Although the ground appeared flat, Hanshan City was unimaginably far away, barely larger than a speck of dust in the vast expanse. Combined with the minuscule particles in the air and the effects of light refraction, Chen Xiao's eyesight was no match for that of cultivators. No matter how hard he squinted, he couldn't see anything. It wasn't until another day had passed that he finally caught sight of a faint strip of land emerging at the horizon.
Early the next morning, Chen Xiao was awakened by the commotion in the corridor. The cultivators staying nearby, like him, were all first-time visitors to Hanshan City. The excitement of nearing land had roused them early, and they were busy packing their belongings. Chen Xiao yawned and got out of bed, finding that Du Rong had already packed both of their luggage, only waiting for him to get up.
Blinking groggily, Chen Xiao rolled out of bed and woke up Tong Nuonuo, who was drooling in his sleep. The two of them first made a trip to the public restroom, then grabbed their face cloths, tooth powder boxes, and pig-bristle toothbrushes for their morning routine. Throughout the process, Tong Nuonuo remained half-asleep, his eyes barely open. Chen Xiao had to keep a close watch on him while walking, knowing that if he let his guard down, he'd have to spend twice the effort searching for him later.
It wasn't an unlikely scenario. After they had been living here for half a month, Tong Nuonuo once insisted on going to relieve himself alone in the morning without waking anyone. Chen Xiao figured that after staying in the same place for so long, he should be able to find his way back, right?
Yet the next morning, Tong Nuonuo disappeared. After Chen Xiao and Du Rong finished freshening up, they waited for him to join them for breakfast, but he never returned. Left with no choice, they went searching for him, only to find him half an hour later in a completely opposite section of the ship.
From that day on, Chen Xiao and Du Rong gave up on letting Tong Nuonuo navigate on his own. No matter where he went, one of them had to accompany him.
After freshening up, they returned to the room to find only Du Rong remaining, the burly cultivator who shared the space with them had already left. Chen Xiao handed his toiletries to Du Rong to store in the rattan case and changed into a thick set of clothes. Snowflakes had begun falling the previous day, and the closer they got to Hanshan City, the colder it became. Unlike cultivators who could resist the cold with their spiritual energy, Chen Xiao had no such advantage and had to bundle up properly. Tong Nuonuo, on the other hand, simply stuffed his belongings haphazardly into his box and considered his packing done.
When they stepped onto the deck, the sight before them left Chen Xiao in awe.
Hanshan City was completely enveloped in ice and snow, draped in a silver-white coat like a scene from a dream. Everywhere he looked, the world was blanketed in white, the sky merging seamlessly with the land and the city.
The city was built against a mountain, and from the vantage point of the ship, the streets crisscrossing from the docks to the base of the mountain were clearly visible. The buildings from the foothills to the mid-mountain were grand and imposing, exuding an air of majesty. Each residence was spaced far apart, occupying land several times the size of an average home in the capital. This contributed to Hanshan City's immense scale, wherever the eye reached, rooftops laden with thick snow extended endlessly.
At the foot of the mountain, there was a stretch of land that gleamed like a silver mirror, it seemed to be a frozen lake. The buildings lining the roads near this area were packed closely together, forming a bustling district.
As Chen Xiao gazed into the distance, he suddenly caught sight of something unusual. The snowflakes drifting down from the sky, which should have been falling in layers, were instead swirling into a spiral mid-air near the mountainside, as if drawn in by some unseen force.
"What's that?" Chen Xiao asked.
Both Du Rong and Tong Nuonuo followed his line of sight. Du Rong, also a first-time visitor to Hanshan City, had no answer. Fortunately, Tong Nuonuo did.
"That's a teleportation vortex. What, you two have never seen one before?" he asked, looking surprised.
"A what?" Chen Xiao frowned, not quite grasping the concept.
Du Rong, on the other hand, seemed to have a sudden realization. "So that's what a teleportation gate looks like, it's actually a vortex?"
Chen Xiao felt like he understood every individual word they were saying, but when strung together, their meaning completely eluded him.
Raising a hand, he said, "Wait, explain it to me properly. What exactly is a teleportation gate? And why is it a vortex?"
Before Du Rong could answer, he glanced behind them. A line had already started forming, and the gangway was about to be lowered for disembarkation. "This isn't the best place to talk. Let's wait until we're with the boss before explaining."
Left with no choice, Chen Xiao suppressed his curiosity for the time being.
Hanshan City's port was not particularly large, as fishing wasn't the city's main industry. In fact, it was even smaller than the docks of Nian City. However, despite its size, it was still bustling with activity. When the ship arrived and hundreds of people disembarked at once, the port was instantly packed.
The crowded environment made Tong Nuonuo uneasy. He always got flustered in large crowds, prone to losing his sense of direction. It was frustrating, he hadn't learned Wind Riding techniques, nor did he have any floating treasures. Unlike the cultivators who could simply soar into the air and leave effortlessly, he had no choice but to squeeze through the throng like everyone else.
As more cultivators took flight one after another, the crowd thinned significantly. Tong Nuonuo let out a quiet sigh of relief. Beside him, Chen Xiao smiled and said, "Let's go now." After a brief pause, he added, "If you ever get separated from us in the future, stay where you are and don't move. We'll come find you. If you wander around aimlessly, you might end up farther away, making it even harder for us to find you."
Chen Xiao only gave such instructions because they were already familiar with each other. Otherwise, with the boy's pride, who knew how much he would take it to heart? But now, Tong Nuonuo understood his good intentions and obediently nodded. "Alright. But if I ever get lost, I won't run around."
With that, the three of them followed the crowd away from the docks. This area was far from the center of Hanshan City, and there weren't any inns nearby. Because there were so many cultivators, even carriages that typically served ordinary people were scarce. They waited a long time before finally finding one. Once seated inside, Du Rong instructed the driver to take them to a regular inn.
Although Tong Nuonuo had only briefly passed through Hanshan City before, he at least had a general idea of the costs here. As long as one avoided the high-end establishments catering to Immortal Sects and wealthy individuals, lodging and meals were still reasonably priced. With Chen Xiao's finances, he could easily afford it.
The inn they chose was similar to the one in the capital. It mainly accommodated ordinary travelers, but cultivators also came and went. The rooms were even more spacious, and the courtyard of their private residence was large enough to host a full basketball game. After settling in and having a meal at the inn's restaurant, the three of them gathered in the sitting room of Chen Xiao's room, sipping tea. That was when Chen Xiao brought up his previous question again.
Du Rong said, "Before I talk about that teleportation gate, I must first give you an overview of this world. My apologies for not mentioning it earlier. It's not exactly a secret, but cultivators rarely discuss it with ordinary people, mainly because it's difficult for them to understand."
Chen Xiao said in a steady voice, "It's fine, Uncle Rong. Go ahead."
Du Rong explained, "This world is far larger than you realize. The land and seas we currently inhabit are collectively known as the Gengsheng Minor Heaven Realm. That teleportation vortex serves as a gateway to other Heaven Realms."
Tong Nuonuo nodded and added, "That's right. I came from Taizhen Middle Heaven Realm, which belongs to the Gengsheng Minor Heaven Realm."
Chen Xiao had already suspected that this world wasn't simple, but he hadn't expected it to have a completely different structure from his past life. He was momentarily stunned. No wonder the constellations here didn't match, this wasn't even the same celestial system!
"Wait, wait!" Chen Xiao pressed his fingers against his forehead, groaning slightly. "Let me process this for a moment…"
Du Rong understood his reaction well. When they had learned about this in their studies, they had been just as shocked.
However, to their surprise, Chen Xiao merely wiped his face with his hands before looking up again, his expression serious. "If there are Minor Heaven Realms and Middle Heaven Realms, then I assume there are also Major Heaven Realms?"
Tong Nuonuo nodded. "Yes. This world is made up of seven Major Heaven Realms, twenty-eight Middle Heaven Realms, one hundred and eight Minor Heaven Realms, and thousands of Micro Heaven Realms, whose exact number remains unknown."
"Seven, twenty-eight, one hundred and eight…" Chen Xiao murmured, repeating the numbers. These figures felt incredibly familiar, they correspond exactly to the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, the Twenty-Eight Constellations, the Thirty-Six Celestial Generals, and the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends. There was no way this was a coincidence!
Du Rong continued, "Every Heaven Realm has portals leading to others. Some of these portals are rifts, while others are stable passageways. The vortex-shaped teleportation gate on the mountain is one of the more stable types."
Tong Nuonuo added, "Minor Heaven Realms are only connected to specific destinations, and they each lead to a single designated Middle Heaven Realm. If you want to travel to a different Middle Heaven Realm, you must first transfer through the one assigned to you. The same rule applies to Middle Heaven Realms, they can only link to specific ones, and each can only connect to one Major Heaven Realm. To travel between Major Heaven Realms, you have to transfer through one."
Chen Xiao thought through this layered structure. He could vaguely see the pattern, it was likely that these realms were divided into zones, with the larger ones encompassing the smaller ones. Different zones couldn't connect directly; they could only be accessed through a higher-tier realm.
After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Are there any requirements for using these portals?"
Du Rong and Tong Nuonuo exchanged a glance before Tong Nuonuo replied, "Only cultivators can use the teleportation gates. Ordinary people cannot."
Chen Xiao wasn't surprised at all. He had already guessed as much. "What are the specific conditions?"
Tong Nuonuo answered, "The vortex teleportation gates are managed by the Hall of Omniscience. To use a Minor Heaven Realm's portal, one must have at least Foundation Establishment cultivation. For Middle Heaven Realm portals, only those at the Golden Core stage or higher are qualified. Major Heaven Realm portals have even stricter requirements, one must be at least at the Nascent Soul stage to pass through."
Chen Xiao clenched his jaw. A world where everything was determined by cultivation!
Tong Nuonuo continued, "Of course, these restrictions only apply when traveling upward to a higher-tier realm. If you're descending from a higher realm to a lower one, there are no such requirements."
An idea flashed through Chen Xiao's mind, and he immediately voiced his question. "Where is the Chongxuan Sect's mountain gate located?"
Tong Nuonuo looked at him in surprise. "Chongxuan Sect? Its mountain gate is in Luochen Major Heaven Realm, which is even higher than Taizhen Middle Heaven Realm."