It had been a decade since Li Mei started living with Bai Xing, a decade forged in the crucible of daily training, a decade since he promised to help her join the Heavenly Court. Their cultivation had soared, both now standing at the peak Golden Core realm. Li Mei had become a peak Earth-grade alchemist, while Bai Xing had achieved the rare peak Quasi-Spirit grade. In their shared journey, Bai Xing had unveiled some of his deepest secrets, revealing his cultivation body and the inherited memories of the cultivator whose inheritance he received. He still held back the truth of his origin from another world and that the body he now owned was that of a Nirvana realm cultivator, but their bond had undeniably deepened, becoming something far beyond mere companionship.
Today, like countless days before, they dueled—a ritual to hone their skills and uncover any hidden flaws. As usual, Bai Xing emerged victorious.
Li Mei, her chest heaving, slumped to the ground. "That was our hundredth duel," she panted, a wistful sigh escaping her lips. "I really thought this time I'd win, but... sigh."
Bai Xing offered a reassuring smile. "Don't be disheartened, Li Mei. I'm certain that even among peak Golden Core cultivators, your power is truly exceptional." He knew the real reason for his consistent victories: the skills Tai Bing Chi had adapted from his immortal repertoire into something Bai Xing could utilize, perfectly tailored to his unique physique.
"Okay, okay," Li Mei said, pushing herself up. "We've been cultivating for over ten years now. When are we finally going to join the Heavenly Court? We're already at the peak of the mortal world! I can't wait to achieve the Nascent Soul realm!"
"I was just about to talk about that," Bai Xing replied, a glint in his eye. "Today, we're going to join the Heavenly Court. With your skills, you're more than ready."
Li Mei's eyes widened, a joyous spark igniting within them. "Really? Can we join the Heavenly Court? Can I meet Xiao Long again? It's been ten years!"
While training Li Mei, Bai Xing had also dedicated himself to Xiao Long's growth. Thanks to the pact they shared, Xiao Long shared some benefits from Li Mei's Water Sovereign Body. Bai Xing had even found a perfect, water-rich training ground for him, establishing an intricate array for a rigorous training program. Weekly power tests had transformed Xiao Long into a formidable spiritual beast, capable of easily defeating his past self from a decade ago. Bai Xing had even crafted several Earth-grade pills specifically designed to enhance spiritual beasts.
"Yes, you can meet him," Bai Xing said, a slight pause in his voice. "But before that, I want to talk about something."
"Say it quickly!" Li Mei urged, practically bouncing with anticipation. "I can't wait to see Xiao Long!"
"With our current abilities, we can easily join the Heavenly Court," Bai Xing began, his expression turning serious. "But I want us to change our identities first."
"Change our identities? Why?" Li Mei asked, a puzzled frown creasing her brow.
"It's quite simple," Bai Xing explained. "Our cultivation speed is far too fast. I already tried to join the Heavenly Court once before and was rejected because of it. If I go now, they'd be suspicious of me, and you coming with me will also make you a target." He spoke the truth. Most cultivators would take at least four hundred years to reach the peak Golden Core realm in the mortal world. Yet, thanks to Bai Xing's five-spiritual-root body and Li Mei's Water Sovereign Body, they had achieved it in under thirty years of cultivation.
"I understand," Li Mei said, her expression thoughtful. "But how should we hide our identities?"
"We'll change our faces with my new pill, and we'll use our new identities: Feng Yuehua and Liang Tianyu. We both will be cultivation couples."
"What?! Cultivation couples?!" Li Mei blurted, her face instantly flushing a vibrant crimson.
Bai Xing suppressed a sigh. "It's the only thing I could think of. If you have a better idea, you can tell me." He refrained from mentioning that this particular idea had come from Tai Bing Chi, who had insisted on it despite Bai Xing's numerous other suggestions.
Tai Bing Chi's voice, unheard by Bai Xing, echoed in his mind: "Lad, I did it for your own good. In the future, you will understand."
Li Mei, still flustered, wracked her brain, but nothing came to mind. "I can't think of any other ideas," she finally admitted, her cheeks still warm. "Let's go with this one."
"Good," Bai Xing said, a hint of relief in his voice. "Now, take the pill, and let's go pick up Xiao Long."
"Yes!" Li Mei said, her excitement for Xiao Long temporarily eclipsing her embarrassment.
They retrieved Xiao Long, transformed their appearances, and began their journey towards the Heavenly Court. Once again, Bai Xing found himself approaching the familiar gates, but this time, he was immeasurably more powerful than he had been a decade ago.
As they reached the Heavenly Court, five peak Golden Core cultivators came out, and one of them asked, "Fellow cultivator, may I ask your name and reason for coming into our Heavenly Court?"
Bai Xing replied, "Fellow cultivator, my name is Liang Tianyu, and this is my wife, Feng Yuehua." Bai Xing pointed at Li Mei and continued, "and this is her spiritual companion Xiao Long. We are stuck at Golden Core peak for twenty-eight years now. No matter what we couldn't progress further. After some inquiries, we learned about the Spiritual World and also about the Heavenly Court and how they can transfer peak Golden Core cultivators to the Spiritual World. We wish to join the Heavenly Court for it."
One of the cultivators said, "Oh, so that's the reason. Our Heavenly Court does indeed have a path to travel into the Spiritual World, but to access that there's a condition."
"I already know about the condition and I accept it," Bai Xing said.
"Okay then come inside and discuss it further," one of them said.
Bai Xing and Li Mei entered with the other cultivators and soon reached a big hall with fifty seats. Forty-five of them were all occupied by peak Golden Core cultivators; this just shows how much power Heavenly Court holds.
The one with the biggest seat said, "Fellow cultivator, my name is Jian Li. I am the Hall Master of the Mortal World Heavenly Court. You are now a part of Heavenly Court. Take a seat."
Bai Xing and Li Mei sat side to side, and Jian Li started speaking. "Now that everyone's here, I want to discuss with you a very important thing. I think you may have heard that many cultivators have suddenly started killing mortals and some are asking about a body of a cultivator. Today, I got an order from a Spirit Elder from our Spiritual World branch. The reason for these killings and the inquiries about a body is because a fragment and a body of an immortal has fallen from the legendary Immortal World!"
The hall erupted in a tempest of voices. "The Immortal World?!" one cultivator gasped, rising from his seat, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Is that truly real?"
"A Fragment of the immortal world?" another whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and awe. "This... this changes everything!"
"And a body, too? What kind of chaos will this unleash upon the mortal realm?" a third exclaimed, his hand gripping the armrest of his chair.
"They're talking about the Third World, aren't they?" a seasoned cultivator muttered, his face pale. "The one we're only told about in whispers when we join!"
The cacophony grew, a swirling storm of questions, anxieties, and astonished exclamations. They had lived their lives believing the Spiritual World was the ultimate aspiration, the pinnacle of existence. Now, the impossible had fallen from a realm beyond even that. How could they remain calm?
Suddenly, Jian Li's voice boomed above the rising din, infused with a powerful spiritual authority. "Silence! Let me finish it first!"
The clamor slowly subsided, though the tension in the air remained palpable. Bai Xing's eyes widened, a flicker of profound shock crossing his face. They already know this much? Did I leave too many clues?
Tai Bing Chi's voice resonated in his mind, soothing his anxieties. "It's not your fault, lad. And they still don't know about your new identity. As long as we can get into the Spiritual World, everything will be solved."
Jian Li continued, his gaze sweeping over the now quiet assembly. "So the fragment is said to have a memory inheritance of the fallen immortal; this fact is confirmed by our supreme elders. Our task is to find the person who got the inheritance before other cultivators. We used our best detectives to find clues about the culprit and we have found his name and current cultivation."
"His name is Bai Xing. His current cultivation is at early stage Golden Core, and his companion at the middle stage. We have done a background check, but found he is still a lone cultivator. As for his current goal, ten years ago he came to join Heavenly Court; it is most likely for ascending into the Spiritual World. Three great spirit sects have already sent twenty-five peak Golden Core cultivators each upon an agreement. There's still one month of time before the Spiritual World barrier weakens and gives them a chance to come into the mortal world. Before they do that, we have to find Bai Xing!"