Chapter 069: The Upper Realm

As the radiance faded and her feet touched solid ground, Lingyu lifted her eyes. The searing heat of the volcanic magma had dissipated, leaving only a lingering warmth. The air was temperate, with a gentle breeze and an abundance of spiritual energy washing over her, bringing a sense of comfort unlike any other. Everywhere she looked, lush greenery thrived—verdant trees and flourishing grasses, vibrant with life, reminiscent of a celestial realm.

Could this be the Upper Realm?

“Meng Senior Brother…” Luo Yun’s suppressed voice came to her ears, tinged with sorrow.

Lingyu turned her head to see that Fan Xianshu and Luo Yun were not far away. Like her, Fan Xianshu was drenched in sweat, bedraggled, while Luo Yun crouched on the ground, still dazed from the upheaval.

His appearance softened Lingyu’s heart; rare for her, she offered comfort: “Don’t be sad. Perhaps it was fate. He always tried to use others, so such an end is not unexpected.”

Lingyu was not one to console others, and what she said barely sounded like comfort at all. If Luo Yun had been deeply attached to Meng Yan, he might have lashed out at her. But he didn’t. Head bowed, his voice hoarse, he whispered, “I know, but Meng Senior Brother was never unkind to me. I should have told him long ago that Senior Sister Ding meant to harm him. It's my hesitation, my indecision, that led to this outcome…”

So it was Ding Huaqing who wanted to harm Meng Yan—that explained Luo Yun’s attitude. Lingyu was not surprised; she had suspected as much.

If Luo Yun had spoken of it earlier, Ding Huaqing and Meng Yan would likely have turned on each other outside the volcano. In that case, neither would have followed them here, and Han Funing would not have been dragged into the disaster…

They had been transported here for some time, but Han Funing had yet to appear. Recalling what happened before, Lingyu knew that he had almost certainly not survived.

She did not feel grief, only a touch of sadness. Among them, Han Funing had worked the hardest, done the most. Yet the three of them had arrived, and he had failed at the last moment. Just one more step—he was a single step away from his goal, a step from the Upper Realm, but he fell at the threshold.

Was it Luo Yun’s fault? Lingyu had not been especially close to Han Funing; it was not her place to blame him. She simply felt the fickleness of fate and sighed at its unpredictability.

“…I don’t know why Senior Sister Ding wanted to harm Meng Senior Brother. I always thought they were close. When I found out, I thought maybe it was a misunderstanding, and I could quietly ask Senior Sister Ding about it later. Perhaps it would be resolved. I never expected…”

He never expected that the two would reveal their true natures—one selfish, the other manipulative.

Lingyu didn’t know the reason either, but judging from Ding Huaqing’s earlier behavior, she and Meng Yan were truly a match made in heaven. In any case, a man like Meng Yan would only ruin a good woman.

“Instead of dwelling on these things, perhaps we should worry about ourselves!” Fan Xianshu, having caught his breath, swept his gaze around, studying their surroundings. “Is this really the Upper Realm?”

His words reminded Lingyu. She looked around, her eyes falling about thirty feet away. There, a fissure stretched for hundreds of feet, filled with swirling mist and flickering lights.

“Could we have come from there?” she muttered.

Fan Xianshu made a circuit around the area, then stopped abruptly by a cliff wall, his expression grave and motioning to them. “Come here!”

Lingyu, seeing his seriousness, asked, “What is it?”

Fan Xianshu did not answer; his gaze was fixed straight ahead.

Puzzled, Lingyu walked over, rounded the cliff wall, and gasped, stunned speechless.

On the other side of the mountain wall was a sheer cliff that dropped for hundreds of yards. Below, buildings stretched as far as the eye could see—towering city walls, seemingly constructed entirely of jade, radiated grandeur; lofty pagodas glimmered with a glass-like luster; pavilions and terraces gleamed with vibrant, elegant colors. The entire city seemed suspended amid clouds, enshrouded in mist and glowing faintly with ethereal light.

Before this city, any architecture they had seen before paled to insignificance—even the grandest temple of Xuan Yuan Temple in their memories was nothing in comparison!

“A celestial city… could this be the Celestial City?” Luo Yun murmured, dazed.

Lingyu, however, broke into a smile. “The Upper Realm—we really have arrived in the Upper Realm!”

The three of them exchanged glances—first wild joy, then exhaustion—before collapsing to the ground, each wearing a smile.

The Upper Realm—they had reached the Upper Realm! That magnificent world, the world where one could ascend further, where one could fly among the clouds!

“Look!” Luo Yun pointed above the city.

Across the sky soared a streak of purple light, within which a vague figure could be seen—someone flying through the air, robes billowing.

To ride the void, to soar freely through the heavens!

They stared, entranced, at that purple light, longing to step into this miraculous world immediately.

After a long moment, Lingyu calmed herself, just as Fan Xianshu asked, “Now that we’re in the Upper Realm, what do you plan to do?”

Lingyu replied without hesitation, “Find a sect and continue pursuing the Way.”

Luo Yun answered right after, “Same for me.”

Lingyu suddenly thought that Luo Yun was different from them—he had family in Xuan Yuan Temple—so she asked, “Now that you’re here, won’t your family worry?”

A shadow crossed Luo Yun’s face. “We’re in the Upper Realm now; there’s no harm in telling you. After reaching the fifth level of Qi Refining, my cultivation slowed, and my family had long since given up on me. If not for that, I wouldn’t have risked entering the Celestial Realm.”

“Oh, I see,” Lingyu said, not pressing further. Still, she could imagine how hard that must have been for Luo Yun. He had entered the Way at thirteen, and everyone had thought him gifted, only to stall at the fifth level of Qi Refining—admiration turning to disappointment, a hard blow for someone as proud as he.

Lingyu’s impression of Luo Yun was neither very good nor very bad. He had the arrogance of a scion of a prestigious family, but at critical moments, he could remain true to himself.

“Junior Sister Cheng, the three of us arrived in this world together—call it fate. To be honest, I’ve always envied you.”

“Envy me?” Lingyu replied lightly. “What is there to envy?”

Luo Yun gazed at the grand city and the limitless sky. “I always thought myself gifted, yet you entered the Way before me. I wanted to practice swordsmanship, but everyone told me I was unsuited, while you were easily taken as a disciple by Uncle-Master Liu.” He smiled. “I know my own temperament isn’t resolute enough, too indecisive, lacking the decisiveness of a sword cultivator. But I truly love the sword, and no matter what obstacles I meet, I will walk this path to the end.”

Unexpectedly frank, Lingyu nodded. “Very well. Then I wish you, Senior Brother Luo, one day become a sword cultivator that astonishes the world.”

“I will,” Luo Yun replied solemnly.

The three lingered on the mountain for a while, tidied their attire, and set off down the slope.

The mountain was tall—one side a precipitous cliff, the other a dense forest. It took them some time to find a small path, and by the time they descended, it was nearly dark.

Emerging from the woods, they immediately spotted a small wooden cabin by the roadside, occupied by two cultivators dressed in identical robes. Both were of modest cultivation—one at the third level of Qi Refining, one at the fourth—and were still in their youth. They were startled at the sight of the newcomers. One stepped forward and barked, “Where are you from, cultivators? How did you trespass on Dragon Tail Mountain?”

Lingyu and the others were unsure what to make of this, but from his words, they guessed the mountain was off-limits.

Fan Xianshu stepped forward and cupped his hands. “Please forgive us, fellow Daoists. The weather was fair, so we went for a stroll and lost our way, wandering up the mountain by mistake. May I ask, is Dragon Tail Mountain off-limits?”

The two cultivators scrutinized them for a long moment. Seeing their matching robes, natural demeanor, and forthright expressions—as if they truly were only lost wayfarers—their faces eased, though their tone remained stern: “A fissure appeared on Dragon Tail Mountain recently—did you not know? The Immortal Alliance has sealed off the mountain; no entry or exit is permitted for now.”

The Immortal Alliance? What kind of organization was that?

As this thought spun through his mind, Fan Xianshu smiled, “Ah, so that’s it. Our apologies. We’ll leave immediately.”

“Yes, be quick about it. The fissure is no trifling matter!” the cultivator said sharply, turning away and ignoring them. His face was truly unpleasant.

Lingyu and the others bowed and obediently left Dragon Tail Mountain.

After walking some distance, with no sign of the two cultivators, Fan Xianshu said, “It seems we need to arrange for some identities.”

Luo Yun was puzzled. “Identities? You mean travel permits?”

Fan Xianshu nodded. “I’m not sure what they require, but to live here, we’ll definitely need proper identities. Earlier, they mentioned the Immortal Alliance sealing off the mountain. I don’t know exactly what the Immortal Alliance is, but it sounds like a powerful group. Wherever a powerful force holds sway, registration and identity checks are always strict.”

Luo Yun thought of Yuan City, where three great temples held sway and governance was rigorous. Any cultivator passing through was known to Xuan Yuan Temple. Thanks to such management, the world had seen no great turmoil for centuries. “You’re right, Fan Junior Brother. But we’ve suddenly arrived in this world, with no documents to prove our identity. Our old travel permits are useless.”

“Regardless, we must invent a plausible background,” Fan Xianshu said. “Cultivators like us, with no roots or history here, could easily be labeled suspicious. That would be bad.”

Lingyu agreed. “If we’re to fabricate a background, we first need to learn about this world. Where do you suggest we start?”

The three exchanged thoughtful glances.

After a moment, Fan Xianshu proposed, “Let’s head for the city gate. There will surely be people there—we can find someone to sound out for information.”

Lingyu considered and found no better plan, so she agreed. Luo Yun voiced no objection, and the three set off together toward the city gate.

Worthy of its name, the Celestial City grew ever more crowded as they approached. All around were cultivators—some at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, some exuding a presence more formidable than Elder Feng himself. Many with Han Funing’s level of cultivation passed by, and they even saw people landing from the sky, standing atop flying swords or clouds.

The three of them stared wide-eyed—this was true cultivation! Compared to this, the so-called path of cultivation in their world was nothing but child’s play!

ps: My thanks to Gu Xiao Xue for helping with the cover art—professionals really do make things beautiful. Thanks also to Lanling for the illustration, though it couldn’t be used as the cover due to the colors…

At last, we’ve reached the Upper Realm. Drawing maps and writing settings has left me dizzy and sleepy; updates may be delayed.