I Ruined the Long Ao Tian Script-Chapter 149

The Simple Truth

The legendary Southern Heavenly Gate... Even someone as bold as Xu Shulou felt her heart skip a beat for a moment.

Before she could take a closer look at the majestic structure, someone suddenly grabbed the collar of her robe from behind.

Given her current level of cultivation, she hadn’t sensed anyone approaching—proof of the vast gap in their abilities. Holding her breath, Xu Shulou turned to see a surprisingly kind face staring back at her from close range.

"Who are you?" The man was handsome, eyeing her with curiosity. "Your cultivation doesn’t seem advanced enough for ascension."

"And ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‍who are you?"

"My surname is Yang."

Xu Shulou paused. "...Yang Jian?"

"No," the man chuckled. "I’m just a gatekeeper of the celestial realm."

"So," Xu Shulou picked up on something from his tone, "there really is a Yang Jian here?"

The man nodded.

Xu Shulou clapped her hands. "I knew it! Folklore does have some truth to it." (Though the legends about the demon realm were another matter entirely.)

The man set her down. "Did you come all this way just to ask whether the Illustrious Sage exists?"

"Of course not," Xu Shulou thought for a moment. "I also wanted to ask... is there a Chang'e?"

The man nodded again. "The Moon Palace’s mistress."

Xu Shulou leaned in. "So, which legend is true—the one about regretting stealing the elixir, or the one about her being a warrior goddess?"

The Yang gatekeeper’s expression turned stern. "Why are you asking so many questions?"

"..."

His gaze flicked to Xu Shulou’s wrist, and he frowned. "You shouldn’t be here. I’ll send you back."

At least the people here were reasonable, Xu Shulou thought. They weren’t dragging her off to prison—or worse, executing her on the spot.

"Wait," she protested as he moved to grab her again. "What exactly is this place?"

"The Divine Realm."

The Divine Realm... Xu Shulou took a deep breath. So above the celestial realm, there was yet another higher plane.

Cultivators spoke of a stage called "transcending mortality to approach divinity," but now it seemed they were still far from becoming true deities.

The more she learned, the more she realized how insignificant she was in the grand scheme of the universe.

Xu Shulou voiced her original purpose for coming here: "Gatekeeper Yang, do you know anything about the celestial realm’s thousand-year-old seal?"

"Oh, that?" The gatekeeper nodded. "I know. A thousand years ago, factions in the Divine Realm were fighting. They found newcomers joining and picking sides annoying, so they sealed the path on a whim."

"..." Xu Shulou was stunned. Back in the celestial realm, she and the so-called "madmen" had debated countless theories—dark conspiracies about farming mortals like livestock, schemes to destroy the three realms... One particularly delusional fellow even speculated that the upper realm had been hijacked by alien beings who needed immortals as nourishment.

But the truth? It was just... a casual decision.

"Why so quiet?"

"Didn’t you... ever think to reopen the passage?"

"No need. The seal breaks automatically when someone reaches the threshold of ascension and enters the light pillar. Though now that you mention it, it has been a while since we’ve seen any newly ascended immortals."

"We... can’t open it."

"Why not?"

Xu Shulou met his curious gaze. "...What about the passage to the mortal realm? Why was that sealed too?"

"No choice. Both paths are on the same pillar—seal one, you seal both. Wait, are you saying that not only is the upward path closed, but you can’t even open the downward one?" The gatekeeper looked genuinely shocked.

"..."

At her silence, he muttered under his breath, "The celestial immortals really have grown lazy. Don’t any of you cultivate anymore?"

"How could we?"

"Aren’t there divine cultivation manuals in the archives?"

Divine cultivation manuals? Archives? Xu Shulou narrowed her eyes. "Could you take me to see this so-called celestial paradise of yours?"

The gatekeeper sighed. "Fine. I’ll send you back anyway."

He had her take his arm, then tapped his wrist, activating some kind of treasure.

Xu Shulou’s eyes flicked sharply to his wrist.

A moment later, they floated amidst the clouds. The gatekeeper pointed downward. "See? Everyone’s cultivating divinity here."

Xu Shulou observed the immortals below. They moved with wariness, as if ready to fight at any moment... No, not just ready—some were already brawling. After watching for a while, she noticed the combatants were all highly skilled, their faces twisted with resentment. This was nothing like the celestial realm she had ascended to. The landscape was littered with ruins, as if ravaged by some great violence. She shook her head slowly. "This isn’t the celestial realm I know."

"How could it not be?" The gatekeeper teleported them to the edge of the mountains. "Hmm... wait here for a moment."

Before she could respond, he vanished. Clearly, divine beings didn’t need swords to fly—they simply disappeared from one place and reappeared in another.

Xu Shulou tracked his flickering presence across the realm, accurately predicting where he’d return.

When he reappeared before her, he noted her focus. "Sharp eyes. Most at your level wouldn’t be able to follow my movements."

"What did you find?" She ignored the compliment.

The gatekeeper looked troubled. "It’s... complicated."

"Summarize it."

"Long story short, the celestial realm split in two. Something went wrong..."

His explanation was muddled, but Xu Shulou pieced together the key details.

The truth was far simpler than anyone had imagined.

Originally, the celestial realm had two parts—one for leisure, the other for cultivation. A cableway connected them, allowing immortals to travel between work and play.

When the Divine Realm sealed the ascension path, the shockwaves shattered this cableway, splitting the celestial realm in two. One side had the archives and divine cultivation manuals, but no light pillar for ascension. Trapped there, cultivators who reached divinity grew increasingly frustrated. Without entertainment, they turned violent, reducing their half of the realm to ruins. Given another century or two, they might even brute-force their way to the mortal realm.

The other side had the light pillar but no cultivation manuals. Immortals there lived in idle comfort, their skills deteriorating over time.

"...What a mess," Xu Shulou concluded.

"...You’re telling me," the gatekeeper agreed.

Xu Shulou frowned. "The celestial realm split, but the immortals didn’t lose their memories. Some should still recall the cultivation methods." Like Xi'e and her peers.

"Remembering it is useless. The cultivation techniques for divine ascension can only be accessed in the archives after comprehending the previous level," the guard explained. "Unless someone has already mastered the highest level, what you memorize would only be an incomplete version."

"...Then how should this matter be resolved?"

"I will reconnect the cableway for you," the guard sighed, "and then return to the divine realm to turn myself in. As a guardian of the Southern Heavenly Gate, I failed to notice the anomalies in the mortal realm for so many years—I deserve punishment. Others involved must also be held accountable."

The mindset of those who become gods is truly different. He spoke of surrendering without hesitation, never once considering silencing Xu Shulou to cover it up.

As if reading her thoughts, the guard said softly, "The divine realm is not perfect. We make mistakes too... sometimes grave ones. But we strive to do better."

"What exactly is the relationship between the three realms—mortals, immortals, and gods?" Xu Shulou couldn’t help but ask.

"They form an interconnected cycle. Those who remain in the divine realm for too long grow arrogant, gradually forgetting the suffering of the mortal world. They lose the impartiality needed to govern the three realms. That’s why gods occasionally choose to relinquish their divinity, reincarnating as mortals to undergo trials," the guard patiently explained. "The three realms—mortals, immortals, and gods—all revolve around humanity as their foundation."

"I see," Xu Shulou mused. "In the mortal realm, I’ve read many tales of gods descending to endure trials of love."

"What we face isn’t limited to love. No one arranges specific trials for us—we simply live as mortals, experiencing life’s joys and sorrows, birth and death. What happens in that lifetime is never predetermined."

"..."

The guard gestured to her wrist. "Show me your artifact."

Xu Shulou raised her arm. "You recognize this?"

The guard examined the Sumeru Ring and bracelet, lightly touching them before nodding. "These are core fragments of the celestial cableway shattered a thousand years ago. They possess the power to connect two spaces. Perhaps they accidentally fell into the mortal realm and were picked up by cultivators, who even... hm? Polished them into a decorative design?"

"..."

"The random gems embedded in it suppressed its true power. If this had been left unchecked in the mortal realm, chaos would have ensued," the guard said with relief. "I must take it with me. It cannot remain in your possession."

Xu Shulou stroked the Sumeru Ring once, bidding it farewell, then without hesitation, removed the chain and tossed it to him.

"So decisive?" The guard raised an eyebrow. "Do you realize this could have smuggled you into the divine realm?"

"If I ever wish to enter the divine realm, I’ll stand openly before the Southern Heavenly Gate."

For the first time, the guard smiled. "Good. I’ll be waiting for you there."

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