Chapter Four: Trivial Matters

Ever since that day when he was beaten up by the flock of bearded reedlings, Li Chengzhu no longer had the courage to venture into that forest. According to the celestial guide, those birds were merely mid-tier first-rank spirit beasts in the Immortal Realm, yet they had managed to leave him—a cultivator at the Enlightenment Stage—in such a sorry state. If he were to encounter a ninth-rank high-tier celestial beast, the outcome would probably be no better than falling into the Reversal Passage. Just imagining that there were even divine beasts surpassing the ninth rank made Li Chengzhu shudder uncontrollably. How could this be called the Immortal Realm? It was clearly a realm dominated by beasts.

His body, reforged by the celestial light of guidance, truly was resilient. Even after being frozen for half a day, the celestial guide had only shaken his head and sighed that he was beyond help. Yet Li Chengzhu had relied on sheer willpower and vitality to pull through, and in just a few days, he was back to his lively self, with not a trace of bruises left from the cold. This left the celestial guide astonished, claiming that his disciple’s vitality could rival that of a cockroach beast.

“Master, what rank is the cockroach beast?” Li Chengzhu inquired humbly.

“Ahem... it’s just the cockroach from the mortal world.”

“...”

Feeling despondent, Li Chengzhu suddenly remembered something and asked, “Master, why have I never seen anyone else here? I’ve been here for at least a month.”

“Do you think just anyone can come to this place?” The celestial guide replied with a mysterious smile.

Surprised, Li Chengzhu asked, “Are there some conditions?”

The celestial guide smiled, putting away his digital camera. “It’s not about conditions. Anyone below the rank of Grand Supreme Golden Immortal is forbidden from entering.”

“Why?” Li Chengzhu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The celestial guide raised his palm and smacked Li Chengzhu on the head. “Fool. What is the lake behind you called?”

“Lake of Immortal Birth,” Li Chengzhu replied, puzzled. Suddenly, realization dawned on him. “I get it now—this lake is the very foundation of the Immortal Realm.”

The celestial guide gave him a look that clearly said, “You’re hopeless,” and explained, “The area within a thousand miles around the Lake of Immortal Birth is protected by a grand formation jointly laid down by the Immortal Emperor and the Ten Great Celestial Lords. Without the Immortal Emperor’s permission, no one may enter. So, within this thousand-mile radius, it’s just the two of us.”

Li Chengzhu patted his chest, looking smug. “So that ancient fairy or whatever can’t get in either?”

The celestial guide looked at him with an enigmatic smile. “Of course not.”

At this news, Li Chengzhu couldn’t help but do a forward flip and shout, “Oh yeah!”

The celestial guide continued at a leisurely pace, “I suspect it won’t be long before the Immortal Emperor sends someone. Then we’ll know what arrangement the Immortal Realm has for you.”

“Arrange for me?” Li Chengzhu looked confused.

The celestial guide paced in small steps. “You’re a mortal. By right, you shouldn’t and couldn’t have come to the Immortal Realm. Now that you’re here, whether to send you back to the mortal world or let you stay is a major question. I believe the Immortal Emperor will issue a decree soon. But in any case, you can’t stay by the Lake of Immortal Birth forever. Never mind that my five-year term is coming to an end; the celestial decree issued by the Immortal Emperor himself disallows exceptions like you. So sooner or later, you’ll have to leave. If you stay in the Immortal Realm, you must leave this barrier. If you’re sent back to the mortal world... well, that’s rather unlikely.”

“Why not?”

“Because sending someone back to the mortal world requires three Celestial Lords to stabilize the Reversal Passage. Do you think they’d waste their time and immortal power on someone as insignificant as you? So, most likely, you’ll remain in the Immortal Realm.”

“Oh my God!” Li Chengzhu was dazed.

Remembering the miserable state he was in when he first awoke, Li Chengzhu couldn’t help but shiver. If that ancient fairy caught him, his fate would be worse than death.

Thinking for a moment, he suddenly asked, “Wait, Master, how would the Immortal Emperor know that a nobody like me has come to the Immortal Realm?”

The celestial guide’s expression froze as he tried to laugh it off. “Ahem... The Immortal Emperor knows five hundred years into the past and future. You, a little nobody, stepping onto his domain—how could he not be aware?”

“Hm?” Li Chengzhu slowly closed in on the celestial guide’s aged face. “Master, back home we have a saying: ‘If you lie, you’ll lose your teeth.’”

The celestial guide awkwardly rubbed his hands and forced a laugh, “Ah, haha, such fine weather today... ha ha!”

***

One day, while Li Chengzhu was fervently absorbing the spirit energy by the Lake of Immortal Birth, he sensed someone approaching. Opening his eyes, he saw it was his master.

The celestial guide frowned at Li Chengzhu. This disciple from the mortal world was progressing at an abnormal rate. Even though he himself hadn’t personally experienced cultivation before the Nascent Soul stage, it couldn’t be normal to skip stages every time, could it? The first time, Li Chengzhu jumped from late Illumination to mid Fasting; the second time, from mid Fasting to early Enlightenment; and now, even more astonishingly, from early Enlightenment directly to mid Integration—leaping four levels in one go. Granted, the pills he’d given and the abundant spirit energy here played a part, but this was still too unusual.

Looking closer, though, despite his rapid improvement, there was no sign of unstable foundations, as if he had cultivated each step himself, not forcibly advanced through elixirs.

Burying his doubts, the celestial guide put on a smile, rubbing his hands together. “Cultivating, disciple?”

Li Chengzhu rolled his eyes. “Obviously.”

The celestial guide forced a laugh. Ever since Li Chengzhu found out he’d tattled to the Immortal Emperor, the boy had never shown him a pleasant face—and had even extorted countless pills and a storage ring as ‘emotional damages’. What kind of disciple was this? A complete bandit.

“Heh, disciple, I have good news for you,” the celestial guide said with a grin.

“Spit it out,” Li Chengzhu replied without even blinking.

“Ahem!” The celestial guide nearly stumbled, barely managing to steady himself as he silently reminded himself to stay calm.

Slowly, he took out a jade slip from his ring and said, “News from the sect, from your grandmaster. The Western Angel Corps is invading, so the Immortal Emperor likely won’t have time to bother with a rookie like you for a while.”

“Really?” Li Chengzhu was elated. He leapt up, snatching the jade slip and sending his divine sense into it.

A moment later, he returned it to the celestial guide with a cheerful grin.

“Master, even the Immortal Realm fights wars?” Li Chengzhu asked, puzzled.

Stroking his goatee, the celestial guide gazed into the distance with a profound air. “Wherever there are people, there are struggles.”

Li Chengzhu puffed up his chest, his voice firm and righteous, clenching his fist and stepping forward as he declared, “Those who offend the might of the immortals, no matter how far, shall be punished!”

The celestial guide glanced at Li Chengzhu and smiled faintly. “It’s rare to see such a sense of justice in you.”

“Of course. Whose disciple do you think I am?” Li Chengzhu chuckled sheepishly.

“Hmph...” The celestial guide snorted coldly.

“Waaah... Master, I was wrong. I really was wrong.”

“I heard someone has something called a cell phone, hmm?”

“You want it, Master? Oh, no, as your unfilial disciple, it is my duty to offer it to you.” With that, he tremblingly presented his phone with both hands.

“As your master, I’ll accept it. Here, take this Vitality Pill to aid in your cultivation.”

...