Vermilion Bird Planet.
Zhao Kingdom, Mist Forest.
Mist curled through the woods, spiraling upward like ghosts and shrouding the entire forest in a mysterious haze.
Every living creature in the terrifying forest emanated an eerie aura, making it impossible to resist the feeling of fear.
Yet deep within the Mist Forest lay a place of breathtaking beauty, a paradise beyond the mortal world.
The scenery was lovely, with the Huai River winding through it and all kinds of trees growing around it. Most striking of all were the neatly arranged peach trees, each laden with deep-red fruit.
As a spring breeze swept through the peach blossoms, sending petals fluttering across the sky, a handsome young man in a snow-white robe appeared out of thin air, a Jade Flute in his hand.
The young man had a refined air and peerless features. His skin was clear, and his pale-blue eyes shone with a gentle warmth.
The young man was named Luo Chuan. He was twenty-five years old, one of the Progenitors of Zhao Kingdom's Hengyue Sect, and the youngest Nascent Soul powerhouse on Vermilion Bird Planet.
As a transmigrator, Luo Chuan possessed extraordinary talent and exceptional roots. He reached Qi Condensation at three, Foundation Establishment at five, and Golden Core Realm at thirteen.
When several of the Hengyue Sect's Nascent Soul Progenitors learned of this, they were overjoyed. To recruit Luo Chuan, they even offered him the position of Progenitor, allowing him to help govern the entire Hengyue Sect.
Later, Luo Chuan chose to devote himself to cultivation. For years, he had trodden as if on thin ice, staying here to cultivate except when something major happened in the sect.
[Congratulations, host, on successfully breaking through to the late Nascent Soul Realm. The Immortal Exile System has been activated. Reward: Seven-Colored Ultimate Realm] [Today's sign-in is complete. Reward: one hundred spirit stones]
Looking at the rewards that had suddenly appeared, Luo Chuan's peerless face, beautiful enough to leave anyone breathless, revealed a meaningful smile.
"The Seven-Colored Ultimate Realm... I didn't expect the system to reward me with something like this. System, the Seven-Colored Ultimate Realm won't restrict the user's cultivation, will it?"
[In response to the host, the Seven-Colored Ultimate Realm is entirely different from an ordinary Ultimate Realm. It will not restrict the host's cultivation, so you may use it without worry.]
Only then did Luo Chuan nod in satisfaction at the voice beside his ear.
After all, across the entire cultivation world, Ultimate Realms were an incredibly overbearing power.
Ultimate Realms had existed since ancient times, yet no one knew how to cultivate to reach one.
All they knew was that whenever an Ultimate Realm appeared, bloodshed followed. To cultivators, an Ultimate Realm meant disaster and terror.
Yet although an Ultimate Realm could make a cultivator invincible among those of the same rank, it had one fatal flaw: the cultivator would have no chance of reaching the Deity Transformation Realm. Their cultivation would remain at the Nascent Soul Realm for the rest of their life, with no way to advance further.
But the power of an Ultimate Realm was incredibly formidable. A cultivator at the same level was practically invincible, and even cultivators stronger than them had nowhere to flee when faced with an Ultimate Realm.
"It's been years since I returned to the Hengyue Sect. I wonder how it's doing now."
Luo Chuan leaped lightly, soaring more than a hundred meters into the air like a wild goose.
The blood-red qilin among the clouds slowly opened its eyes. As if it had received a summons, it immediately sped over and caught Luo Chuan as he descended.
It flew straight toward the Hengyue Sect at full speed.
Zhao Kingdom, Hengyue Sect.
The sect's once magnificent buildings had long since been destroyed. Countless disciples lay on the ground, spitting blood, while the others scattered in fear.
Even True Person Huanglong, the head of the Hengyue Sect, was bleeding from all seven orifices. He lay on the ground, glaring furiously at Pu Nanzi, the head of the Mystic Dao Sect, who hovered in midair.
"Senior Pu Nanzi, the Hengyue Sect and the Mystic Dao Sect have always been on good terms. Now my master has yet to return..."
"Has yet to return?"
With one hand behind his back, Pu Nanzi sneered. "Didn't your nephew Ouyang tell you not long ago? Every Nascent Soul Progenitor of the Hengyue Sect already perished in the Outer Realm Battlefield."
Elder Liu Wenju gazed at the shattered soul jade slip, his heart aching. His eyes bloodshot, he said, "Even if every one of our ancestors has fallen, Progenitor Luo Chuan is still alive. Aren't you afraid he'll punish you?!"
Pu Nanzi let out a contemptuous snort. "Back then, that brat Luo Chuan was only at the Golden Core Realm. Even with his extraordinary talent, there's no way he could have broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm!"
"Leave Hengyue Peak at once. Otherwise, I'll slaughter every last one of you!"
Seeing that Pu Nanzi showed no mercy, the Hengyue Sect's elders and disciples exchanged glances, their hearts filled with guilt toward their sect.
A trace of pain flashed in Liu Wenju's eyes. He let out a long breath. "Enough... We can't defend the Hengyue Sect. Let them have it."
The other cultivators heard the Great Elder's words. Pain showed on every face, but in the end, they could only put away their magic treasures and follow him as they turned to descend Hengyue Peak.
"The Mystic Dao Sect welcomes disciples from all walks of life. Anyone who stays will be rewarded with healing and cultivation pills."
Hearing this, the Hengyue Sect's former disciples did not hesitate. Most chose to stay and join the Mystic Dao Sect.
True Person Daoxu trembled as he pointed at them all, berating them furiously. "You ungrateful wretches!"
Liu Wenju shook his head and sighed. "Enough. Everyone has their own aspirations. Let them go."
Just as Liu Wenju and the others were about to leave, the sky, once as blue as the sea, suddenly filled with dark clouds and flashed with lightning and thunder. Bronze-colored bolts streaked through the clouds like dragons and snakes.
Wherever they passed, the surrounding space instantly rippled and warped.
Feeling the energy surging through the air, Liu Wenju and Pu Nanzi, the Mystic Dao Sect's Nascent Soul Progenitor, both stood rooted to the spot, unable to believe their eyes.
"This astonishing pressure... Could it be the late Nascent Soul Realm?!"
Pu Nanzi's heart lurched. He staggered back two steps, then abruptly raised his head and stared at the blood-red qilin in the clouds.
On the qilin's head, Luo Chuan looked down at the scene before him. With one hand behind his back, he strode forward.
Luo Chuan seemed to move through the air at no great speed. Yet with every step he took, ripples spread through the void, and when they faded, his figure had already appeared a hundred meters away. It was utterly mysterious.
After a few such strides, in only a moment, he appeared at the very center of the Hengyue Sect's plaza.
With one hand behind his back, Luo Chuan swept his calm gaze across the wreckage. His brow furrowed slightly, and the pressure covering the plaza grew even heavier.
"It's the Progenitor! Progenitor Luo Chuan!"
"It really is Progenitor Luo Chuan! He's broken through to the Nascent Soul Realm!"
Elder Liu Wenju and the others immediately dropped to their knees. Tears streamed down their faces as they choked out, "Your disciple Liu Wenju pays respects to Progenitor Luo Chuan!"
Luo Chuan turned slightly to look at Pu Nanzi, the Mystic Dao Sect's Nascent Soul Progenitor, who was drenched in sweat. His voice was cold and indifferent. "Kneel, or die!"