This ring wasn’t simply for passing down the Heavenly Phoenix Manual. It contained a secret.

No wonder the Primordial Demon Emperor hadn’t destroyed it and had kept it with him.

Mu Zhi’an finally understood.

It wasn’t the Heavenly Phoenix Manual he valued, but the hidden power within the ring.

If it weren’t for Lan Mulian, he wouldn’t have discovered this secret.

The ground trembled violently. Mu Zhi’an narrowed his eyes and reached out, gently touching the ring.

In the next instant, the world around him shattered, and he found himself in a vast, white expanse.

This was the same world he saw whenever he tried to cultivate the Heavenly Phoenix Manual!

Mu Zhi’an instantly realized something.

“Could this be… a dream realm…?” he murmured, looking around, his eyes filled with uncertainty.

Lan Mulian looked at the unfamiliar world around her. “I once heard a legend about a place that exists beyond the Nine Realms, a world of nothingness where even mortals can achieve immortality,” she said softly.

“This place… resembles the legends.”

Mu Zhi’an’s eyes flickered. “The Heavenly Court?”

He had heard of this place before, but he hadn’t expected the world he saw while cultivating the Heavenly Phoenix Manual to be the Heavenly Court!

But why are Senior Sister and I here…?

“That ring in your hand must be the key, or rather, one of the mediums, to connect with the Heavenly Court. After analyzing its structure and breaking the Primordial Demon Emperor’s seal, our consciousnesses were able to enter,” Lan Mulian explained, her gaze calm and clear as she observed the white expanse.

The name ‘Heavenly Court’ might be unfamiliar to those in the Nine Realms.

But every cultivator had heard of the Immortal Realm.

Those who ascended to the Immortal Realm achieved true immortality. It was a paradise for cultivators, the ultimate destination of their Dao.

Cultivators spent their entire lives pursuing the path to heaven, and at the end of that path lay the Heavenly Court.

Mu Zhi’an took a deep breath, feeling the unique Spiritual Energy of this world, different from that of the Nine Realms.

So the legends were true.

The Heavenly Court truly existed, but countless cultivators had searched for it in vain because it existed in a realm of nothingness, accessible only through a medium.

And the ring in the Primordial Demon Emperor’s possession was that medium!

He hadn’t destroyed it because he wanted to enter the Heavenly Court.

But he had been sealed away by the Jade Empress after attacking the Eastern Realm and never had the chance…

“Such dense Spiritual Energy… It’s even richer than the Nine Realms after the changes in the rules of heaven and earth,” Lan Mulian murmured, her eyes filled with surprise.

Mu Zhi’an closed his eyes, trying to circulate his Spiritual Energy and absorb the energy of the Heavenly Court.

Then, to his delight, he discovered that this Spiritual Energy could be directly absorbed and refined with minimal effort, and it was several times denser than the energy in the Nine Realms!

A single day of cultivation here would be equivalent to four or five days outside.

“The Heavenly Court is truly a wonderful place…” Mu Zhi’an said with genuine admiration.

Lan Mulian nodded silently, then shook her head slightly.

“Unfortunately, the Heavenly Court has rejected us. Even here, we can’t absorb its Spiritual Energy.”

She had tried earlier, but she discovered that the Spiritual Energy here couldn’t be absorbed by cultivators.

It wasn’t her fault. The Heavenly Court was protected by a mysterious force, rejecting all outsiders.

Mu Zhi’an looked at her beautiful face.

Her ethereal aura blended perfectly with the Heavenly Court’s serene atmosphere, making her seem like a true celestial maiden. However, her words surprised him.

“The Spiritual Energy here can’t be absorbed… You’ve already tried, Senior Sister?” Mu Zhi’an asked.

Lan Mulian turned to look at him, her clear eyes meeting his, and nodded slightly. “The Heavenly Court has its own rules, set by an invisible force. Outsiders can only enter and absorb its energy if they meet these rules,” she explained.

“We’re currently outside the Heavenly Court.”

The Sacred Heavenly Body could perceive the essence of all things, even the Heavenly Court. However, she could only see its surface, unable to understand its rules.

But seeing the surprised expression on Mu Zhi’an’s face, as if he had heard something absurd, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Mu Zhi’an snapped out of his thoughts, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings. He shook his head gently. “…Nothing.”

The Heavenly Court had its rules. Cultivators who entered this place couldn’t absorb its Spiritual Energy, let alone enter the Heavenly Court itself.

However… he had just absorbed the Heavenly Court’s Spiritual Energy.

Is this a bug…?

The Heavenly Court was silent, not a single sound disturbing the peace. Lan Mulian, observing the serene landscape, said calmly, “Let’s leave this place.”

If an ordinary cultivator entered the Heavenly Court, even if they were just at its entrance, they wouldn’t want to leave.

After all, being in the Heavenly Court meant immortality, even if they couldn’t actually enter it.

Most cultivators couldn’t achieve immortality even after spending their entire lives pursuing it.

But Lan Mulian’s Dao Heart remained unshaken. She believed that with ten years of cultivation, she could achieve Dao Integration, even without the Heavenly Court.

She opened her hand and returned the Primordial Demon Emperor’s ring to Mu Zhi’an.

“Infuse your Spiritual Energy into it, and you can leave,” she said.

The ring had always possessed this ability. It was simply sealed by the Primordial Demon Emperor before Lan Mulian had analyzed its true nature.

However, the Primordial Demon Emperor had been weakened at the time, so his seal wasn’t very strong.

Lan Mulian infused a wisp of Spiritual Energy into the ring. Then, her voice seemed to become faint and distant.

She looked at Mu Zhi’an, who seemed lost in thought, and said, “I’ll wait for you outside.”

Mu Zhi’an snapped out of his daze, hearing her voice.

He took one last look at the Heavenly Court, then, with a hint of suspicion, he circulated his Spiritual Energy again.

The Heavenly Court’s energy, as if drawn to him, flowed into his Furnace.

I really can absorb it… Mu Zhi’an was shocked.

Senior Sister said only those who met the Heavenly Court’s rules could absorb its energy… Why can I?

Did I unintentionally do something that fulfilled its requirements?

Could it be that the former master of the Heavenly Court was also a lecher, and like attracts like, so he approved of me?

Mu Zhi’an quickly dismissed these absurd thoughts, shaking his head.

He would investigate this matter after leaving.

He was about to infuse his Spiritual Energy into the ring and leave when a cold gust of wind swept through the Heavenly Court, making him shiver. A chilling sensation ran down his spine.

Then, he faintly heard something.

Footsteps.

The Heavenly Court was silent, so quiet that he could hear his own breathing. Yet, in this silence, he heard footsteps!

They were faint, almost imperceptible.

But as Mu Zhi’an held his breath, he could clearly hear them!

A resident of the Heavenly Court?

Or had the master of the Heavenly Court sensed his presence and come to investigate…?

Mu Zhi’an’s heart pounded, his hand instinctively gripping the Primordial Demon Emperor’s ring.

He considered leaving immediately.

But his curiosity overcame his fear, and he slowly looked up towards the ancient gate shrouded in white mist.

An intense light shone from beyond the gate, and Mu Zhi’an narrowed his eyes, vaguely seeing a figure approaching.

She was small and slender, with shoulder-length hair and bright, clear eyes. She seemed to be… a child!

Could it be that many people live in the Heavenly Court, and this little girl just wandered out…?

Mu Zhi’an looked at the silver-haired loli, his eyes filled with curiosity. “Who are you?” he asked.

The silver-haired loli tilted her head slightly, her large eyes filled with confusion as she looked at him.

Then, she spread her arms and said in a childish voice, “Hug me.”

“Are you from the Heavenly Court? Do your parents also live here?” Mu Zhi’an asked.

However, the loli didn’t answer. She simply walked towards him, looked up at him expectantly, and repeated, “Hug me.”

I can’t communicate with this little girl. This is why I prefer older women… Mu Zhi’an sighed inwardly and bent down, picking her up.

He looked at the adorable loli, about to speak.

Suddenly, her clear and melodious voice echoed in his ears.

“In the Nine Realms, you call me… the Heavenly Dao.”

Mu Zhi’an almost dropped her.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay