Jade River Hermit

Gu Yuanqing sensed the Void Heaven World and its various Dao Resonance, then activated his Cultivation Method, finding it no different from the Outer Realm.

He noticed something was wrong as soon as he extended his Divine Sense. He felt pressure as soon as his Divine Sense left his body. His Divine Sense, which was originally enough to cover Three Thousand Li, reached its limit after extending for more than ten miles.

He had surveyed the area and determined that the Formation was located on the mountaintop.

"It's better than I expected. My body is still in North Spring Mountain, but my Divine Soul has entered this realm. The Empowerment of Mountain Observation, Object Control, and Heavenly Fishing have lost their effect, but the Empowerment comprehension still exists. My Divine Soul and consciousness haven't felt sluggish."

He didn't rush out, but calmed down and, relying on the connection between his Divine Soul and body, sensed his physical location. After about two or three breaths, the feeling gradually became clear. With a thought, an immense power came, and his Divine Soul instantly disappeared from the Formation and returned to his Physical Body.

Gu Yuanqing felt reassured. What Bai Xianghui had said was indeed true; it would only take about three breaths to return to his Physical Body.

However, after the trip, Gu Yuanqing felt that his Divine Soul was somewhat weak and tired, as if he had gone through a great battle.

"It seems the Ancient Realm is indeed not suitable for frequent entry and exit. According to Bai Xianghui, ordinary Void Heaven Cultivator need to meditate for more than ten days after each Ancient Realm to recover to their Peak condition. However, with Mountain Observation's assistance, it won't take that long."

Gu Yuanqing calmed his mind and entered a state of Mountain Observation. After about a day, he felt his Divine Soul were full, and once again used the Void Heaven World to sense the existence of the Ancient Realm.

This time it was much faster, and before long, they sensed the location of the Ancient Realm.

Upon entering the Ancient Realm once again, we found ourselves at the center of that enormous Formation.

He stepped out of the Formation and found that it was located on a mountaintop, surrounded by Cloudmist and mist that obscured his view.

He channeled his True Essence, about to leap into the air.

Suddenly a voice came from behind.

"If I were you, I wouldn't be able to fly!"

Gu Yuanqing turned around and saw a thin old man in a gray robe walk out of the Formation. He had a Wine Gourd hanging from his waist, Flying Sword on his back, a bulbous nose, and messy hair and beard, looking unruly and dissolute.

I did not sense any oppressive feeling emanating from him, so I speculate that he is also at the Void Heaven Realm.

Gu Yuanqing wasn't in a hurry to leave. His understanding of the Ancient Realm all came from Bai Xianghui and the others, but these people were only at the Divine Platform Realm. The only time they entered the Ancient Realm was when they Dao Fire stage, passing through the Ancient Realm Platform on the Trial Path.

However, this is quite different from the true Ancient Realm. Their understanding of the Ancient Realm comes from their elders, and their knowledge is not comprehensive.

Now that someone had spoken to him, Gu Yuanqing took the opportunity to find out more. He clasped his hands in a fist and asked, "What do you mean by that, Daoist Friend?"

"This must be your first time entering the Ancient Realm, sir?" The old man walked over slowly with a smile.

Gu Yuanqing asked with some surprise, "How did you figure that out, Daoist Friend?"

"Because you don't even have a single Ancient Artifact on you." The old man looked Gu Yuanqing up and down, and said, "Moreover, Daoist Friend, your cultivation level shouldn't have reached the Celestial Person, right?"

Gu Yuanqing nodded and said, "Indeed, they haven't arrived."

The old man smiled and said, "Before reaching the Celestial Person, one must undergo the Tribulation Lightning. Without the innate Pure Yang Qi within Divine Soul, stepping into the Astral Wind and being pulled by Yin-Yang, would you like to try the taste of being struck by lightning, Daoist Friend?"

Gu Yuanqing was taken aback, unaware that such things existed in the Ancient Realm. He cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for reminding me, Daoist Friend."

"Just some common sense, nothing to thank me for." The old man waved his hand, then asked curiously, "This Ancient Realm is different from the Outer Realm. Although one's Divine Soul can return to the Physical Body in an instant, it is still fraught with danger. Daoist Friend, since this is your first time here, did you not have any elders or Fellow Cultivator Daoists to protect you?"

Gu Yuanqing feigned a wry smile, "Just a Rogue Cultivator, what kind of protection do I have?"

"It's truly not easy for Rogue Cultivator to reach the Void Heaven; they can't compare to those from large Lineage or sects." The old man sighed, seemingly empathizing with the situation, then chuckled and said, "But you're quite lucky, Daoist Friend, to have met me."

Gu Yuanqing looked the old man up and down. "Daoist Friend, why don't you explain it more clearly?"

The old man smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Let me introduce myself first. My name is Mei Lisan, also known as the Jade River Hermit."

Gu Yuanqing cupped his hands and said, "My surname is Gu. Fellow Daoist Friend, you may become my... North Spring Mountain Master."

"North Spring Mountain Master, Daoist Friend, you reside in North Spring Mountain? May I ask which realm you come from?"

Gu Yuanqing said with a half-smile, "I've heard that it's best not to reveal your background in the Ancient Realm?"

Upon hearing this, the old man chuckled and said, "Daoist Friend, there's no need to be so wary. I have no grudge against you; we're just fellow Rogue Cultivator. Understanding each other will make it easier to cooperate in the future."

Gu Yuanqing said, "Daoist Friend, please speak your mind."

Mei Lisan said, "No rush, no rush. Daoist Friend, you're new here. Let me first introduce you to the Ancient Realm before we discuss other matters."

At this moment, a beautiful young woman carrying Twin Swords emerged from the Formation. She glanced at the two of them, then leaped off the cliff and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Mei Lisan let out a soft "Eh?" and said, "I didn't expect her to come in again."

Gu Yuanqing asked, "Who is she?"

Mei Lisan said, "Hey, Shi Ziqian, the True Disciple of the Wuchen Sect, Exquisite World Ranking, challenged Cen Pingshan, the Sword Son of the Sanyang Sect, to a great battle on the Ancient Realm Platform. She was seriously injured and retreated, but she's back again in less than half a year."

Gu Yuanqing knew about the Sanyang Sect, and the Sanyang Realm was named after the Sect. The Sanyang Realm ranked third in the Exquisite World. He thought to himself: The worlds Exquisite World Ranking seem to be stronger than I guessed. Those who can enter the Ancient Realm are at least at the Void Heaven Realm. The woman just now was much stronger than Mei Lisan next to her, but she was only a disciple of the seventh-ranked Sect.

"Let's go, Daoist Friend, let's find a place to sit down and chat," Mei Lisan said.

"Daoist Friend, please!"

Gu Yuanqing wanted to know what Mei Lisan's intentions were, and also wanted to learn more about the Ancient Realm from him.

Mei Lisan used his movement technique to descend, and Gu Yuanqing followed.

Mei Lisan was incredibly fast, almost like Ground Shrinking technique, each step covering hundreds of feet. He seemed to be intentionally testing Gu Yuanqing's strength, and as Gu Yuanqing caught up, his speed increased.

Gu Yuanqing saw through the man's thoughts, smiled slightly, and gracefully followed behind.

Mei Lisan couldn't help but look back, his heart skipped a beat. This guy surnamed Gu seemed to be quite powerful. In the Ancient Realm, under the Rules, although one's strength was almost completely manifested and no different from that of the Outer Realm, Divine Soul would be suppressed, and the use of various Spell Art and movement techniques would be weaker than in the Outer Realm.

Newcomers often feel a little uncomfortable, but even so, this person was able to keep up with him with ease.

Seeing this, he slowed his pace slightly.

Gu Yuanqing slowed down accordingly, following about twenty feet behind.

The Formation was located in the middle of a series of Great Mountain. Even though the two of them moved extremely fast, covering hundreds or thousands of miles in the blink of an eye, it still took them quite a while to get out of the mountains.

Gu Yuanqing used his Divine Sense to explore the area and discovered that there were many beasts in the Mountain, including Demon Race who had formed their Demon Core.

Upon reaching the outskirts of the Great Mountain, we discovered that many hunters lived among the hills, with smoke rising from their chimneys in the distance!