The same mountain still stood inside Star Hall. Green life thrived across its slopes, while the ground below was a desolate field of scattered rocks.
A stream murmured through the rocky field, and clumps of weeds stubbornly grew from the cracks between the stones. Among them stood a thatched cottage.
In the sky, countless brilliant stars glittered. Billions of them moved slowly along their predetermined courses.
Everything concealed the unfathomable mysteries of the Dao.
"Master." Lei Zhan and the Yellow-Haired Great Bear entered Star Hall and immediately spotted Immortal Juhua waiting for them.
"Have you chosen your treasure?" Immortal Juhua asked warmly, like a kindly old neighbor offering a reminder. "The treasures in the Hall of Treasures are precious. Every time you choose one, there will be one fewer opportunity, so consider your choices carefully."
"I've chosen!" Lei Zhan nodded with a smile. "Master knows that, when it comes to God-Devil Body Refining, I already have the three Cold Shadow Divine Spears you bestowed upon me. When I choose from the Hall of Treasures, I usually go for the most precious and valuable options."
"You!" Immortal Juhua shook his head with a laugh. "Since you're here, go into Star Hall. It holds profound mysteries. Even now that I've become a Loose Immortal, it still helps me immensely."
Lei Zhan nodded, then entered the thatched cottage. Before long, he was sitting on a stone stool with several thick books in his hands.
He opened Star Scroll One and began to read aloud.
"Today, Chang came to see me, asking me to help him..."
As Lei Zhan read, each syllable sounded ordinary. Yet strung together, they became the most wondrous sounds of the Great Dao.
They naturally guided Lei Zhan's heart into a state of enlightenment that grew ever more tranquil and profound...
Lei Zhan gazed at a star high in the sky.
Whoosh!
A gale roared around him.
Lei Zhan took a step. The wind encircled him, and he merged with it, becoming one with the gale!
The wind howled, swift as the wind itself. Lei Zhan flew through the air at the speed of the relentless north wind.
"The north wind? The Way of North Wind!" Immortal Juhua nodded slightly. "Lei Zhan has already delved very deeply into this Way of North Wind!"
His words had barely fallen when, moments later—
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Streams of water flowed past. They were not as violent as the Dao of the Azure Sea, which could raise raging waves in an instant. Yet the ceaseless current was supple and powerful, and Lei Zhan seemed like a water spirit.
"Another water-aligned Dao?" The Yellow-Haired Great Bear looked at Lei Zhan, surrounded by flowing water, and nodded slightly. Comprehending the Dao of the Azure Sea naturally helped one draw parallels, and years of roaming the North Dark Sea made it easier for cultivators to comprehend water-aligned Daos.
"Wait!" Immortal Juhua froze, then looked at the Yellow-Haired Great Bear. "Look at Lei Zhan!"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
In front of the thatched cottage, Lei Zhan was once again seated on the stone stool. A vast amount of water surged around him, circling and clustering about the handsome young man in black robes.
A trace of Dao aura, far more majestic and profound than the Dao of the Azure Sea and the Dao of Flowing Water, spread through the air, as if it contained every mystery of water.
"Another Great Dao?" The Yellow-Haired Great Bear was stunned too. "He's only at the Myriad Phenomena level, and he's already entered the threshold of another Great Dao?"
"Mm." A glimmer of admiration appeared in Immortal Juhua's eyes. "This is the Dao of Kan Water!"
Cultivators outside—even disciples of the great clans and powerful factions—generally first comprehended a Minor Dao after reaching the Primordial Spirit Daoist level, then tried to grasp the various Great Daos.
Yet his disciple had just broken through to the Myriad Phenomena level and had already entered the threshold of another Great Dao...
"A monster truly cannot be compared to an ordinary genius," Immortal Juhua praised.
"Don't celebrate too soon. He's only just entered the threshold of a Great Dao!" The Yellow-Haired Great Bear shook his head. "He's comprehended the Dao of the Azure Sea, and his Dao of Flowing Water has reached the Domain Realm of the Dao. With his deep understanding of water-aligned Daos and excellent insight, it's only natural that he could enter the threshold of a Great Dao."
"Besides, Lei Zhan has all those advantages. What's truly difficult is fully comprehending an entire Great Dao!"
The Yellow-Haired Great Bear looked at Immortal Juhua and said slowly, "You should know how difficult it is to fully comprehend a Great Dao. You successively comprehended seven or eight Minor Daos, yet you're still some distance from mastering the Sword Dao. And the closer you get to mastery, the harder it is to break through the bottlenecks. If you want to fully comprehend it, even with Star Hall's help, it could take you another million years."
"That's true for me. But my disciple's insight is heaven-defying. Fully comprehending a Great Dao is only a matter of time for him." Immortal Juhua was confident. It wasn't blind optimism, but the conviction he had gained over the nearly ten years since taking Lei Zhan as his disciple.
While Lei Zhan was reading Star Scroll and pursuing enlightenment in Star Hall of the underwater estate, a large group of people had gathered high above the distant Great Xia Imperial Capital.
Every one of them radiated powerful auras and wore ornate robes. They were clearly people of extraordinary status.
At the center of the group, two enormous green phoenixes pulled an exquisite immortal carriage, which was wreathed in golden flames.
A large contingent of golden-armored imperial guards surrounded the carriage.
The Second Prince, Xia Mang Yuncang, stood beside a tall man and transmitted his voice. "Father, who exactly is arriving? His Majesty actually sent a mighty Celestial Immortal prince like you to wait here. He even brought out the precious Green Phoenix Immortal Carriage."
"When we were at the palace, I wanted to ask, but you dragged me here before I could say a word..."
The tall man wore a bright yellow robe embroidered with a four-clawed azure dragon. His features were gentle, and his eyes were like stars.
He was Prince Qi, one of the Great Xia royal family's members to have reached the Celestial Immortal level in nearly a million years.
"When I was at the palace, I had only just met with His Majesty. It wouldn't have been appropriate to make a public spectacle of it," Prince Qi said amiably. "But that person should arrive soon. There's no harm in telling you now."
"Oh?" Xia Mang Yuncang was intensely curious. "Who is it?"
"She is Fairy Wangshu, the youngest daughter of Dragon Lord Yinglong," Prince Qi replied telepathically.
"Dragon Lord Yinglong? His Majesty's sworn brother? The Celestial God Yinglong, whose name has resounded throughout the Three Realms since antiquity?" Xia Mang Yuncang's expression changed dramatically.
Though he was only a Return-to-Void Earth Immortal, he came from the Great Xia royal family, and his father was a prince of the dynasty. Naturally, he knew many secrets buried in the depths of endless time.
Since the ancient Pangu World, Dragon Lord Yinglong had followed Xuanyuan Clan, one of the Five Emperors of mankind, waging war across the ancient Pangu World. His strength had already reached the Celestial God level. He also cultivated both God-Devil Body Refining and the Qi Refining Path, and his Qi Refining had reached the Pure Yang True Immortal level. He was a renowned powerhouse throughout the Three Realms.
Back then, their Great Xia Emperor had been only a Celestial Immortal!
"Mm." Prince Qi glanced at his son.
"Dragon Lord Yinglong has spent endless years quietly comprehending the Great Dao in his Daoist abode. His youngest daughter is coming to visit His Majesty and stay as a guest in the Great Xia World."
Prince Qi reminded him, "You and Fairy Wangshu are about the same age. Since you're both young, you should get along well."
"Really?" Xia Mang Yuncang froze, then his eyes immediately burned with excitement. "I won't let you down, Father!"
Dragon Lord Yinglong had been immensely powerful countless ages ago and shared a life-and-death bond with the Xia Emperor. There were few in the Three Realms who could rival him.
"Immortal Juhua? Heh! He's nothing but a Loose Immortal clinging to life!" Xia Mang Yuncang thought to himself.
If he could use Fairy Wangshu's arrival as a chance to become Dragon Lord Yinglong's disciple, that would be far better than studying under a Loose Immortal. Besides, that Loose Immortal, who had lived for several million years, was terribly arrogant!
"She's here!"
"She's coming out!"
Everyone's eyes lit up. Xia Mang Yuncang, standing beside Prince Qi, was especially full of anticipation.
A huge spatial rift suddenly appeared high in the sky. A group of people then emerged from it.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman, an old woman in gray robes, two or three maidservants, and a squad of burly men clad in black armor.
The breathtaking beauty led them.
She wore a snow-white dress that fluttered gently in the wind. Her peerless face was like finely carved white jade, fair and smooth.
Her brows were graceful as distant mountains, and her eyes were like a clear autumn pool. Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, loosely tied back.
Her figure was graceful and alluring. Merely standing there, she shone with the pure, mysterious radiance of moonlight.
"This..." Xia Mang Yuncang stared at her, transfixed.
He had often been surrounded by peerless beauties, and his palace was full of them. What sort of fairy or enchanting beauty had he never seen?
But when he saw Fairy Wangshu, the flames burning in his heart seemed to have a bucket of oil poured over them.
It lasted only an instant. Xia Mang Yuncang was, after all, a member of the Great Xia royal family. He knew what he should and shouldn't do, and his gaze quickly regained its composure.
"Hmm?" Prince Qi's star-like eyes turned stern and cold. He glanced at his son, who had momentarily lost his composure, then hurried forward, his bright yellow robe conveniently blocking Xia Mang Yuncang from view.
"Fairy Wangshu," Prince Qi said warmly.
As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily flicked to the old woman in gray behind Fairy Wangshu.
"A Celestial Immortal follows her," Prince Qi quickly confirmed.
The beautiful woman in white turned to look at Prince Qi.
Prince Qi continued, "I am Prince Qi. By His Majesty's command, I have prepared an immortal carriage to welcome you."
Even if a child of a Celestial God and True Immortal had only reached the Primordial Spirit Daoist level, as he had determined, she was still worthy of standing as an equal with a Celestial Immortal patriarch.
What was more, Prince Qi was acting on the Xia Emperor's orders. Naturally, he had to observe the proper courtesies!
"Mm." The woman in white replied coolly, "Prince Qi? I don't like the look in the eyes of the person behind you."
With that, she passed Prince Qi and boarded the Green Phoenix Immortal Carriage with her companions.
Though she disliked that man, she still had to show respect for Uncle Xia Mang.
Dozens of burly men in black armor took up positions around the carriage. The maids and the old woman in gray boarded as well.
"Let's go," the old woman in gray said, giving Xia Mang Yuncang a cool glance.