Chapter 630

Two months slipped by in the blink of an eye!

He Pingsheng had almost entirely refined the elemental sources on his person into elixirs.

He first gave Qiao Huizhu several fifth-rank 【Gather Dao Elixirs】 with water, space, and time attributes.

"These elixirs should be sufficient for your breakthrough past the Dao barrier to Soul Transformation!" He Pingsheng took a deep breath, gazing at Qiao Huizhu with solemn sincerity: "Sister, when you hit your bottleneck, don't rush to seek out heavenly treasures to break through—try to break through naturally first!"

"It will benefit us both!"

"Mm-hmm!" Qiao Huizhu nodded vigorously.

He Pingsheng then gave some Gather Dao Elixirs to the old servant Hao Cang.

"You two go into seclusion. I need to purchase some materials—if all goes well, I'll enter seclusion soon too!"

He Pingsheng also needed to enter seclusion.

His breakthroughs had come too quickly—he needed to solidify his foundation.

Especially his Dao methods—he must thoroughly temper them using the Heavenly Stele of Dao Refinement.

"Understood!"

Qiao Huizhu and Hao Cang each went into seclusion.

But before He Pingsheng could even step outside, the quiet courtyard welcomed its first visitor!

The visitor was a woman.

She was tall and slender, with fair skin and an unmistakably elegant face.

Her cultivation base had already reached Void Refinement.

He Pingsheng's heart jolted; his spiritual sense instantly contacted his defensive treasure, yet he still bowed respectfully: "Greetings, Elder… May I ask what brings you here?"

"No need for formalities!" The woman in a brown Dao robe stepped into the courtyard, glancing around, then fixed her gaze back on He Pingsheng: "I am Nan Qiqi, the Sacred Maiden of the Zhu Que clan!"

"Ah?"

He Pingsheng was startled again: "It's you!"

Nan Qiqi—that name he had heard before from the Zhu Que Demon Emperor.

Wasn't she the Sacred Maiden the Zhu Que Demon Emperor had entrusted him to accompany for the 【Stone Platform Gathering】?

"Good. It seems you already know who I am!"

Nan Qiqi's gaze swept the courtyard once more: "Won't you invite me to sit?"

He Pingsheng pointed to a nearby pavilion: "Let's go over there."

The two sat in the pavilion.

The small courtyard was cramped, unrefined, even crude.

Yet Nan Qiqi showed no trace of Sacred Maiden dignity—she came alone, without attendants, and as she sat across from He Pingsheng, she crossed her legs, left over right, swaying them back and forth lazily.

He Pingsheng poured two cups of ordinary spiritual tea.

Before He Pingsheng could offer, Nan Qiqi picked up one cup and took a sip: "Shall I find you a better place to live? This spot is too shabby!"

He Pingsheng remained unmoved: "Sacred Maiden, you overstate it—I cultivate not the path of wealth and luxury; whether it's shabby or not matters little."

"Fair enough," the Zhu Que Sacred Maiden nodded. "If you wish to stay here, then stay."

"My grandfather said you're formidable."

"Can you kill a Void Refinement cultivator?"

Nan Qiqi stared curiously at He Pingsheng.

Her eyes were a golden-brown hue, perfectly matching her aura—beautiful.

He Pingsheng smiled: "I once killed a Void Refinement Layer One enemy, but I used some tricks—and I teamed up with another Soul Transformation Layer Eight cultivator to slay her. I only succeeded through luck."

Nan Qiqi said: "Don't be modest—luck is part of strength too."

"Alright, let's drop that. My grandfather, having approved of you, clearly recognizes your true power. Earlier today, he departed for the Heavenly King Mountain Ascension Platform to prepare for his transcendence. Before leaving, he told me you were here and instructed me to meet you first."

"Ah?" He Pingsheng was surprised: "Has he already transcended?"

"Not yet," Nan Qiqi said. "It's not that simple… First, he goes to Heavenly King Mountain to prepare, then notifies all the Sacred Emperors of the Tianhuo Continent to attend the ceremony, and signs a ten-thousand-year alliance pact with them—only then will he transcend."

"But the time shouldn't be long now."

He Pingsheng picked up his spiritual tea and took two sips, but hesitated to speak.

Nan Qiqi sneered: "Say what you want to say."

"Ah…" He Pingsheng asked: "In this situation… shouldn't one transcend secretly?"

Worried she wouldn't understand, he elaborated: "I mean, the Zhu Que Demon Emperor is a Mahayana Emperor. If he transcends, your Zhu Que clan's strength will weaken. What if another Mahayana cultivator comes and tries to seize the Zhu Que Emperor Domain? Wouldn't that be… a disaster?"

"You're overthinking," Nan Qiqi said, arms crossed, leaning back in her chair. "First, you cannot transcend just anywhere in the Immortal Realm."

"I don't know about other continents, but on Tianhuo Continent, there is only one place where transcendence is possible—the Heavenly King Mountain Ascension Platform."

"That place isn't even in our Zhu Que Emperor Domain—it's far away, in another vast region called the 【Nirvana Emperor Domain】."

"Only there can one transcend."

"And the Ascension Platform is guarded by powerful beings—no one can transcend casually."

"That's point one."

"Second… I already mentioned that every Emperor-level cultivator, before transcending, signs a 【Ten-Thousand-Year Continuity Alliance】 with all other Emperors on the continent."

"All Emperors swear a Heavenly Dao oath not to attack the transcending clan for ten thousand years."

"Take my Zhu Que clan: if my grandfather succeeds in transcending, then within ten thousand years, if another prodigy of our clan reaches Mahayana Emperor, they may inherit the Zhu Que Emperor Domain."

"Do you understand now?"

He Pingsheng understood.

He nodded.

As for why the other Emperors would honor the pact—he didn't ask, but he could guess: it was fear of the same fate befalling them.

After all, everyone eventually perishes or transcends.

What if one day they themselves transcended? Wouldn't they want the same protection for their descendants?

Simply put—it was all about self-interest.

Clearly, the Zhu Que Demon Emperor wanted Nan Qiqi to reach Mahayana Emperor within ten thousand years.

Thinking of the Zhu Que Demon Emperor's transcendence, He Pingsheng recalled his own.

Suddenly, a thought rose in his mind: After so many years in the Spirit Realm, he'd never seen a cultivator from the Mortal Realm ascend here!

Wang Dun must have transcended by now, right?

Where do those from the Mortal Realm go after ascending?

That was a question.

He Pingsheng, too lazy to sift through the myriad customs of the Spirit Realm, directly asked: "Sacred Maiden, I have a question."

Nan Qiqi said: "Don't call me 'Sacred Maiden.' I'm Void Refinement Layer Six—you'll likely reach Void Refinement soon."

"Call me Nan Dao you. Or if you like, you can call me Seven-Seven Immortal."

He Pingsheng: …