The Ascent to Heaven's Realm

"Let's go see the other important sites."

At the very bottom of that dark celestial moat, a faint spark of fire flickered, ethereal and elusive. Without careful attention, it could not be sensed at all.

"It's him! He actually still lives—he has not died!" The snow-white skull's eye sockets erupted with beams of light, clearly astonished. For this ancient relic to lose his composure, the matter was truly extraordinary.

"Who is he?"

"A powerful cultivator named Suiren."

"What!" Everyone was shocked. Was Ancestral God Suiren still alive?

Xiao Chen and Keke were especially surprised, for they had personally seen Suiren's tangible form, condensed from his primordial qi, in the Dead City back then.

"Yes, it is Suiren!" The three skeletons—Qin Guang Wang, Yan Luo Wang, and Lun Hui Wang—were overcome with emotion.

They had entered the Death World from the Devil's Plain long ago because a mysterious voice had guided them, and they had always suspected it was Suiren summoning them.

The three skeletons were, of course, not the actual Kings of Hell from legend—those names had been given by Xiao Chen. Such a coincidence was impossible. Still, these three were powerful cultivators in their own right, though their true names had long been forgotten. Like countless cultivators who had shed blood and risked their lives, they left no trace in history.

But to be valued by Suiren was no small matter, for Suiren stood alongside Fuxi and the Martial Ancestor as the strongest beings.

"Didn't you say this celestial moat abyss was impassable, that no one could enter?" asked Qin Guang Wang.

"Indeed. Ordinary powerful cultivators who enter that dark void will inevitably dissipate—body and soul annihilated. I once advised that cultivator by the name of Suiren, but he was determined to take the risk for a transformation. One hundred thousand years ago, he resolutely leaped down, declaring that he would ignite light in the darkest place to illuminate the way forward. If he could not succeed, then climbing another stairway would be no better than turning to ash. It seems he is indeed an extraordinary man—he truly succeeded. In time, after eons of cultivation, he will surely attain supreme mastery."

From detailed questioning, the group learned that Suiren had entered the deepest part of the Death World alongside the Martial Ancestor, both in skeletal form at the time.

Xiao Chen and the others suddenly understood: the white-boned Ancestral Lord who had helped them forge the Bone Well, the King Ship, and the giant forehead bone into the Ancestral Lord Warship in the Divine Village was none other than Suiren.

Regardless, knowing that Suiren was reborn in the Death World filled everyone with joy and excitement. The faint light sank deeper into the abyss and gradually vanished.

The group turned resolutely and walked back, no longer facing the abyss. Qin Guang Wang asked the skull, "Elder, you mentioned a stairway to heaven—please take us to see it."

"Very well, I will show you." The snow-white skull floated back like a drifting ghost.

As they passed the source of the River of Time, everyone felt the subtle power of time. Drawing too close would cause them to lose years of their lifespan.

"Be careful—don't go near, or you'll lose a stretch of life."

After walking dozens of li, Xiao Chen and the others finally saw what the skull called the stairway to heaven: three stone steps, each as huge as a mountain.

Xiao Chen was no stranger to them—these were the first three steps of the Ninety-Nine Stone Steps from the Eternal Unknown, shattered in the final battle by the Martial Ancestor and Yan Huang, and then stored here.

"You see, there are countless wormholes here connecting to the myriad worlds, but entering through them carries great risk, for the exits all lie in deadly places." The skull paused, then continued, "But these stone steps are different—they can be used to safely ascend to the Celestial Realm."

"Has anyone used them to enter the Celestial Realm before?"

"Naturally. That being called Yanhuanglong entered the Celestial Realm from here. A total of five ancestral gods from your world successfully reached this place; I have already mentioned four. The last is Yanhuanglong."

Xiao Chen learned the relevant information from the skull.

In the battle long ago, the Old Ancestral Dragon had shattered his body and was gravely wounded, then merged with Yan Huang. From then on, Shennong, the Yellow Emperor, and the Ancestral Dragon became one, establishing the divine throne of Yanhuanglong. After fusing with the Eternal Source, his combat power soared to an astonishing level, and he finally ascended the stone steps into the Celestial Realm.

Thus, Xiao Chen learned that only five ancestral gods had survived: Fuxi, Suiren, Nuwa, the Martial Ancestor, and Yanhuanglong. All others, including Youchao and the Twelve War Ancestors, had perished.

"Billions of years ago, the center of the myriad worlds shifted from this world to the Primordial Celestial Realm. Whether you seek the ultimate power or the truth behind all mysteries, your best choice is to ascend to the Celestial Realm," the skull advised. "Today, the Celestial Realm is the stage for the powerful of all worlds. All the ancient relics have entered there."

His words were enticing. The Celestial Realm was vast and boundless, rich in spiritual energy, ideal for cultivation. In that immense world, one could easily find a hidden domain to cultivate in peace.

Xiao Chen stayed in this region for several days, visiting many important sites. He saw not only the River of Time but also countless ruins.

Finally, they returned along the same path, circling around the Heavenly Stele of writing, and with the protection of the Divine Diagram and other war treasures, they left the Primeval Battlefield.

They returned to fetch Qingqing; everyone agreed to enter the Celestial Realm.

Keke was especially delighted—the little creature missed her parents dearly and wanted to visit them in the Celestial Realm.

Qingqing had merged with the Dream Flower and could not move easily, but that was no obstacle. They transplanted the divine flower into Paradise Lost—there was no place more suitable for the immortal root to grow, not even the Abyss Prison of the same level.

When they once again reached the uttermost depths of the Death World and ascended the stairway to heaven, the old skull insisted on accompanying them. Naturally, no one refused this living fossil.

The three stone steps rose into the sky, reaching the heavens. Under the skull's guidance, they carefully controlled the process and finally opened the gate to the Celestial Realm.

But at that moment, everyone felt an overwhelming, oppressive baleful aura. In the dark celestial moat ahead, it seemed as if a colossal beast slumbered.

As the gate to the Celestial Realm opened and infinite spiritual energy flowed down, they dimly saw a vast figure in the celestial moat, stretching endlessly—hundreds of millions of miles long.

The entire celestial moat seemed to be a cage forged for it.

"Legend says that the planets move with its breath, that the black holes in the universe were formed when its fur fell out. A single turn of its body can shatter a world..." The old skull murmured as if in a dream.

"Elder, what are you babbling about?" Everyone disbelieved.

"Ah, just a legend, nothing more. Don't take it seriously." The old skull seemed to wake. "Who knows if it's true? Faintly, there is such an ancient legend: in the celestial moat dwells a guardian beast..."

The group exchanged glances, their hearts shaken.

Just then, the darkness receded, and a holy, pure aura greeted them. They had entered the Celestial Realm.

The sun star hung high in the sky. Majestic mountains, divine rivers rolling, beautiful scenery—the land was grand and magnificent. Everyone felt the unique spiritual energy of the Celestial Realm. Everything was so vivid and vibrant.