Volume 13, Chapter 811 – Fairy, I Must Repay You

Under Qi Huang’s expectant gaze, the rift in the fabric of space expanded with increasing cracks until it finally shattered like a broken mirror. A ray of brilliant sunlight streamed through, and a man carrying a worn-out pack leapt out.

Qi Huang narrowed her eyes to examine him closely. The man was tall and powerfully built, his exposed muscles layered like plates of armor across his body. Bulging veins coiled beneath his skin like dragons, and his entire figure looked as though it had been cast from iron. Under normal circumstances, merely standing there would’ve exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure. Unfortunately, his current appearance was extremely disheveled. His clothes were tattered and smoking, thick black fumes curling off him. Burns of various sizes were scattered across his muscular frame, as if he had just charged through a raging fire.

As the man entered the cultivation realm, the lack of gravity caused his large frame to begin floating. Struggling to steady himself, he mumbled, “Could this be the Immortal Realm?”

Qi Huang extended her divine sense to scan him and discovered that this man was a pure martial artist… and only of third-rate strength, equivalent to a cultivator in the Spirit Gathering Realm. She was shocked. “Wait… a third-rate martial artist can shatter space and ascend?”

Seeing that he posed no threat, Cheng Hongling floated over.

Qi Huang followed closely behind, desperate to understand what kind of world existed beneath the rift.

Since the man couldn’t use divine sense, he didn’t notice Qi Huang and Cheng Hongling’s presence until they neared.

Suspicion flickered across the man’s face at first, but it was quickly replaced by awe. He instinctively asked, “Excuse me, are you fairies from the Immortal Realm?”

Cheng Hongling didn’t answer right away, instead asking, “Did you just ascend from the lower realm?”

“Yes, my name is Zhao Jian. I’m the third person in the history of the Cangmang Planet to ascend.”

The muscular man introduced himself, his face betraying a hint of pride.

“The place you ascended from is called Cangmang Planet?” Qi Huang asked casually, then eagerly flew toward the rift.

“Yes, on our Cangmang Planet, the yin energy runs rampant, and spiritual energy is scarce. Martial cultivation is extremely difficult. I struggled through untold hardships and exhausted generations of my family’s accumulated resources just to barely survive the heavenly tribulation and shatter the void.”

Zhao Jian wiped the sweat from his brow, his expression tinged with lingering fear.

Qi Huang no longer paid attention to this Spirit Gathering Realm ascendant. Instead, she stood before the spatial rift, scanning the world within it with her divine sense. The first thing she saw was a snow-covered mountain, surrounded by tens of thousands of onlookers.

“Lord Zhao truly is a once-in-a-millennium genius from Cangmang Planet. He really shattered the void!”

“Once in a millennium? I’d say he’s one of a kind in all of history. The spiritual energy now is far thinner than in the past, making cultivation even harder. His talent must be far superior to the previous two ascendants.”

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“I wonder what the Immortal Realm is like? Is there a way to achieve immortality?”

“Why don’t you go in and see for yourself? The rift’s still open.”

“No thanks. A mortal like me entering the Immortal Realm would be like a moth flying into a flame.”

As they witnessed Zhao Jian break through the void, the crowd burst into cheers and gathered around.

Qi Huang wasn’t surprised. No matter the world, ascension was always a major event.

“Fairy, may I ask… is this the Immortal Realm?” Zhao Jian looked around and, seeing only a vast emptiness, turned to Cheng Hongling with a cautious question.

“This isn’t the Immortal Realm. This is the cultivation realm,” Cheng Hongling replied offhandedly, then also flew to the rift.

“Cultivation realm?” Zhao Jian looked puzzled. He tried to look around but, unable to gain any footing, could only float awkwardly in place.

Qi Huang continued her careful scan of the world beyond the rift. The so-called Cangmang Planet was small, perhaps only one-tenth the size of Lishui Star. As Zhao Jian had said, its spiritual energy was sparse, and the people relied on farming for survival. The occasional cultivator she saw was merely a martial artist.

Thankfully, there was no yin energy present, so there were no malevolent spirits either.

“Wow, there really are fairies, and two of them! Look!”

“Heavens, I’ve never even dreamed of seeing such beautiful women. Now I understand why they’re called fairies, mortal women simply can’t compare.”

“They must be immortal envoys here to welcome Lord Zhao! No wonder martial artists all strive to ascend.”

“Who has ink and brush? Hurry up and sketch their likeness! Worshipping them would be far more meaningful than praying to some vague, unseen deity!”

The onlookers peered through the spatial rift and, upon seeing Qi Huang and Cheng Hongling, flushed with excitement.

Cheng Hongling ignored them and muttered to herself, “No wonder the Cangmang Planet couldn’t cultivate immortality, but thankfully, there are no evil spirits either. Otherwise, the human race there would’ve gone extinct long ago.”

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“No yin energy means no ghost tomatoes. That’s not exactly good news for us,” Qi Huang said with a helpless shake of her head.

“Keep searching. Maybe there’s no ghost tomato, but we might find some remains of Assimilation Heavenly Dao,” Cheng Hongling consoled.

The “couple” scanned Cangmang Planet again and confirmed it was indeed barren. Not a single resource they needed could be found.

“Looks like luck doesn’t always favor us.” Qi Huang forced a laugh. After all that effort to find a spatial rift to a lower realm, it turned out to be a desolate wasteland. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

“Fairies, since you’re immortals, you must know the secret to immortality, right?” Zhao Jian asked cautiously.

Qi Huang frowned slightly and asked, “What did you say? The secret to immortality?”

“Yes. That’s why I was in such a hurry to ascend, to find a way to extend life. My mother is old and can’t hold on much longer. I beg you, fairies, please have mercy and lend your aid.”

Zhao Jian clasped his hands in a respectful plea.

Cheng Hongling paused in surprise, then said with curiosity, “You’re quite the filial son.”

“Please don’t laugh, Fairy. As children, isn’t filial piety our greatest duty?”

Zhao Jian’s tone was humble but firm.

“There’s nothing to laugh about. It’s only natural. There’s no true immortality in this world, but I do have some pills that can extend one’s life. With them, living another ten or twenty years is entirely possible.”

Qi Huang replied.

“Really? But my mother is already over seventy,” Zhao Jian asked excitedly.

“Even if she were over eighty or ninety, it wouldn’t matter.”

Qi Huang spoke with confidence. After all, these pills had been prepared for her grandfather… they were no ordinary goods.

“Fairy, please show mercy. If you’re willing to help, I, Zhao Jian, will do anything to repay you, even if it means becoming your beast of burden!”

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Zhao Jian tried to kneel despite floating awkwardly.

“I’m sorry, it’s not that I look down on you, but with your strength, you probably can’t be of much help. Still, I’m a kind person. Since you’re so devoted, giving you a few pills is no trouble at all.”

Qi Huang generously tossed him several high-grade life-extending pills.

“Thank you, Fairy!”

Zhao Jian thanked her repeatedly. He wanted to approach the rift, but without any leverage, he could only spin helplessly in place.

Qi Huang sighed and used her divine sense to wrap around Zhao Jian, pulling him toward the rift.

“It’s Lord Zhao! Congratulations on successfully ascending!”

“Don’t worry, Lord Zhao. From now on, our Yongsheng Kingdom will worship you as our sole immortal. As long as Yongsheng exists, so will the Zhao family.”

“Lord Zhao, I’m Zhang Lu. I once borrowed a few taels of silver from your daughter’s godfather’s niece. Please don’t forget me!”

As soon as the crowd spotted Zhao Jian, they rushed to forge connections.

“Thank you all for your support. Without you, I couldn’t have shattered the void and ascended. I will never forget your kindness.”

Zhao Jian respectfully clasped his hands in return.

“Husband, you must hurry now. Mother-in-law may not last much longer.”

At that moment, a middle-aged woman’s voice called out.

“My dear, don’t worry. The fairies have given me some life-extending pills. Take them back and give them to Mother. They should allow her to live at least another ten or twenty years.”

Zhao Jian comforted her, then passed the pills through the rift.

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“What? Another ten or twenty years? Did I hear that right?”

“Yes, the Zhao matron is already nearly eighty. Living to a hundred?”

“Heavens, when was the last time Yongsheng Kingdom had a centenarian?”

“Forget Yongsheng, throughout all of Cangmang Planet, there have only been a handful of people to live that long.”

The onlookers gasped. Cangmang Planet was so barren that most people lived only forty or fifty years on average. Reaching one hundred sounded like fantasy.

Zhao Jian’s wife received the pills and asked, “Husband, I’ve heard that once an immortal ascends, they can never return. Is that true?”

Zhao Jian’s expression turned uncertain. He extended a finger toward the rift, but as soon as it touched the lower realm, the space began to rupture. It was impossible to re-enter.

Zhao Jian clenched his jaw, then forced a smile. “Don’t worry, dear. I’ll find a way to return and see you all.”

“You must keep your word,” his wife replied with hopeful eyes.

“So, immortals really can’t return after ascending.”

“Yes. Now the question is… can his wife hold onto those rare pills?”

“Zhao Jian’s such a fool, handing those pills over so openly.”

“Well, what else could he do? Didn’t you see the rift is already closing? Wait any longer and it’ll be gone.”

A flurry of murmurs broke out.

Zhao Jian turned back to Qi Huang and said, “Fairy, my strength may be low, and I might not be of much help. But I swear I will repay your great kindness.”

With that, Zhao Jian removed his tattered pack and laid out all his treasures. “Fairy, please take whatever you fancy.”