this, they were called demi-gods.

Xiao Chen had witnessed the battle between the Fallen Angel and the Light Sacred Dragon. They were beings of this caliber. Of course, though such beings were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns, some among them surpassed even this realm. Ancient legends held that these old races were close branches of the divine clans.

Yet while demi-god-level experts could be seen in the World of Immortality, they rarely intervened. Their power was simply too great—enough to crush almost any obstacle. When they did act, it would be a continent-shaking battle. Demi-gods usually held dominion over a region, their deterrent value outweighing actual combat.

In contrast, experts at the Spirit-Treasury realm were closer to the common world. People had opportunities to watch their battles, so in mortal eyes, Spirit-Treasury practitioners were already considered battle-hardened elites.

Among the five realms of experts, none were more active than those of Mortal-Shedding. Some young talents had already entered this domain, and with a cohort of youths within it, activity was unavoidable. They were the closest to ordinary folk.

Yan Qingcheng and Rand were at the third or fourth heaven of Mortal-Shedding. Having already leapt across the first heavenly moat, they counted as rare young experts and had every right to be proud.

"Deathless Longevity… the dream of so many cultivators," Xiao Chen sighed.

"In our eyes, the realm of Deathless Longevity is an unclimbable peak," Yizhen said, seeming lost in thought. "But in the eyes of those immortals, perhaps it is merely a new starting point… perhaps they pursue the vanished… vast… primordial mythological world."

Xiao Chen knew little of the World of Immortality's past, and he did not dwell on it. He longed to know the fate of those who had shattered the void from the Mortal World. Dugu Qiubai, who with a single sword swept across the world—what realm had he now attained? Shi Feixuan, a celestial maiden with spirit for autumn waters and bones of jade—where was she now? And Wan Wan, that enchanting demoness, quick as a spirit, born of heaven and earth's intelligence—where did she wander? So many others…

Yizhen had already left. The three skeletons were no longer playing dumb; they lazily flexed their bones, and Yan Luo Wang, seized by inspiration, even executed a three-hundred-sixty-degree backflip. Not a trace of their former dullness remained.

Xiao Chen had intended to leave this place, but his acute senses detected several cultivators approaching. Threads of killing intent seeped through—someone seemed to want to ambush him! All because of the Accompanying Dragon. Nearby were the fresh claw prints of a young dragon. Every expert who entered this area wanted to contend for the legendary Dragon King, so they killed one another.

Xiao Chen smiled coldly. There was no need to engage. With the three skeletons, he quickly withdrew, leading the pursuers toward the waterfall, letting Yan Qingcheng and Rand fight them instead. The primeval forest was lush and dense. Once he knew he was being followed, losing them was easy. Near his destination, he and the three skeletons vanished into the jungle with a few swift leaps.

The young dragon's claw prints grew denser in this area. The five cultivators soon ran into Yan Qingcheng and Rand. From a distance, perched high in an ancient tree, Xiao Chen glimpsed an energy-formed blade of light sweeping through the forest, clearing all obstacles. Then a colossal ferocious dragon, condensed from energy, reared up, roared, and tangled with it. This seemed to be a battle between spellmasters.

Xiao Chen did not really believe that a spellmaster's power came from the gods. He was more inclined to think those ancient incantations were a wondrous form of tonal heaven-law—music that resonated with the world's primal energy, channeling it for the caster. Of course, this was merely his own speculation.

The battle raged. Thunder rumbled, and several bolts of purple lightning danced wildly through the woods, shattering a wide swath of trees. Then a torrent of light blades, like a meteor shower, shot through the forest near the waterfall, churning the air, shredding leaves, and snapping branches.

Brilliant light flashed. A large section of the forest was all but destroyed. Several dim figures moved within—four or five people were fighting Rand together, and Yan Qingcheng had not yet joined in.

The sounds of battle drew more cultivators, who lurked nearby with predatory eyes.

"Oooh—roar!"

Not far away, a colossal dragon cry erupted. The deafening shockwave set the mountains trembling and leaves raining down—a truly terrifying sound. It startled countless forest birds into the air and sent many beasts stampeding in panic. The whole area plunged into chaos.

A Fierce Dragon had been roused! It was barely a li away, in a valley.

The fighting around the waterfall immediately ceased. The three parties retreated in three directions, vanishing swiftly into the forest. The Fierce Dragon did not charge over; it only roared a few times before falling silent. The expected bloody slaughter did not come.

But Xiao Chen's mind was already working. If he left this place, he would have to pass near that valley. Perhaps he should go see the Fierce Dragon's situation. There might be a pleasant surprise.

The valley was not very wide, less than a square kilometer. Inside, trees were sparse—only a dozen ancient giants. The rest of the ground had been trampled hard and bare by the Fierce Dragon, not a blade of grass growing.