“Wow, so your ancestor was a Heavenly Monarch or higher? That’s incredible!” Li Xue said, her voice tinged with envy.
“No, likely a Divine Being,” Yu Ming said wistfully. “Because my Realm is filled with the Five Elements Spiritual Qi of the primordial era.”
From Yu Ming’s explanation, Li Xue learned that during the ancient era, the passage to the Divine Realm had not yet been closed. Divine Beings frequently appeared in the mortal cultivation world. However, a million years ago, for reasons unknown, the passage to the Divine Realm was sealed. Now, when cultivators ascended, they could only reach the Immortal Realm.
Ancient records stated that five great divine races once existed: the Humans, the Dragons, the Phoenixes, the Sky Foxes, and the Elves. The Demon and Devil races only appeared later. Among the five divine races, the Humans were the most numerous and reproduced easily. Consequently, the physical constitutions and magical powers of human descendants grew increasingly weaker, eventually resulting in ordinary mortals with lifespans of a mere century.
However, there were those who pursued the Heavenly Dao, persisting in their cultivation through constant effort. The Divine Beings of the Human race took pity on their descendants and passed down cultivation techniques suited for mortals with short lifespans, hoping they would persevere. These practitioners called themselves "Truth Seekers" to distinguish themselves from ordinary mortals. As techniques, realms, and goals diverged, different paths emerged: Immortal Cultivators, Devil Cultivators, Demon Cultivators, and Buddhist Cultivators. Once they reached a certain level of cultivation according to their respective paths, they would ascend to the Immortal, Devil, Demon, or Buddhist Realms.
Yet, conflict arose among them as they fought over natural treasures, spirit mountains, and spirit veins. Combined with the various tribulations triggered by ascension, cultivation became fraught with variables and grew increasingly difficult. For millions of years, almost no one from the Human race had successfully become a Divine Being. As for the other four divine races, their reproductive requirements were extremely high and their offspring few, but every member possessed immense magical power and divine abilities, allowing them to cultivate with incredible speed. This was the so-called Law of the Heavenly Dao. Eventually, except for the Humans, the other four divine races faded into seclusion; only those with great magical power could sense their existence.
Furthermore, in the primordial era, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth consisted of Five Elements Qi. Back then, the five-element spiritual root was considered the best, as it could absorb Five Elements Qi many times faster than a single spiritual root, leading to a supernatural cultivation speed. Many who possessed techniques from the Divine Realm would ascend directly there; ancient texts referred to them as "God Cultivators."
After the primordial era passed, the spiritual energy of the world slowly changed. The cultivation speed of five-element root cultivators grew slower and slower, until eventually, those with fewer spiritual roots became the ones who cultivated faster. Most Divine Realm techniques were only suitable for those with five spiritual roots and became increasingly ill-suited for modern practitioners. By the ancient era, powerful figures were forced to modify these techniques to suit the current state of the world.
Yu Ming’s Realm likely dated back at least to the primordial era. It was a mystery how the Chen family ancestors had obtained it.
“Now that you know about my Realm, this matter must never be revealed to anyone,” Yu Ming said softly. Although others could not steal the Realm from him, cultivators had plenty of ways to force him to use it for their benefit.
Li Xue knew she had to put Yu Ming’s mind at ease; otherwise, she might never leave this place. She sighed and said, “Yu Ming, if I only swear a Heart-Demon Oath, I’m afraid it won’t be enough. If you have a suggestion, just say it.”
“In the ancient era, cultivators most commonly used Blood Pacts. Those who sign a Blood Pact cannot betray one another,” Yu Ming said with a complicated expression. “The best form of a Blood Pact is the one between a husband and wife.”
“Ah!” Li Xue cried out in surprise. “That... that might not work. Before I came to the Tianyuan Secret Realm, my master had me place a soul mark with Li Ran. I’m afraid I can never marry again.”
“A soul mark?” Yu Ming frowned. “That makes things difficult. A soul mark is different from a Blood Pact. Sigh, then there is only the Slave Pact.”
“What? A Slave Pact? No way! Absolutely not!” Li Xue protested. “I’d rather you kill me than sign a Slave Pact!” What a joke—Li Xue possessed a modern soul; there was no way she would become a slave.
“Sigh,” Yu Ming sighed again. “Then the only thing left is the Friend Pact.”
“A Friend Pact? That sounds alright,” Li Xue said, nodding.
“Once we sign the Friend Pact, I can grant you a portion of the Realm’s authority, though it will be much less than the other two options,” Yu Ming explained.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Less is fine. I don’t even need any authority. You saved me, so you’re my benefactor. I just hope I can see my son again,” Li Xue said.
“Heh, since you already know about my Realm, you can’t exactly act like you don’t. After we sign the Friend Pact, you will also have the obligation to help me renovate this place,” Yu Ming said pointedly.
“Of course! I’d love to. The spiritual energy here is perfect for me. If I cultivate here, I should be able to reach Foundation Establishment very quickly!” Li Xue said happily.
