[Third-person perspective: Shrek Academy student, Zhu Zhuqing (Level 27)]
The jade slip touched her forehead, icy cold. Zhu Zhuqing felt a cool stream suddenly pour into her sea of consciousness through the space between her brows.
In an instant, heaven and earth changed!
The outside world she had originally seen... the female official's gentle gaze, the faint clamor around her, the solid feel of the ground beneath her feet-all of it vanished.
In its place was a vast scene beyond description.
She saw herself standing upon a boundless golden ocean. Gentle waves rippled beneath her fair feet, and every drop of seawater held indescribable vital essence. She felt unprecedented comfort and peace.
Looking up, she saw that the heavens were neither day nor night, but a deep starry sky, with a bright, immaculate moon hanging at its center.
Its clear radiance spilled down, gilding the entire golden ocean with a sacred silver edge.
And between that bright moon and the golden ocean...
Countless golden characters exuding an ancient, profound presence floated silently, slowly revolving like living stars.
Just as Zhu Zhuqing was utterly awed by the wondrous sight within her sea of consciousness...
A man's voice, clear as jade striking jade, seemed to descend from the nine heavens, yet also seemed to sound directly within her heart:
"At the beginning of the Great Dao, primordial chaos first divided; living beings remained ignorant, knowing nothing of longevity..."
"The Mystic Moon Goddess Scripture draws upon the essence of moonlight to establish the foundation of the Dao..."
The man's voice was not loud, yet it carried indescribable majesty and Dao resonance.
Every word he uttered made the surrounding golden characters tremble faintly, shining in concert with the bright moon.
The voice slowly explained what immortal cultivation was-to seize the fortune of heaven and earth, to encroach upon the mysteries of the sun and moon.
To go against heaven in pursuit of transcendence over life and death, and attain eternity.
What was the "Bitter Sea"? It was a sea of imprisonment formed as the human body's Wheel of Life was eroded by time and entangled in karma. The first step of immortal cultivation was to open the Bitter Sea and release the imprisoned vital essence.
What was the "Life Spring"? It lay at the center of the Bitter Sea, where the Wheel of Life resided, the source of divine power.
What was the "Divine Bridge"? It was a passage crossing the Bitter Sea and connecting to the Other Shore, the first leap to a higher level of life.
What was the "Other Shore"? It meant transcending the Bitter Sea, reaching a new level of life, and greatly increasing one's lifespan.
Beyond that were the five stages of the "Dao Palace," cultivating the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, corresponding to the five elements and nurturing five deities-an important secret realm in cultivating the human body...
This voice not only explained the realms, but also contained a trace of exposition on the laws of the Great Dao.
For Zhu Zhuqing, who had always cultivated Soul Power and been confined to the Martial Soul system, it was nothing less than opening a door to an entirely new world!
The owner of this voice had not revealed the slightest glimpse of his appearance.
Yet from that clear, composed voice imbued with Dao resonance alone, Zhu Zhuqing involuntarily pictured upon the lake of her heart a young Heavenly Emperor of peerless grace, dressed in robes whiter than snow, gathering all the spiritual beauty of heaven and earth within himself.
He stood so far above worldly things, like a Banished Immortal, his gaze like the starry sky...
A youth here in this world, a white moon shining in heaven!
Perhaps only an existence like this deserved to be called the "Heavenly Emperor"?
An unknown amount of time passed. Perhaps it was an instant, perhaps an eternity.
The clear voice gradually faded, and the surrounding golden characters, bright moon, and phantom Bitter Sea slowly disappeared as well.
Zhu Zhuqing's consciousness returned to her body.
She was still standing where she had been, the jade slip still pressed between her brows, but its icy chill had disappeared.
Her red lips parted slightly, her beautiful eyes filled with bewilderment and disbelief. Everything she had experienced within her sea of consciousness was as clear as the deepest brand.
"This was... immortal cultivation?!"
Zhu Zhuqing murmured to herself, her voice carrying a tremor even she did not notice.
The Bitter Sea, Life Spring, Divine Bridge, Other Shore, Dao Palace...
These terms represented a path of immortal cultivation utterly different from the Soul Master system she knew, a far vaster path leading straight to immortality!
"The Dao Palace Realm-the cultivation method explicitly stated that those who attained it could live for five hundred to a thousand years!"
Zhu Zhuqing drew a deep breath, her delicate body trembling faintly beyond her control. "Five hundred... a thousand years..."
She thought of the Douluo Continent, where even the strongest Titled Douluo were said to live only a mere two hundred years or so. Yet that was already the destination countless Soul Masters dreamed of reaching.
But in this world...
The Dao Palace Realm, with its lifespan of five hundred to a thousand years, seemed... to be merely the introductory stage of immortal cultivation?
And above it was the Four Extremes Secret Realm, cultivating the four limbs, reaching the four extremes of heaven and earth, and comprehending the Great Dao of heaven and earth. Its practitioners could live for a thousand to fifteen hundred years!
The Dragon Transformation Secret Realm cultivated the spine, making every segment seem like a true dragon awakening, releasing layer upon layer of potential...
Its practitioners could even live for fifteen hundred to two thousand years!
As for what came afterward, the cultivation method's information stopped abruptly.
But Zhu Zhuqing believed it was not that nothing lay beyond, but that the portion of the Mystic Moon Goddess Scripture imparted to maidservants only went this far.
Zhu Zhuqing did not doubt in the slightest that the Dragon Transformation Realm was by no means the endpoint of this world. There had to be even more terrifying realms beyond it, granting even longer lives!
Grandmaster, you were wrong. You were utterly wrong!
Zhu Zhuqing was incredibly thrilled and excited at that moment, shouting inwardly. Even her cool, lovely face flushed from her overwhelming excitement.
How was this some low-tier little world?! How was this a place with few Soul Masters?!
The Shrouding the Heavens World was a supreme great world whose dimensional tier far surpassed the Douluo Continent!
Previously, Zhu Zhuqing had thought...
After reading this world's so-called immortal cultivation method, she would compare it with her Zhu Family's high-level meditation art to see which was stronger, then leave without the slightest hesitation.
But now, no!
Zhu Zhuqing clearly understood just what a heaven-defying opportunity lay before her!
She no longer wanted to leave!
She wanted to grow stronger. She wanted to change her fate...
Wasn't it just being a maidservant?
To grow stronger, she was willing to give everything to seize this opportunity that could change the fate of both herself and her entire family!
Opposite her, Jiang Wanwan had been quietly observing Zhu Zhuqing all along...
Watching Zhu Zhuqing's eyes go from bewilderment to shock, then excitement, before finally settling into determination, she could not help chuckling inwardly.
She had long since seen that this girl had arrived feeling unwilling and was not sincere, but...
What did that matter?
She had seen far too many similar situations. Even she herself had been the same back then.
But once someone personally experienced the profundity of the Heavenly Emperor imparting his teachings and comprehended the vastness of the Great Dao of immortal cultivation, they would never choose to leave again.
Just as expected...
Smiling, Jiang Wanwan said to Zhu Zhuqing, "Zhu Zhuqing, since you have received Lord Heavenly Emperor's teachings, you count as half a member of the Heavenly Court."
"My name is Jiang Wanwan. You may call me Steward or Sister Wanwan."
"Your circumstances are special, and your fortune is extraordinary, so there's no need for you to wait here. I'll take you back to White Emperor City first."
As she spoke, she rose and headed outside the city, where the Moon-Escaping Immortal Palace was parked.
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing hurried after her, nodding vigorously with excitement as she replied, "Yes, Sister Wanwan."
Walking along the bustling street, Zhu Zhuqing could not help looking at the gentle, graceful Jiang Wanwan beside her. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she asked quietly:
"Sister Wanwan, do you... do you know just how powerful Lord Heavenly Emperor is? Is he a peak expert of the Dragon Transformation Nine Changes?"