Little Immortal Honglian stood beside Fang Chen and softly said, "It's said that within the Nine Mortal Realms, the Lesser Immortal Realm has a total of 99 Immortal Gates. I just checked the star map. If we fly a bit farther out from here, we'll reach the sphere of influence of the Blood and Flesh Divine Palace."

"So that means... the Lesser Immortal Realm hasn't set up many Immortal Gates in the Fangcun Realm?" Fang Chen mused.

If the 99 Immortal Gates were evenly distributed, each realm would have exactly eleven. At the very least, there should be one fairly close to the core of the Enlightenment God Palace. It was also possible that the Enlightenment God Palace simply hadn't allowed them to establish Immortal Gates in that area.

At that moment, everyone's attention focused on Ji Sheng.

Ji Sheng's immortal essence surged. He struck out with streams of qi, constructing a formation in the void. Immediately afterward, he bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood mist. When the mist fused into the formation, it seemed to imbue it with a mysterious power.

Fang Chen had already opened his Primordial Immortal Eye, carefully observing the scene. Countless lines appeared before him, and the origin of the formation seemed to be laid bare. It was merely a formation serving as a kind of bridge, nothing particularly profound. The true key lay in the mouthful of blood Ji Sheng had just expelled.

"Could it be that cultivators born in the Lesser Immortal Realm are different from those of the Nine Mortal Realms? Is that why only those who ascended to the Immortal Realm were originally called Immortals, while cultivators of the Nine Mortal Realms still habitually call themselves cultivators?"

Fang Chen suddenly grew curious. He had once heard that the Lesser Immortal Realm had a rule forbidding those below from carrying out the Soul Crossing Ritual.

Could there be some special connection between these two things?

The formation diagram suddenly erupted with golden light. Like an arched bridge, it extended several hundred zhang outward. At the end of the bridge, the void slowly opened. Through a gap roughly a hundred feet in diameter, one could vaguely see majestic, layered buildings standing within.

Ji Sheng cupped his hands toward Chen Enxue. "Third Senior Sister, the Dongyou Immortal Gate has been opened."

"Let's go, time to broaden your horizons!" exclaimed Chen Enxue.

She waved her hand and piloted the Black Dragon Boat along the golden-arched bridge, charging into the Immortal Gate.

Immediately after, the Immortal Gate closed on its own. When everyone turned back, there was no trace of the Qingming. They had arrived in a wilderness plain. Not far away stood a city, the very cluster of buildings they had seen earlier.

The assembled core disciples were all quite curious. Most of the core disciples who had signed up to come to the Lesser Immortal Realm had never been here before. Taking advantage of Chen Enxue's company, and with free time on their hands, they decided to tag along to see the sights and experience the Lesser Immortal Realm firsthand.

In the Nine Mortal Realms, the vast majority of cultivators would never get such an opportunity in their entire lives, because the Lesser Immortal Realm simply would not allow them to set foot here.

"Ahem, ahem."

Just as everyone took in the surroundings with relish and sensed the spiritual energy of this place, an old man suddenly emerged from the ground.

Ji Sheng stepped forward and cupped his hands in salute. "Senior, I am Ji Sheng of the Ji Family. These are my fellow senior brothers and sisters from the Enlightenment God Palace, all of us core disciples."

He then explained via transmission to the others, "This is the Immortal Gate Guardian of the Dongyou Immortal Gate." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Immortal Gate Guardian?

Everyone sized up the old man. As core disciples of the Enlightenment God Palace, they had no reverence toward the old man. Even when facing a seventh-transformation Ancient Immortal in the Nine Realms, they held their heads up high, considering themselves equals.

Little Immortal Honglian secretly transmitted, "Daoist Fang, I've heard that all Immortal Gate Guardians of the Lesser Immortal Realm follow the Earth Immortal Path, and their cultivation starts at sixth-transformation at the very least. Some particularly important Immortal Gates even have seventh-transformation Ancient Immortals guarding them."

"You seem quite knowledgeable about this place. Did you do your homework before coming?" Fang Chen replied, somewhat amused.

Little Immortal Honglian froze for a moment, but she quickly feigned calm detachment. "I just enjoy reading ancient texts. The Enlightenment God Palace has ancient records talking about the Lesser Immortal Realm. But it seems you have little interest in such things."

Fang Chen nodded. "Indeed, I am not particularly interested in those things."

In truth, he already knew everything she had mentioned. After settling Little Yu's affairs, he had deliberately sought out information about the Lesser Immortal Realm. For example, there were no stars there, only a single continent. And even that was incomplete, merely a peripheral fragment of the Greater Immortal Realm. The relationship was somewhat like that between the Lesser Underworld and the Floating Pagoda Realm.

"Core disciples of the Enlightenment God Palace?" muttered the Dongyou Immortal Gate Guardian. After sizing them up, he nodded. "The Lesser Immortal Realm has its own rules. Do not stay too long. When your allotted time is up, remember to leave."

Ji Sheng immediately nodded. "Rest assured, senior. We won't stay long."

The Immortal Gate Guardian said nothing more and instantly sank into the ground, disappearing.

A core disciple was surprised. "Visitors from outside the Lesser Immortal Realm are limited by a time restriction?"

Ji Sheng explained, "The Lesser Immortal Realm is actually no different from the Greater Immortal Realm. If one ascended here in the past, their soul would carry a special imprint, allowing them to remain here for a long time."

"And if there's no special imprint? What happens if we don't leave within the time limit?"

"It will affect your Immortal Path," explained Ji Sheng, smiling. "Similar incidents have happened before. Someone was clearly following the Great Luo Immortal Path, but because they stayed too long in the Lesser Immortal Realm, when they returned and consumed the subsequent immortal herbs, the herbs lost their effect, and they could no longer advance."

Chen Enxue nodded. "I've heard about that too. But the time limit is at least 300 years. As long as you leave by then, there's no issue."

She looked at Ji Sheng and instructed, "Old Tenth, summon your Black Dragon Boat. You lead the way. I'll also take this opportunity to explain the trouble your Ji Family is facing."

Ji Sheng immediately summoned his Black Dragon Boat and led everyone toward the Ji Family's location.

"Third Senior Sister, what trouble is Junior Brother Ji's family dealing with this time?" A core disciple asked with curiosity.

"You're not too familiar with the Lesser Immortal Realm, so I'll start from the beginning," Chen Enxue said with a faint smile. "You all know that the world's only True Immortal Path is held by the Lesser Immortal Realm, right?"

Everyone's eyes flickered as they nodded in unison, unable to hide a trace of envy.

As core disciples of the Enlightenment God Palace, they too deeply coveted the True Immortal Path. Yet even an existence as powerful as the Enlightenment God Palace could not obtain that Immortal Path. Even if all the Three Upper Realms joined forces and dozens of top-tier powers attacked the Lesser Immortal Realm together, they still wouldn't be able to seize it.

That was because they would face two major problems. The first was the three-hundred-year time limit Chen Enxue had just mentioned. Second, how would they even be able to enter the Lesser Immortal Realm? Only Lesser Immortal Realm natives could open the 99 Immortal Gates.

The True Immortal Path was the very foundation of the Lesser Immortal Realm. Even Ji Sheng would never open the door and invite disaster for the Lesser Immortal Realm just for the Enlightenment God Palace.

This point, it was said, had already been tested jointly by the Three Upper Realms long ago, with disastrous defeat. So after many years, no one dared to set their sights on the Lesser Immortal Realm again.

"The force that possesses the True Immortal Path is called the True King Clan," shared Chen Enxue. "In the vast Lesser Immortal Realm, everything is led by the True King Clan, because they are suspected of having a living ninth-transformation True Immortal. They are so strong that even our Palace Lord may not necessarily be their match."