Wangjiang Mountain, on the shaded slope.

As dusk approached, the sunset rendered the entire sky resplendent. The strange, fiery clouds twisted into grotesque, leering faces, looking down upon the kaleidoscopic spectacle of the Mortal World.

Pinglan City was bustling. Smoke curled up from the chimneys of countless homes in the twilight.

Wangjiang Mountain was also bustling. Several thousand Cultivators stood upon its peak, looking up at the sky amidst the whistling wind.

Among them were not only the young Cultivators from the major families and their invited peers, but also Demon Slayer Guards and Demon Extermination Envoys from the Court’s Lantern Hanging Department.

There were also some outstanding disciples from various major Sects—though, of course, these were all local Sects native to Cangling County.

The Great Zhou was vast and its Sects innumerable. There were one hundred and eight Upper Sects alone, to say nothing of the countless ordinary Sects.

Beyond Sects, there were also Gangs, Academies, and more. The sheer number of power structures was enough to overwhelm even someone who had dedicated their life to studying them.

As Song Ciwan listened to Xie Yunxiang’s explanations, she diligently memorized the key points, but her mind was also occupied with other thoughts:

’The Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting says: Abandon worldly affairs, and the body will not toil; embrace inaction, and the heart will find its own peace.’

’The corollary, then, is that worldly affairs tax the mind, the ceaseless pursuit of success exhausts the body, and all the scheming and plotting drains the spirit.’

’If one is constantly taxing their mind, body, and spirit in the mortal coil, how could they possibly become an Immortal?’

’But what if you ignore everything? You don’t plot against others, but they plot against you. What then?’

’So in the end, it all comes down to cultivating one’s own immense power. One must become a True Immortal in this world, forging a path to a clear and bright sky! When you can transcend all this through personal strength, every worldly conflict becomes as insignificant as dust.’

Speaking of which, Xie Yunxiang’s knowledge was quite extensive. While this was undoubtedly related to his family background, not every descendant of a great family was as erudite as he was.

So, Xie Yunxiang wasn’t actually untalented; he had his own strengths and virtues.

But his Cultivation was low, and in their world, that was the ultimate sin. All his other merits were forced to yield to this one failing.

And so he led Song Ciwan to the very edge of the Xie Family’s contingent. Some people did greet him. If they were polite, he would chat politely in return. If they were sarcastic and backhanded, he would simply respond with a foolish chuckle.

A youth named Xie Zhang, flanked by two Innate First Transformation Guardian Martial Artists, swaggered past Xie Yunxiang.

Xie Zhang squinted at Xie Yunxiang, offering a perfunctory salute. "Well, if it isn’t Twenty-third Uncle. I heard you never used to bother with the opening of Illusory Nether City. Why the sudden change of habit?" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Oh, I see," he continued. "Twenty-third Uncle has been at the Qi Transformation Stage for ten years, yet you’re still stuck in the mid-stage, unable to advance an inch. Ah, well, nothing to be done about it. If you didn’t come to Illusory Nether City to try your luck, I suppose you’d have no hope of ever breaking through to the Qi Refining stage in this lifetime!"

"But with your low Cultivation, Twenty-third Uncle, this time..."

Before he could finish, Xie Zhang’s gaze fell on "Xin Mian" standing nearby.

When Song Ciwan had created this persona, Xin Mian, she had deliberately set her aura to that of the Early-Stage Qi Refining, making no effort to conceal it.

To the young and hot-blooded Xie Zhang, this aura was like a blazing fire in the dead of night—so bright and intense that it made him freeze on the spot.

Xie Zhang’s words caught in his throat. He stared, stunned for a moment, before blurting out in a tone of disbelief, "Twenty-third Uncle, is this the Guardian you invited?"

He looked at Song Ciwan with a wary and calculating gaze, and in that instant, a surge of intense emotion was collected by the Heaven and Earth Scale.

[Human Desires: The shock, fury, and resentment of a Qi Transformation Stage Cultivator. Weight: one jin and six liang. Ready for trade.]

’Heh, I haven’t even walked through the gates of Illusory Nether City, and the appetizers are already serving themselves!’

’This trip was definitely the right choice.’

Just then, the fiery clouds in the sky suddenly began to churn and roil.

The clouds formed into layered scales, like rolling waves or a great tide piling up snow-white foam. A spectacle of such magnificent grandeur descended from the heavens, carrying with it an indescribable pressure that stole the voices of everyone on the peak.

Xie Zhang was left speechless. A moment later, a low shout called him away. "Zhang’er, get back here!"

Startled, Xie Zhang leaped up and shot over to the person who had called him.

At that very moment, an ethereal figure emerged from between the layers of clouds, strolling through the void.

At first glance, the figure seemed no taller than an ordinary person, but in the blink of an eye, he seemed to grow infinitely large—a titan spanning heaven and earth!

His head touched the clouds and his feet rested on the mountaintop. A majestic aura washed over the crowd, and once again, they were struck silent.

Just who was this person?

Or rather, which great Immortal was this?

He remained silent, merely flicking a green leaf from his hand.

The leaf spun through the air, piercing the vast red clouds and tearing a massive black hole across the sky and mountains!

It wasn’t just a black hole; it was more like an unfathomable Abyss, the antithesis of the Mortal World, gazing silently down upon the mortal realm.

"Everyone, Illusory Nether City is open. You may go."

An ancient, ethereal voice echoed from the sky, reaching everyone’s ears.

Song Ciwan glanced down and found that, at some unknown point, a green leaf had appeared in her hand!

It looked very similar to the one that had just torn through the clouds, only this one was smaller and its color seemed fainter.

When she looked up again, Song Ciwan suddenly felt the light and shadows shift, followed by a brief sensation of weightlessness.

The next moment, Song Ciwan stumbled forward a step. She used her Giant Power Divine Techniques to steady herself instantly. When her gaze swept over her surroundings, she found the scene had completely changed!

The fiery clouds were gone, and this was no longer the Immortal Energy-wreathed Wangjiang Peak.

Here... the sky was dim. The entire world seemed to be shrouded beneath a sheet of darkly scribbled paper, giving it a distorted, unreal feeling.

The rich Vitality in the air was gone. Instead, an indescribable, chilling aura began to swirl around Song Ciwan.

It made her feel a momentary unease.

Song Ciwan immediately held her breath and continued to survey her surroundings.

’I’ve arrived,’ she realized. ’This must be Illusory Nether City.’

’So with that one step, I entered Illusory Nether City!’

’But... there’s no one else here. Xie Yunxiang is gone, too.’

’Where did everyone else go?’

’Did everyone get split up upon entry, or was it just me and Xie Yunxiang?’

And another thing... Song Ciwan looked down at the leaf in her hand.

’Where did this leaf come from?’

’What is it for?’

’Should I keep it with me?’

Song Ciwan pondered for a moment but ultimately decided not to throw the leaf away. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to simply stuff it into her robes.

She casually took a small pouch from her Storage Talisman, tucked the leaf inside, and then fastened the pouch to her wrist.

Song Ciwan’s Spiritual Sense was now quite powerful, and she had an instinct that it would be best to keep the leaf on her person while in Illusory Nether City.

Looking around again, she saw no obvious city streets. Instead, the towering silhouette of a mountain loomed ahead.

Vague, indistinct figures seemed to be standing on the mountain path.