A Different Immortal Realm Than Xiao Hua Expected

The cold within his Nascent Soul intensified, and Xiao Hua struggled to bear it. Gritting his teeth, he put on the Pearl Shirt. Strangely, though the shirt was not large, upon contact with Xiao Hua's skin, it immediately expanded at an astonishing speed, growing to dozens of feet in size. Furthermore, the originally crystal-clear beads began to emanate an icy color. This icy color flowed among all the beads, and in moments, it formed a layer of crystal, like ice. Once this crystal formed, the cold within Xiao Hua vanished instantly.

"Thank you, Fellow Immortal Chu!" Xiao Hua cupped his hands in thanks.

"You truly needn't be so polite!" the Immortal surnamed Chu hurriedly returned the gesture. "We're in the same boat, after all."

"Heh heh..." Xiao Hua nodded. "I'll repay this kindness later. I hope Brother Chu can explain the three moons."

"Mm, mm..." The Immortal surnamed Chu nodded repeatedly and said, "The three moons rise into the sky sequentially. Each moon, like in the mortal realm, lasts for six hours, so a night in the Immortal Realm is eighteen hours. As for the daytime in the Immortal Realm, it's even more interesting – there are a full six suns! They are the crimson-red Crimson Sun, the fiery yellow Jiaotu Sun, the golden Guijing Sun, the fiery Yanxi Sun, the silvery Tengshe Sun, and the glazed-gold Shuquè Sun. Each sun presides for six hours, making the six suns thirty-six hours. Thus, a day and night in the Immortal Realm totals fifty-four hours, equivalent to four and a half days in our mortal realm..."

Xiao Hua understood and said, "So, a Shi Nian in the Immortal Realm is equivalent to sixteen hundred and twenty years in the mortal realm. Has Brother Chu been in the Immortal Realm for nearly a hundred thousand years?"

"Yes!" The Immortal surnamed Chu nodded, then waved his hand. "However, in the Immortal Realm, almost no one talks about mortal realm years. The 'hundreds of Shi Nian' I mentioned are actually just over a hundred years. The reason I spoke to you, Fellow Immortal Zhang, like this was also to test the waters."

Xiao Hua looked again at the ice crystals formed by the Pearl Shirt on his body and said, "I am truly grateful. If not for..."

"As I said, no need for further thanks!" The Immortal surnamed Chu waved his hand to stop Xiao Hua before he could finish. "Since we share the same origin, we should support each other from now on. Let's not speak of such trivial matters again."

"Heh heh, alright!"

"Which Immortal Domain's mortal realm did Brother Zhang ascend from?" The Immortal surnamed Chu looked at the Crystallized Earth Jade Bear on the ground and asked, "As far as I know, this Crystallized Earth Jade Bear's strength is comparable to someone undergoing Tribulation Crossing. It's unlikely that a cultivator who casually sneaked into the Immortal Realm would possess such power."

"This..." Xiao Hua hesitated.

"I ascended from a mortal realm beneath the Purple Profound Immortal Domain!" As if to foster a closer relationship, the Immortal surnamed Chu took the initiative to explain. "As for the name of that mortal realm, I'm not sure. However, our mortal realm was a place for disciples of West Venerable Mountain to undergo trials. Every so often, there would be selections like 'The Sole Cultivator of the Planet,' and each winner would have the qualification to be selected as an outer disciple of West Venerable Mountain. I, with my Mahayana cultivation, won back then. But regrettably, another cultivator bribed the Immortal who was conducting the selection. That Immortal actually didn't choose me and took the cultivator ranked below me. In my anger, I went through great trouble to find the Feathered Immortals..."

At this point, the Immortal surnamed Chu glanced at Xiao Hua intentionally or unintentionally.

Xiao Hua was puzzled and asked curiously, "Are the Feathered Immortals powerful Immortals?"

"Haha..." The Immortal surnamed Chu laughed heartily. "It seems Fellow Immortal Zhang did not ascend to the Upper Realm through the Feathered Immortals! This makes me even more interested."

Xiao Hua stammered, "No, no..."

"Have you seen polar icebergs, Fellow Immortal Zhang?" The Immortal surnamed Chu asked out of the blue.

Xiao Hua was even more confused and nodded. "Yes, I have. Why do you ask, Fellow Immortal Chu?"

"Then do you know, Fellow Immortal Zhang?" the Immortal surnamed Chu asked again. "The part of an iceberg that floats above the water is less than five percent of the entire iceberg. The other ninety-five percent is submerged beneath the water!"

"What do you mean, Fellow Immortal Chu?" Xiao Hua's expression changed slightly. "Are you saying that less than five percent of those who truly Ascend are Immortals?"

"Oh, I don't mean that!" The Immortal surnamed Chu hurriedly waved his hands and chuckled. "I mean that the truth you can see on the surface is less than five percent; ninety-five percent of the truth lies hidden. Of course, there's another layer to it: the Immortal Realm's Reception Hall welcoming Ascended Immortals is the apparent truth. Behind this surface, there are many other channels through which cultivators from the mortal realm can enter the Immortal Realm. And 'Feathered Immortal' means 'Feathered Ascension Immortal.' It's an organization, a very powerful organization. How many fellow Immortals have entered the Immortal Realm through the Feathered Immortals, I don't know. I am one of them!"

Xiao Hua narrowed his eyes and looked at the night outside, remaining silent. He naturally didn't know about an organization called Feathered Immortals. He only knew that on the Xiaoyu Continent, he had participated in a Feathered Immortal Convention.

"However, what Brother Zhang just said about the number of Ascended Immortals isn't wrong!" The Immortal surnamed Chu continued. "It is said that only about five percent, or even less than five percent, of Immortals can Ascend through their own abilities."

"Ah?" Xiao Hua was even more astonished and asked, "What about the remaining ninety-five percent? They aren't all..."

"To be honest, Fellow Immortal Zhang, I had the same suspicion back then. But I later learned that there are billions of native Immortals in the Immortal Realm, and their descendants, heh heh, are also numerous!"

"Immortals have desires too?" Although Xiao Hua sighed aloud, the image of Star Moon Fairy and Xu Zhi in love naturally appeared in his mind.

"Why wouldn't Immortals have desires?" The Immortal surnamed Chu curled his lips. "Fellow Immortal Zhang, you've been brainwashed by your elders in the lower realm. Things like 'severing desires to attain the Great Dao,' or 'Immortals are all desireless.' Bullshit! Immortals have extremely long lifespans, and cultivation is incredibly difficult. They think about many things; desires are probably just one aspect..."

"Cough, cough... cough cough..." Xiao Hua coughed a few times. The Immortal surnamed Chu waved dismissively. "Fellow Immortal Zhang, there's no need to be afraid. This is Yunmeng Marsh, located in the far west of the Enlightenment Continent, one of the eight major continents of the Mingdao Immortal Domain. No high-level Immortals will come here. In mortal realm terms, it's a place where birds don't even shit."

"Then, Fellow Immortal Chu..." Xiao Hua probed, "What is your current cultivation level, and why are you still here?"

"Alas!" The Immortal surnamed Chu sighed. "Fellow Immortal Zhang, you don't know! Back then, I stepped into the Immortal Realm with great ambition, believing I could do better than that fellow! I was certain I could engrave an Immortal Mark early and have my name on the Immortal Roster. But upon truly arriving in the Immortal Realm, I realized that circumstances are stronger than people! I have no sect to rely on, nor does any power take notice of me. Although my strength has greatly increased over these hundreds of thousands of years, I am still a lowly Mortal Immortal in the Immortal Realm, with no chance to engrave an Immortal Mark. And now, I just received news that the Feathered Immortals have spread word that they can send some fated individuals to Tai Ming Yu Wan Heaven. I want to try my luck..."

"Hold on, hold on..." Xiao Hua was completely bewildered. "Fellow Immortal Chu, what is an Immortal Mark? What is Tai Ming Yu Wan Heaven? I don't understand any of it!"

"Heh heh, that's right!" The Immortal surnamed Chu smiled. "This further proves that Fellow Immortal Zhang's origin is like mine. Only those of us with unknown origins would be unaware of these common Immortal Realm knowledges."

"Please, Fellow Immortal Chu, explain..."

"In the lower realm, we cultivate the Golden Body, or the Nascent Soul, or the Dharma Body..." The Immortal surnamed Chu did not hide anything and explained, "When our Mana surpasses the limits of the lower realm, we can Ascend. In the Immortal Realm, however, we cultivate Immortal Marks. Immortals who have not engraved Immortal Marks are collectively called Mortal Immortals. Only those who have engraved Immortal Marks are considered to be of a certain standing. Generally, there are three types of Immortal Marks: Heaven Mark, Earth Mark, and Human Mark. Legend also speaks of Yellow Mark and the highest-tier Mysterious Mark. The quality of Immortal Marks also varies, with classifications like Virtual Mark, Illusionary Mark, Shadow Mark, Bright Mark, and Solid Mark."

"So that's how it is..." Xiao Hua nodded, thinking to himself, "This is simpler than the classifications in the mortal realm like Foundation Establishment or Golden Core."

"Heh heh, Brother Zhang, you're mistaken." The Immortal surnamed Chu shook his head. "What I just mentioned are only the Immortal Marks. As for the ranks of Immortals, they are not solely determined by Immortal Marks. Oh, Immortals in the Immortal Realm can be divided into two types: Qi Immortals and Light Immortals. Qi Immortals, from highest to lowest, are Spirit Transformation Immortal, Essence Gathering Immortal, Two Qi Immortal, Five Elements Immortal, Evolving Immortal, and Leaky Immortal. Light Immortals, from highest to lowest, are Primordial Immortal, Taiyi Immortal, Daluo Immortal, Nine Palaces Immortal, Golden Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, and True Immortal."

"So many tiers?" Xiao Hua was somewhat dumbfounded.

"Why else do you think Immortals are so bored? They have extremely long lifespans and endless time, so they create things to amuse themselves."

"Alas, we cultivate diligently in the mortal realm with the goal of entering the Immortal Realm. But once we reach the Immortal Realm, how can we indulge ourselves?"

"The realms are different!" The Immortal surnamed Chu also sighed. "It is said that many Immortals become decadent because of this, indulging in nature, and even doing many incomprehensible things."

Xiao Hua pondered for a moment and tentatively asked, "Our goal in cultivating in the mortal realm is to enter the Immortal Realm. Then what is the cultivation goal of Immortals in the Immortal Realm? Isn't it to become Divine Beings?"

"Brother Zhang is joking..." The Immortal surnamed Chu said with a wry smile. "I don't even have an Immortal Mark yet, how could I possibly know the cultivation goal of Immortals? However, to be honest, I've never heard anyone mention Divine Beings!"

At this point, the Immortal surnamed Chu raised his eyebrows again and said meaningfully, "However, I have heard of Tai Ming Yu Wan Heaven. It is said that Immortals from our Tai Huang Huang Zeng Heaven, if they have sufficient strength, can enter Tai Ming Yu Wan Heaven. That is where true Immortals should reside!"

"Tai Huang Huang Zeng Heaven?" Xiao Hua asked, "Is it here?"

"What Tai Huang Huang Zeng Heaven? It's just a facade created by some Immortals. In my opinion, it's just the bottom layer where Immortals and mortals mingle..." The Immortal surnamed Chu nodded. "With time, Brother Zhang will understand."

"What's above Tai Ming Yu Wan Heaven?" Xiao Hua pressed further. "Oh, and also, where did Brother Chu get this information?"

"Brother Zhang is quite impatient..." The Immortal surnamed Chu chuckled and chatted with Xiao Hua for a while longer. Then, looking towards the depths of the cave, he said, "If Brother Zhang doesn't mind, why not come to my humble abode for a seat..."

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