Qing's impending breakthrough spread like wildfire through the capital, impossible to conceal. As the direct heir of the Mysterious Immortal Palace and wielder of the Too Yin Mysterious Heaven Sword, her advancement wasn't a mere step in cultivation, it was a transformation, a leap from mortal to immortal.
This wasn't just a small or even a major boundary crossing. It was a grand ascension, from "human" to "immortal." Such a feat silenced both righteous and demonic factions. A poetic line echoed in the minds of many: "In the heavens, the mysterious immortal, on earth, the exiled fairy." That "exiled fairy" was none other than Qing.
In this world, the path to immortality revered the ancient qi refiners, following a journey of refining essence into qi, qi into spirit, spirit into void, and void into harmony with the Dao. After the Human Emperor and Heavenly Emperor severed the mortal and immortal realms, the spiritual qi from the immortal realm faded.
Cultivators could no longer freely harness the abundant immortal qi that once filled the world, leaving the path to immortality vast and elusive. Later generations adapted the ancient qi refiners' methods, shaping the modern cultivation system: three stages of qi refinement, three of yin spirit, three of yang spirit, and three of primordial spirit.
These four major realms, corresponding to the ancient four stages, were known as the Twelve Heavens of Ascension. Beyond this lay the realm of sect leaders and true lords, the peak of the mortal world. To reach it, one had to survive the Calamity of Fate and the Tribulation of Heaven, seizing the fleeting vitality within to forge a flawless Dao body, melding the primordial soul with the breath of the Dao.
Such a being could wield the power of heaven and earth, their will moving mountains, their thoughts overturning seas, their mana boundless. A single notion could shift the skies, a glance could silence time. Known as "half-immortals," "human immortals," or "terrestrial gods," they stood at the mortal world's limit, the threshold for leaders of both righteous and demonic sects.
Without reaching this realm, no amount of force could sustain a sect's dominance. A human immortal's emergence could elevate a minor sect to the pinnacle, rivaling ancient lineages. The Evil King, for instance, single-handedly raised the obscure Evil Heart Sect to a demonic powerhouse.
As long as he lived, the sect would endure. Yet, the gap between human immortals could be vast, sometimes greater than that between a mortal and a primordial spirit cultivator. The Evil King, a near-thousand-year-old human immortal, would flee without hesitation if faced with Qing's master, the current Mysterious Immortal Palace Lord, despite her mere three centuries in the realm.
The difference between "human" and "immortal" was a single word, but in essence, they were worlds apart. A human immortal with deep foundations could overpower even true immortals. In ancient times, the Human Emperor's qi refiners toppled true immortals.
More recently, the former lord of the Taiqing Sect survived an ambush, slaying three human immortals and escaping unscathed. The seven righteous sects, with their ancient legacies, stood unshaken for millennia. Their hidden arsenals, sealed elders unable to ascend, slumbering in stasis, and immortal artifacts, made lesser sects tremble.
As the heir of the Mysterious Immortal Palace, one of the strongest among the seven, Qing's power was undeniable. The Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady, the Heavenly Emperor's sword-bearer, though now reclusive, remained a figure even immortal emperors respected. Her legacy ensured Qing's path was strong.
Thus, Qing's breakthrough was expected, yet shocking in its speed. "She's breaking through?" Mei Yuqing, perched barefoot on the city tower, and Lian Zhen, stationed in the military camp outside, both widened their eyes in disbelief.
"Qing, you're breaking through?" Far away, the Mysterious Immortal Palace Lord received Qing's message, stunned by the words transmitted through her magic. "This soon?" At just eighteen, Qing had reached the primordial spirit realm, a height most cultivators could only dream of.
As the future leader of one of the seven righteous sects, this was fitting. Heirs of major sects were always prodigies, and those chosen as successors stood above their peers, dominating their generation. The Mysterious Immortal Palace boasted one of the seven sects' longest histories.
Qing, its acknowledged next lord, was unmatched in talent and strength. At her birth, celestial omens, lunar radiance, shifting constellations, dragon-phoenix signs, and divine light, drew the gaze of human immortals to the capital. Had Ming, still reigning supreme, not stopped demonic ancestors with his imperial decree, Qing might have been spirited away.
Qing was the only third-generation imperial who stirred Ming, the founding emperor. Even the birth of the crown prince's heir, the empire's grandson, didn't hold his attention as long. Upon learning Qing was a girl, Ming sighed, "A sage, truly. Were she a boy, she could claim the throne after my century."
His words were grand but hollow, late in life, Ming grew erratic, wary even of Lian Zhen's "dragon-companion fate." A male Qing might have faced his suspicion, not favor. As a granddaughter, however, Qing received boundless affection.
In his paranoid twilight years, Ming showed rare warmth to her, extending it to her sister Li, spoiling the younger princess into a willful, spirited girl. These memories left Qing with a softer view of her grandfather, unlike her peers' fear.
Ren's rise to power might owe something to Qing's favored status with Ming, though it was hard to say. As the Mysterious Immortal Palace's sole heir, Qing's descent to the mortal world for training required strength to survive even a demonic lord's assault.
Speculation abounded: was she at the early, middle, or late primordial spirit stage? Her strength was revealed at the emergence of the Immortal God Relic: primordial spirit peak, a level rivaling the leaders or supreme elders of mid-tier sects.
Wielding the Too Yin Mysterious Heaven Sword, even the Evil King dared not claim victory against her at his peak. Qing's prowess stunned the world, humbling both righteous and demonic paths. Feng Wei, despite his own renown, was only at the mid-yang spirit stage.
Even with fortunate encounters, he could challenge primordial spirit experts but was far from their peak. Lian Zhen and Mei Yuqing, both prodigies, stood at yang spirit peak, a full realm below Qing. Yet such prodigies weren't unheard of.
Every generation produced a few who defied expectations. Qing's master reached the late primordial spirit stage at twenty, and Seth Yan, the Dragon Halberd's master, hit the primordial spirit realm before adulthood, dominating their eras.
Qing's strength, while extraordinary, was within expectations. But her announcement of breaking through to human immortal shook the world. Even her master, Seth Yan, and other sect prodigies had lingered at primordial spirit peak for years.
"Are you certain?" her master asked. "Do you need me to guard you?" "Fifty percent," Qing replied, adding, "The capital is the safest place, and I have our founder's gift." Her master could only nod.
The capital, where human dragon qi converged, was poison to immortals. Its potent dragon qi deterred even heavenly lords, who bowed before emperors. Ming's wrath could make even immortal lords tremble.
For lesser cultivators, the capital's dragon qi was merely stifling. For human immortals, it was a forbidden zone, risking severe injury or death. This was why the Evil King, reborn, hid in the capital's shadows, using dragon qi to ease his tribulation.
"When?" her master asked. "May, the night of lunar condensation," Qing answered calmly.