At the same time… high above the Boundless Spirit Realm of the 23rd Lower World, across a vast and endless expanse, there existed an upper realm whose limits had never been found. It was like a heavenly kingdom, utterly distinct from the worlds below, as different as sky and abyss. The skies here swirled with luminous streams of spiritual energy so dense that they could be seen with the naked eye and even felt upon one's skin. The very air itself was not ordinary atmosphere but flowing spiritual force that moved like wind, seeping into the bodies of cultivators without them needing to absorb it through their own effort.
Amid the infinite sky, countless figures streaked across the heavens. Some were human forms cloaked in long robes, some were ancient beasts that had taken the form of cultivators, and others were bizarre beings whose races could not be clearly identified. Every one of them radiated immense power, their auras surging from their bodies as if each step they took could shatter the very firmament.
In the southern region of this upper realm stood a place known to all, one of the most revered sanctuaries in existence, a legendary land that even high-level cultivators could only look upon with awe and reverence. A sect born nearly alongside the primeval deities of ancient times, the gathering place of countless elites from across the world… the Holy Land of the Immortal River.
This sacred land was the convergence point of immortal spiritual energy flowing from every direction across the upper realm. The spiritual energy here was so concentrated that it took on the texture of mist transformed into droplets. Each breath drawn in this place equaled years of cultivation in the lower worlds. Merely standing still could propel one's cultivation forward, provided their body could withstand it.
The Holy Land stood atop seven thousand towering peaks, aligned like the scales of a colossal ancient dragon. Upon each peak sat an ancient palace carved with immortal sigils, continuously emanating spiritual energy like sacred springs that never ceased to flow. Each mountain was threaded by faintly glowing blue spirit rivers that interconnected into a vast network. Surrounding every peak was a veil of immortal light, shimmering in hues of gold, silver, violet, and azure the colors of high-tier spiritual power.
At the center of each peak loomed a grand and distinct ancient palace, fortified with powerful defensive formations. Their gates were forged from divine sacred metal, and their tiled floors were inscribed with ancient characters that lit up with light upon being stepped on, serving as a method to identify the intruder's presence.
The crystal-clear rivers that flowed through every palace and mountain peak were all immortal spirit rivers, capable of altering one's meridians and purifying the impurities within a cultivator's body in an instant. Along both banks grew trees never before seen, even by those in the upper realms such as the Sacred Dragon Tree, whose towering trunk reached the clouds, radiating golden light and exuding a constant fragrance of the Tao. Its leaves could extend one's lifespan. Within the rivers bloomed the Ten Thousand-Petal Spirit Lotus, which could instantly restore a soul on the verge of collapse with a single touch.
Throughout the entire region of the Holy Land, misty white clouds drifted gently above the ground. Some clusters released a constant drizzle, each drop distilled from the very essence of heaven. With just one open mouth, a cultivator could cleanse their meridians to absolute purity. The sound of water droplets falling onto leaves, the whispering wind brushing past rooftops and mountain peaks every sound of silence served unknowingly to enhance a cultivator's inner strength.
All of this reflected the grandeur of the Holy Land of the Immortal River one of only seven eleven-star-ranked forces in the upper world, officially recognized by the Alliance of Ten Thousand Heavens. If a top-tier cultivator from the lower world were to visit this place, even for a moment, they would immediately realize just how insignificant they were no more than an ant crawling within the realm of the divine.
Even the lowest-ranked disciples here could effortlessly defeat top experts from the lower realms. This was because every single one possessed a powerful foundation, backed by ancient high-tier techniques. Each treasure vault was filled with countless manuals whose names had never even been heard in the lower worlds. Rebirth Halls for soul restoration and numerous training grounds were scattered methodically across the land, all guarded by supreme-level protective formations.
Above all else within this sacred realm stood the Central Sky Palace, constructed from radiant white immortal crystal. The towering structure gleamed with golden sigils etched into its walls. Each time the day turned, the sacred bell tolled and echoed throughout the land. That palace was the residence of the leader of the Holy Land of the Immortal River and the place where major decisions were made.
Surrounding the Leader's Palace was only a thin veil of drifting mist that cloaked the countless peaks below. Yet, from above, one could clearly see that twenty towering mountains formed a ring around the central palace. Each peak soared so high into the sky that they nearly matched the height of the main hall itself.
Ten of those peaks served as the main mountains of the Holy Land, much like those in the lower world. Among them was the War God Peak, which focused on martial prowess and combat training. The Peak Master of this mountain had been passed down through generations of the Zhou Clan. Then there was the Primordial Ten-Thousand Element Peak, where multicolored elemental energies perpetually swirled above the summit. It was a place where cultivators could comprehend the laws of elemental power hundreds of times faster than normal. The Peak Master of this mountain was inherited and governed by the bloodline of the Mu Clan, one of the founding clans of the Holy Land of the Immortal River. Apart from these two, there were also the Sword God Peak, the Pure Light Peak, the Alchemy God Peak, and many others.
The remaining ten peaks were reserved for high-ranking figures within the Holy Land, such as the Holy Son Peak, the Holy Daughter Peak, the Chief Elder Peak, the Guardian Elder Peak, the Law Enforcing Elder Peak, and more. These peaks were not merely places of residence, but vital strategic locations sealed and interconnected by divine-level formations that remained linked at all times.
Surrounding the outermost edge of the Holy Land was the Sacred River, which flowed in a massive circular ring. The waters of this river were not ordinary water but pure spirit energy refined from the meridians of the Holy Land itself. It emitted a luminous turquoise glow day and night, never ceasing to flow even for a single moment.
Beyond this ring of river lay the outer district, a vast arc of floating cities that encircled the Holy Land of the Immortal River in its entirety. These cities housed the outer disciples, servant disciples, and the families of some gifted cultivators, as well as factions under the jurisdiction of the Holy Land that had been granted permission to live there in service to the sacred sect.
Though considered part of the outer realm, these floating cities were immensely vast and densely populated with disciples striving to advance into the ranks of inner disciples. They had become the commercial hubs of the world, bustling with powerful merchant guilds, cultivation halls, alchemy shops, weapon stores, and countless other establishments.
While the upper world was mired in unending chaos, within the servant disciples' quarters of the Holy Land of the Immortal River, located inside one of the floating cities, everything stood in eerie silence. Amid rows of orderly, deep blue stone buildings that reflected the soft glow of spiritual mist swirling gently throughout the area, it remained unnaturally quiet, despite the sounds of countless disciples training outside.
In one of the small rooms designated for newly accepted servant disciples, the furnishings were sparse. There was only a sheepskin bed, marble flooring, and a single storage cabinet. Yet, the faint metallic scent of blood still lingered in the air.
Lying in the center of the room was a young woman. Her face was deathly pale, her lips dry and cracked. Her body was covered in wounds scratches, bruises, palm marks, and shattered meridians left untreated. Some patches of her skin were scorched, as if burned by extreme heat.
Her condition was so severe that one might easily mistake her for a corpse without close inspection.
But suddenly, her body jolted. Her tightly shut eyes sprang open as she gasped for air like someone who had just broken free from drowning. Sweat soaked her entire body. She tried to push herself up but immediately collapsed again, her strength not yet fully returned. Her eyes were clouded with confusion.
"Where... is this place?"
Her voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper, but her gaze trembled with uncontrollable fear.
"I was supposed to be... executed by Master, wasn't I?" she murmured in disbelief.
The last image flickering through her mind was of those calm, indifferent eyes filled with disappointment belonging to an ordinary young man just before a blade of light split her body apart and scattered her existence.
But what was this? Why was she still breathing?
Her fingers slowly traced across her own face, feeling the fresh wounds that had yet to heal. Every sensation was real. This wasn't a dream. It wasn't an illusion.
"I'm not dead...? Or... did Master do something to me?" she muttered to herself. Her eyes gradually shifted from confusion to dread, then slowly emptied of all expression.
She didn't know whether this was a second chance or a cruel illusion meant to drag her into suffering all over again.
She remained silent for a while… then raised a hand to cover her face before softly laughing. There was no joy in that laughter. Instead, it brimmed with resentment, confusion, and bitterness, all tangled together in an indistinguishable mess.
"It wasn't the heavens, nor Master, nor any damn dog… it was my own Body of Time that dragged me back to this hell once more, wasn't it?"