Chapter 815

One hundred and fifty-eight

In the Grand Void Dao Field.

Li Rui lowered his gaze to the white jade bridge beneath his feet—he now stood on the latter half of the Ganyue Bridge.

Just forty-two steps more, and he could reach the Upper Dao Field.

The Grand Void Dao Field is strictly hierarchical.

It is divided into the Lower Dao Field and the Upper Dao Field.

Those below Immortal status dwell in the Lower Dao Field—the very place Li Rui had once occupied—while Immortals reside solely in the Upper Dao Field.

Previously, his cultivation base was too low to even glance upward.

Only after becoming a True Lord did he gain the right to cross the bridge.

In ancient times, even Dao Lords came here seeking opportunities; according to fragments preserved in the Hongwen Pavilion, nearly all who crossed this bridge became Immortals.

Though the world has changed, reaching the opposite shore still guarantees an Immortal inheritance.

After taking one hundred and fifty-eight steps, Li Rui knew he had reached his limit.

This time.

He did not stay awake in frustration—he voluntarily retreated back to the bridge’s start.

That is self-awareness.

Because he understood his own strength and the nature of the Ganyue Bridge, he chose to withdraw.

As soon as he returned to the entrance of Wan Shou Dao Jun’s cave dwelling,

He saw the figure of a young Confucian scholar.

“Brother Zhong.”

Li Rui bowed to Zhong Li.

“Brother Changqing.”

Zhong Li returned the bow.

When Li Rui ascended to True Lord, Zhong Li came to Taihuazhou to offer congratulations and stayed a full month before leaving; by now, they had not seen each other for a long time.

Zhong Li: “Ascending to Body Integration requires too many Illusory Immortal Stones each time you enter the Grand Void Dao Field. Future chances to meet you, Brother Changqing, will likely grow fewer.”

“Indeed.”

Li Rui sighed.

Not everyone can enter and exit the Grand Void Dao Field as freely as he can.

That’s why, despite spending centuries within the Grand Void Dao Field, he had rarely seen a Dao Lord.

It wasn’t that Dao Lords lacked the means to enter.

It was because the threshold for Dao Lords to enter the Grand Void Dao Field was so high that virtually none in this age could enter.

True Lord is already the limit.

Zhong Li: “Brother Changqing, I’ve heard unrest stirring in the Northern Sea, possibly tied to the Immortal Dao’s origin. Are you inclined to go see?”

“My foundation is still too shallow—I won’t go.”

Li Rui shook his head.

Zhong Li smiled: “Same here. Even if I obtained the Immortal Dao’s origin, I have no corresponding Dao Fruit to nurture it.”

Unlike Ji Fan, Ye Yuan, and others.

Zhong Li, like Li Rui, is one of the exceedingly rare cultivators who achieved True Lord status in a single lifetime.

Even after Qingqing Zi of the Three Pure Ones Sect was confirmed as a Dao Lord reincarnated, Zhong Li was in truth the true number one on the Earth Register.

His potential is immense.

For this reason, the Divine Deer Academy holds him in high regard.

He has even become the academy’s Vice Dean.

His status is extremely high.

Thus, Li Rui values this friendship deeply.

Hearing Zhong Li mention the Northern Sea, Li Rui’s heart stirred slightly.

He had long known of it—Ji Fan, Ye Yuan, and others had already gone to the Northern Sea; judging by now, they had almost certainly opened the Immortal Tomb, though it remained unknown whether they had obtained the Immortal Dao’s origin.

The two chatted for a while.

Zhong Li: “Brother Changqing, I intend to cross the Ganyue Bridge. Will you join me?”

Hearing Zhong Li also planned to cross the Ganyue Bridge,

Li Rui did not conceal it: “Brother Zhong, I just retreated from the bridge.”

“Oh?”

Zhong Li’s interest immediately sparked.