Beyond the Three Realms, Outside the Five Elements

In a daze, Li Guanqi murmured, "In other words... once I ascend to the Immortal Realm, I'm very likely to be targeted by many people, aren't I?" Su Xuan smiled faintly, the corners of his mouth curling upward into a mysterious grin. "Rest assured. Once you're up there, it will actually be harder for them to find you!" Li Guanqi frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled. Su Xuan raised a hand, conjuring spiritual light in his palm to form a tiny human figure. Then, he conjured a wisp of immortal spirit around it. "After ascending, the Heavenly Destiny rules of the Immortal Realm will thoroughly cleanse and baptize you. When that happens, your aura will undergo a complete transformation, becoming worlds apart from how you were in the Human Spirit Realm. No matter how capable they are, they won't be able to track you down. Of course, before I leave, I will also place a disguise on the sword coffin. The impurities in your primal energy will be purged, though converting it entirely into immortal primal energy will only be accomplished through the heavenly tribulation when you break through to the Mystic Immortal Realm." The old man looked at Li Guanqi and chuckled. "Though breaking through to the Mystic Immortal Realm shouldn't take you long." Li Guanqi asked offhandedly, "How fast is 'fast'? Can I break through right after going up?" Su Xuan looked at Li Guanqi as if staring at a fool. "Even for you, it will take at least ten years. Do you honestly think realms in the Immortal Realm are that easy to break through? Crossing a major realm to battle opponents is something only a rare few can achieve in the Immortal Realm. Never mind crossing major realms; even within the Mystic Immortal Realm itself, a difference of three minor stages is enough to crush someone to death!" Li Guanqi furrowed his brows tightly, his voice tinged with skepticism. "The gap is that massive?" Su Xuan nodded and said softly, "The Immortal Realm... is vastly different from the Human Spirit Realm. In the Immortal Realm, resources are far more crucial! Cultivation methods, secret manuals, pills, immortal crystals... These are merely the basics. There are also all sorts of heavenly treasures and earthly wonders, and every single one must be fought for! The cultivation environment in the Immortal Realm is far more brutal than in the Human Spirit Realm. The methods cultivators use in their struggles and slaughter are endlessly varied. In a battle between cultivators of the same realm, a difference of three minor stages—or even more—can be bridged by various means. A formidable dharma artifact, a powerful inscribed talisman, or an extraordinary cultivation manual is enough to allow a nobody to turn the tables!" Li Guanqi swallowed dryly, gaining a general concept of the unfamiliar Immortal Realm. Su Xuan seemed intent on explaining these matters to Li Guanqi, laying out the details of the Immortal Realm with patient deliberation. "The Immortal Realm is vast beyond measure, unimaginably immense... So immense that it is more than ten thousand times larger than the entire Human Spirit Realm! The hierarchy among cultivators there is rigid and unforgiving; those of lower standing possess almost no power to resist those above them." At this point, Su Xuan's voice carried a hint of emotion. "The cultivation methods, sword arts, and techniques of the Immortal Realm are extraordinarily obscure and difficult to comprehend. The power unleashed by a technique varies drastically depending on the level of insight one achieves." After a moment's thought, Su Xuan suddenly laughed. "You'll come to understand these things on your own after ascending. There are only three matters you must keep in mind!" Hearing this, Li Guanqi dispelled the alcoholic haze from his body and sat upright across from the old man. Su Xuan also sat up straight. "First, after you ascend to the Immortal Realm, you may encounter many unexpected situations on the Immortal Ascension Platform... Whatever happens, remember above all to protect yourself, and do not place your trust in anyone lightly!" Li Guanqi nodded, engraving the warning into his heart. "Second, under no circumstances should you ask anyone about your background, nor should you inquire about anything concerning the sword coffin!" Li Guanqi nodded again. He was well aware of how coveted the sword coffin was by certain figures in the Immortal Realm. "Third, you and your brothers may not necessarily ascend to the same location. Seek them out if fate allows, but never rush blindly to find others. And don't bother trying to find me; when the time is right, I will naturally come looking for you. Once you arrive in the Immortal Realm, protect yourself first, undergo the baptism, and then leave immediately to seek out the Great Xia Sword Sect!" Li Guanqi was taken aback. "The Great Xia Sword Sect of the Immortal Realm?" The old man smiled warmly and said softly, "No one from the Human Spirit Realm has ascended in ten thousand years. Once you arrive, they will naturally know who you are. At the very least, you will have a place to settle down." Li Guanqi committed everything the old man said to memory. There was so much information that he needed time to process it all. Yet just as Li Guanqi was spaced out, digesting the contents of their conversation, Su Xuan suddenly chuckled. "By the way, the Immortal Realm... is magnificent! Other races will even appear there. Don't be too surprised, and be sure not to provoke them by touching their reverse scales." Li Guanqi raised an eyebrow. "What other races?" The old man laughed heartily. "There are three thousand spirit realms. Some worlds are inhabited entirely by demon beasts, while others are populated purely by spirits, monsters, and transformed entities. Don't make a fuss over what's merely unfamiliar." Li Guanqi twitched his lips, having gained a rough picture of the Immortal Realm. A bright gleam flickered in his eyes, and his heart surged with excitement. He could hardly wait to ascend. "Grandpa, how is the geography of the Immortal Realm laid out?" Su Xuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "It's far too vast to explain. Besides... I don't even know where the Great Xia Sword Sect is located. Still, since you're ascending from the Human Spirit Realm, the Immortal Ascension Platform shouldn't be too far from it." The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth twitched. Suddenly, he felt that this old man was not entirely dependable either... Su Xuan offered a sheepish laugh. Puffing rhythmically on his pipe, he drew from a tobacco pouch that Li Guanqi had brought out from the old house earlier. Reclining in his chair, Su Xuan murmured, "Is Lu Tiancheng dead?" Li Guanqi fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes, he's dead. But I never expected him to use his own life to set a trap for me! At the time, the immortal primal energy in my dantian was completely drained, leaving me powerless to stop the World-Breaker Immortal Butterfly from escaping." The old man nodded slightly, then waved his hand dismissively. "Don't fret over it too much. It's merely your sister's ashes combined with a wisp of Li Congxin's soul. Even in the Immortal Realm, reforging a human puppet is easier said than done. Furthermore... trying to influence you through a human puppet won't be that simple!" Li Guanqi caught the hidden implication. "What do you mean?" Su Xuan met Li Guanqi's gaze and smiled. "Back when you forged your Yin God in the Body Integration Realm, didn't the sword spirit make you sever a complete set of three hun and seven po?" Li Guanqi frowned and nodded. "That's right. If not for that, that fellow Li Song wouldn't have come to exist. Having a complete set of three hun and seven po allowed him to develop an independent ego, fully intact..." Reclining in his chair with eyes closed, the corners of the old man's mouth curled slightly. "Severing a complete set of three hun and seven po placed you... beyond the Three Realms, outside the Five Elements! From that moment on, no one in the Immortal Realm could ever divine your fate again—which is precisely why they took action one after another later on!" Li Guanqi was inwardly astonished. He had never realized that the extremely risky method of severing the three hun and seven po, which the sword spirit had insisted upon back then, was chosen for this very reason! "Therefore... even if a mighty figure of the Immortal Realm attempts to influence you through a human puppet, they won't be able to do it."