World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 396: The Moon Palace

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan could no longer tell which direction they were headed. They followed Spiritless, which sped through the sky, for more than an hour until they finally stopped above a ring-shaped mountain.

Due to the angle between Earth and Moon, the place was shrouded in darkness. Spiritless flew straight toward the base of the crater, and Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan descended after it.

"This is where the only entrance is. Pour as much of your enchanted power into Spiritless as you can."

"Alright," Wang Sheng answered.

He gestured for his senior sister to come forward with him, then gripped the hilt of Spiritless. Pure Yang Enchanted Power surged from his palm, and the sword immediately absorbed it.

Spiritless flared with radiance. From its blade emerged an immortal maiden in feathered robes, her long hair billowing as she descended before the sword. She used her hands to weave streams of immortal light, which then struck the Moon.

Her slender fingers danced. As their afterimages overlapped, immortal light shone in all directions.

There wasn't much commotion, but the ground at the base of the mountain seemed to bulge as if molten rock had pushed it up. Straight fissures split the surface, and dazzling immortal light spilled out.

Yaoyun formed hand signs faster, making the immortal light below ever more intense. Along with it came pure non-elemental primal qi so concentrated that it shook Wang Sheng's Nascent Soul.

With his Dao Body drawing in the primal qi on its own, he rapidly replenished his enchanted power.

After five to six minutes, Yaoyun finally unleashed countless rays of immortal light, making her dim. Spiritless also used nearly thirty percent of Wang Sheng's enchanted power reserves. Even if one knew how to open the Moon Palace, it still clearly demanded immense spiritual power or enchanted power.

The hundred-meter-wide ground at the base of the mountain split completely apart. Layers of rock broke into neat square blocks, which floated around them. Below, white mist billowed and rolled. Light-footed immortal maidens seemingly flew in a circle, and stern heavenly generals stood, gripping sabers and axes.

"Come closer," Yaoyun telepathically instructed.

Wang Sheng dared not delay. He pulled his senior sister with him and stood behind Yaoyun.

A pair of colossal eyes then appeared within the mist below and released a crushing pressure that made even Wang Sheng feel utterly defenseless. His body and soul were seemingly pierced through in an instant.

However, the oppressive force vanished as quickly as it came, and the eyes became unfathomable. In the left eye rose a sun and a revolving moon, while countless shifting stars appeared in the right.

They then disappeared, and the mist parted to reveal a vast opening.

Looking somewhat weary, Yaoyun glanced back at Wang Sheng before she dissolved into a stream of light and sank back into Spiritless. "You can go in now. The seal has been released."

Holding Spiritless in his right hand and his senior sister's hand in his left, Wang Sheng leaped down without hesitation.

Shimmering lights whirled before his eyes. Above him, falling stones rumbled as the countless floating blocks dropped back into place, restoring the mountain's base.

For over ten seconds, they fell and broke through the drifting mists. Finally, a bright light made Wang Sheng instinctively shut his eyes.

His senior sister sighed softly. "So beautiful..."

Wang Sheng slowly opened his eyes, the sight ahead stunning him.

Is that... the Heavenly Palace?

Before them was a magnificent and imposing towering gate. It also had a plaque inscribed with three ancient words.

Southern Heavenly Gate? No, it doesn't look like it. It has to be...

"Small Immortal Realm," Wang Sheng unknowingly said out loud. He then smiled bitterly.

So we're still in the Small Immoral Realm?

Beyond the hundred-meter-tall gate were rainbow bridges and roads of immortal stone. The heavenly path stretched forward and branched into countless forks, each leading to a golden, resplendent palace. Even a glance was enough to see thousands of them.

Floating celestial mountains hovered above, veiled in celestial mist.

Overhead, a grand formation turned into a starry sky. Below, the ground gleamed with spirit stones and precious gems.

At the far left was a colossal divine tree that exuded dense immortal energy. It had a pale yellow crown, a trunk built of jade, and leaves that gleamed with the luster of jade. Moreover, it was spirit-stirringly beautiful.

The crown of the moon laurel tree spanned dozens of kilometers, yet it only covered a quarter of the palaces. Resting on its canopy were more refined palaces and lofty pavilions.

Even in dreams, Wang Sheng could never have imagined such a magnificent Small Immortal Realm. Its only flaw was that it lacked the vitality of living beings despite overflowing with immortal energy and treasures. He dared not imagine how grand this realm must have been when it teemed with immortals.

"How many immortals would it take to fill all those palaces?"

"Over eight hundred thousand," Yaoyun answered softly.

Spiritless trembled gently. Wang Sheng unhanded it, allowing it to float before him.

A small fairy stood on the sword's tip, guiding them toward the heavenly gate.

As she led the way, she explained out loud, "This is the highest level of the realm, where heavenly soldiers and generals cultivated. The palaces on the tree were built for female celestials. Around two hundred thousand lived here at one time."

Wang Sheng froze and stared wide-eyed. "Eight hundred thousand immortals?"

"More precisely, two hundred thousand Ascended Immortals, over five hundred thousand ordinary immortals, eighty thousand True Immortals, about six thousand two hundred Heavenly Immortals, three hundred ninety-seven Golden Immortals, sixty-one Taiyi Golden Immortals, and nine Grand Dao Golden Immortals."

A trace of sorrow crossed Yaoyun's face.

"Including the immortals who weren't meant for combat, that was the greatest force we could rally for the counterattack."

Wang Sheng's throat went dry. Almost without thinking, he asked, "How many immortals did the Heavenly Court command at its peak?"

"It is said it had direct command over more than sixty million heavenly soldiers. With the armies of the Four Heavenly Ministers, the total troops reached ninety million."

"Yet you still lost?"

"Yes." Yaoyun sighed. "Thousands of foreign races rose against us, their combined armies outnumbering the Heavenly Court threefold. With my father gone, our morale collapsed. Some even betrayed us and joined the foreign experts. Since my father angered the Three Pure Ones, many of our immortals also suffered from the Five Heavenly Declines, drastically weakening them.

"Even so, the enemy had lost more than ninety percent of their soldiers by the time they reached the Heavenly Court's Four Heavenly Gates. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to accomplish our final breakout."

She glanced at Wang Sheng's darkened expression, then snorted softly. "Why else would the Heavenly Court rule the Three Realms and command all races? You have no idea how vast the starry heavens truly are."

"I do not. I'm not that smart."

Wang Sheng shook his head, suddenly feeling shallow and insignificant. He had cultivated so diligently, yet the Heavenly Court would not have even considered him as cannon fodder.

Mu Wanxuan only smiled gently, unaffected by the revelation.

After his initial shock, Wang Sheng laughed bitterly. "Didn't Lu the Progenitor say that in the end, only a few thousand immortals made it to this realm?"

Yaoyun explained, "Excluding heavenly soldiers and immortals who served in various estates, only those recorded in the Immortal Record remained. We were in the thousands."

"I see..."

Speechless, Wang Sheng could only sigh.

How many of Earth's cultivators can truly ascend to immortality?

While on Earth, the immortals of the Heavenly Court personally intervened, nurturing future immortals in great numbers. Now, even though the primal qi of Earth had grown far denser than a millennium ago, the hurdles of Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and Heavenly Tribulation would stop more than ninety percent of cultivators with full Daoist heritage.

Wang Sheng couldn't help but imagine Earth raising an astonishing army of a thousand immortals three hundred years after the return of primal qi. Filled with hope and yearning for the Heavenly Court and the golden age of cultivation, they marched proudly from the Realm of Exiled Immortals.

Ahead waited a foreign army, also numbering over a thousand. The immortals of Earth charged, fighting valiantly. With their superior Daoist heritage and refined battle arts, they swiftly obliterated the enemy ranks.

'This is the golden era? It's nothing special at all!'

'Master! While searching souls, I discovered that this was only a small patrol guarding the entrance to the Realm of Exiled Immortals. We're surrounded!'

Swarms of foreign cultivators immediately descended from all sides like locusts, drowning the immortal army of Earth. In the distance, a foreign leader as strong as Taiyi Golden Immortals frowned in confusion.

'These are the Heavenly Court's immortals? They're nowhere near as strong as their members were twenty thousand years ago. Bring one alive for questioning.'

'My lord, they're all dead. The first volley of immortal arts wiped them all out.'

'Damn it, you useless idiots! Inform the main force that they don't have to come. The battle here is already over.'

'When reporting credit, exaggerate their numbers tenfold—no, a hundredfold!'

***

"Junior Brother... Junior Brother!"

"Mm?" Wang Sheng pulled himself from his grim imaginings and smiled at his worried senior sister.

They had already passed through the heavenly gate and were now flying along the rainbow road that led to the palaces. Restrictions sealed each one, but the martial siblings did not have to trespass since they were essentially just the barracks where heavenly soldiers once trained.

Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan flew leisurely for half an hour, following Spiritless to the very center of the Small Immortal Realm. The sword then led them down a vertical shaft, descending for half a minute before they reached another cluster of smaller palaces.

The sword slowed to a halt. From its blade, Yaoyun turned and smiled at Wang Sheng and Mu Wanxuan. "Why don't we rest in my palace for a bit?"

Wang Sheng, whose eyes were drawn to the surrounding grand palaces, absent-mindedly answered, "If it is convenient."

Yaoyun huffed. "Forget it. Follow me. I'll take you to the repository of immortal arts first. Later, you and Hua Qing may search for techniques related to the Dao of Yin and Yang. I will go to the Pool of Restoration to see if it can aid my cultivation."

Wang Sheng was surprised. He had not expected Yaoyun to be straightforward enough to bring them straight to the main purpose of their journey.