Lu Yang abruptly opened his eyes.
Before him lay a scene of chaotic beauty. The dense spiritual qi of heaven and earth had actually liquefied into spiritual water, falling drop by drop from the sky and carrying a refreshing, soul-soothing fragrance.
Hovering three inches above his fingertips was the [Divine Firmament Thunder]. Its stature and quality hadn't changed, but Lu Yang could clearly sense that this Unorthodox Dao Fruit was now thoroughly embedded within the Mystic Spirit World Realm. With a single thought, he could exert a massive influence over the entire realm.
A profound sublimation of the Dao Fruit.
The thought surfaced unbidden in Lu Yang's mind. Indeed, the current state between him and the Mystic Spirit World Realm felt remarkably similar to a Dao Fruit sublimation.
It was just on a smaller scale.
A true Dao Fruit Sublimation Ritual utilized a special location within the Immortal Nexus to ripple out and affect the entire sea of light, thereby achieving a qualitative transformation of the Dao Fruit's profound wonders.
But this phenomenon was confined entirely to the Mystic Spirit World Realm.
Still, it has its uses. At least within the Mystic Spirit World Realm, a native Unorthodox Perfected Lord might actually be able to go toe-to-toe with an Orthodox Perfected Lord.
Whoosh—
Lu Yang shook his sleeve, withdrawing the [Divine Firmament Thunder] into his sea of consciousness. It finally settled as a golden dao pattern adorning his glabella, faintly pulsing with five-colored light.
The next second, he suddenly looked up. The rivers and mountains beneath his feet, the sun and moon above his head—everything shifted in an instant.
A young man in luxurious robes abruptly stepped into his line of sight. He wore an imperial crown, his gaze was solemn, and nine brilliant halos hovered behind his head. His eyes were locked directly onto Lu Yang.
"Who are you?"
The Supreme of the Mystic Spirit World Realm spoke with a cold expression and a dark tone. "I've never heard of an immortal like you in the Heavenly Court. Are you an outsider?"
"You misunderstand, Fellow Daoist."
Lu Yang waved his hand dismissively. "I ascended from the lower realms. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a fortuitous encounter, and while searching for a treasured land in the Heavenly Realm, I managed to attain a second Supreme stature."
"...What?"
The Supreme of the Mystic Spirit World Realm was stunned. It took him a good moment to process the words, suspicion and shock warring on his face. "Are you saying you achieved Void Attainment for a Dao Fruit?"
Lu Yang's eyebrows twitched in surprise. He had been fully prepared to give a detailed, fabricated explanation, but to think this Unorthodox bumpkin actually knew about Void Attainment? That didn't seem right. Given the knowledge level of Unorthodox cultivators, he shouldn't be familiar with the term.
Despite his thoughts, his expression remained perfectly neutral. Instead, he chuckled.
"Void Attainment? That's an accurate description. I did indeed attain it from absolute nothingness. Since we are now fellow Daoists walking the same path, I hope we can support each other in the future."
With that, Lu Yang cupped his hands in greeting.
The Supreme of the Mystic Spirit World Realm, however, grew even more suspicious. He became exceptionally alert, scrutinizing Lu Yang from head to toe, his brow furrowed in a tight knot.
Am I really this unlucky?
Void Attainment... A country bumpkin from the lower realms with the peerless talent for Void Attainment? Doesn't look like it. Just looking at his aura, he seems like a fool...
Yet, cultivation realms didn't lie. No matter how suspicious he was, Lu Yang was standing right in front of him, exuding a Perfected Lord stature so unfathomable it made even him feel uneasy.
If this had been an ordinary outsider, he would have attacked directly.
But somehow, this person had managed to gain the favor of the Mystic Spirit World Realm, just as he had, completely neutralizing his home-field advantage.
I might not be able to win. What do I do?
The Supreme's eyes darted around, and he quickly formulated a plan. Since he couldn't win a fight, he needed to find a way to send this guy packing. And as it happened, he had just the right channel.
A wide smile spread across his face.
"To achieve Void Attainment and become a newly advanced Supreme... Fellow Daoist, your talent is unmatched by anyone I have ever seen in my life. Why don't you return to the Heavenly Court with me first? We can have a proper discussion on the Dao."
"I would be honored to accept your invitation."
Lu Yang was bold because of his high skill. Naturally, he wasn't afraid of an Unorthodox Perfected Lord. Besides, after he killed Bodhisattva Precious Vajra Victory, he needed this guy to take the fall.
The two immediately rode their streaks of light.
During the flight, Lu Yang finally had a chance to properly examine the Mystic Spirit World Realm. Truthfully, he had always been curious about this Unorthodox World Realm.
Especially after learning about the [Dharma Body Dao].
Logically speaking, with the collapse of the Dharma Body Dao, the lifespans of all cultivators in the world should have plummeted. Even Perfected Lords are limited to a thousand years and struggle to reside in the mortal world for long.
But the Mystic Spirit World Realm is different. Although its cultivators also face lifespan limits, as far as I know, they live much longer than normal cultivators. The five ranks of immortals—Heaven, Earth, Human, Spirit, and Ghost—each perform their duties, and even the weakest Ghost Immortal has a lifespan of a thousand years. This is clearly abnormal.
Now, Lu Yang's cultivation was much higher.
Many of the judgments he had made back when he was a Foundation Establishment Perfected One were full of flaws when re-examined from the perspective of a Golden Core Perfected Lord.
Lifespan, for instance.
Initially, I thought Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones had such short lifespans because the Dao Fruits were suppressing the Sea of Bitterness, birthing the Three Calamities to weaken their souls.
Looking at it now, while that's still the reason, there's a fundamental difference. Without the Three Calamities, the lifespans of Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones and Golden Core Perfected Lords should actually be the same—a thousand years. It's just that later on, the lifespan limit for Foundation Establishment was artificially slashed.
The reason was straightforward.
If every Foundation Establishment Perfected One could comfortably live for a thousand years without needing to reincarnate, rebuild their cultivation, or have their souls washed clean by the Netherworld...
How many more cultivators would reach Foundation Establishment Perfection?
With an abundance of Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators, as long as they sought the Golden Core, they would inevitably clash with those Golden Core Perfected Lords who had fallen from their Dao Fruits due to lifespan exhaustion and were forced to reincarnate.
That's why the Three Calamities exist. Their purpose is to increase the difficulty of Foundation Establishment cultivation, reduce the number of cultivators reaching Perfection, and minimize competition as much as possible.
With this in mind, Lu Yang surveyed the Mystic Spirit World Realm once more.
In the Immortal Nexus, a thousand years is the absolute limit. Yet here, a thousand years is merely the starting point, and there are no phenomena of time dilation.
Back in the [The Mortal World], he had encountered a World Realm that casually spanned tens of thousands of years. But that was because there was a severe temporal distortion around it—ten thousand years inside equaled barely a year outside. The two timelines ultimately reconciled, so it was somewhat understandable.
But the Mystic Spirit World Realm was different.
There's no temporal distortion. The flow of time in the Mystic Spirit World Realm is perfectly synchronized with the Immortal Nexus. This is truly bizarre! How did a mere Unorthodox realm manage this?
Lu Yang's curiosity deepened.
Soon, passing through layer upon layer of clouds, he arrived before a majestic palace. What met his eyes was a brilliant expanse of sun and moonlight, flanked by a myriad of stars.
"After you, Fellow Daoist."
The Supreme of the Mystic Spirit World Realm raised his hand, gesturing forward before pushing open the heavy doors of the palace. Lu Yang followed him inside.
Immediately after, a muffled thud echoed from behind.
The palace doors had slammed shut.
Lu Yang watched with a half-smile. What, did this Unorthodox bumpkin really think he could lure him into a formation and turn hostile?
The next second, the Supreme of the Mystic Spirit World Realm turned around, the bright smile still plastered on his face.
Although he had acted like an absolute fool in previous lifetimes, that was only because the Immortal Nexus was too treacherous, not because he lacked capability.
Right now, his mind was clear, and he had no intention of fighting.
"Please excuse the crude accommodations, Fellow Daoist."
The Supreme smiled faintly, and then, a name that slightly surprised Lu Yang slipped from his lips. "May I ask, Fellow Daoist, have you ever heard of the Star Palace?"