"What book are you reading? Why does the writing look so strange?" Lishang asked.

"Xiaomiao brought it. It's from my home planet." Inside the carriage, Wang Sheng set down On the Practical Application of Guerrilla Tactics in Immortal-Cultivator Warfare. He then smiled lightly. "This language is a lot simpler than the ancient human language used across the endless space. It should not be too hard for you to learn. Would you like to try?"

Lishang nodded gently. Wang Sheng handed over some books to her. She listened as he explained how to read from left to right, then tried it with keen interest. Even with her insight as Nuwa's descendant and her talent for symbolic scriptures, it still took her some effort to truly understand Earth's modern texts.

Meanwhile, Ling Sheng and Yaoyun just rested in the Qiankun Ring.

It had been two months since they escaped Lin Yanyun's pursuit outside Guishen. In that span of time, they had destroyed four more of the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect's bases in the central region of the Eastern Sky Region.

However, with the enemy's preparations becoming increasingly thorough, each encounter had grown more dangerous. Lin Yanyun, along with several Taiyi Golden Immortals under her command, had also been relentlessly tracking them. She clearly would not stop until she had crushed them.

By now, they were nearing the northern part of the Eastern Sky Region, where clashes between great powers occurred frequently. Hostess Su grew more cautious as she guided the koi forward.

They had only been harassing the Heavenly Yuanshen Sect's bases to eliminate the one on Guishen. Considering Fengmo and the ancient battlefield calmed down after they had achieved that goal, they concluded that they had successfully avoided drawing suspicion.

Their only objective now could be summed up in two words: stay alive.

A few more days passed.

Wang Sheng found it difficult to focus on cultivation while constantly fleeing. Since Lishang had become absorbed in the books that Wang Sheng had given her, Hostess Su, one of his forefather's consorts, became his only companion for conversation.

Unfortunately, they had little to talk about. It wasn't like they could study dual cultivation techniques behind Chun Yangzi's back, even if it were purely theoretical.

"Senior, is the Heaven-Scouring Grand Array in the Immortal Saint Realm still under construction?"

"It should be almost complete," Hostess Su replied. "Harmonizing the Great Dao of more than sixty Grand Dao Golden Immortals is no simple matter, though. It may still take half a year before the search begins."

Wang Sheng pondered for a moment, "Is there any place that can evade the heavenly prophecy?"

"Your home planet, the Realm of Exiled Immortals, could work. Most of the other realms similar to it would not."

He shook his head. "Then forget it."

He did not dare return home now. If he exposed his home planet's existence, a powerful being could destroy it in an instant. Innocent bystanders would also be dragged into the disaster.

Noticing that Wang Sheng had little to occupy himself with, Hostess Su explained the simple reason why it was difficult to find a place that could evade such detection: the Great Dao had continued to evolve and refine itself.

Countless powerful beings emerged in the Primal Era because the Great Dao was still in a relatively primitive state. As it became more complete, the Sea of Dao Laws also grew more refined, and those who could defy heaven decreased.

If the Three Pure Ones were not taken into consideration, then living beings had actually grown overall weaker from the Primal Era to the present age.

Heavenly Immortals served as soldiers in the Primal Era. In the Ancient Era, True Immortals took that role. Now, True Immortals could already be considered a minor expert in the endless space.

Such was the result of the Great Dao's evolution.

When the Heavenly Court was established, order filled the world. This was a necessary stage in the advancement of the Great Dao, allowing all beings to live out their destined span regardless of strength.

However, looking at history from a broader perspective led to a rather ironic conclusion. Progress did not always belong to the strongest. When civilizations clashed, the more primitive side could sometimes prevail, slowing development. Setting aside various human factors, the fall of the Heavenly Court could also be seen in this light.

Earth had also seen plenty of similar events. During the Bronze Age, the Zhou dynasty overthrew the more advanced Shang. Later on, the Yuan dynasty conquered the Song dynasty.

It all ultimately came back to the workings of the Great Dao. During the era when the Heavenly Court ruled the universe, though, the Sea of Dao Laws developed tremendously, making the Great Dao more complete. That was why the Heaven-Scouring Grand Array would almost certainly find the sacred spirit once it was fully activated.

Even if Wang Sheng could find Qinghua and use his Apricot-Yellow Banner to conceal himself, there was a chance he would still be found.

With a self-mocking smile, Wang Sheng sighed. "This is seriously difficult."

He took out the Dragon Sword, which had been serving as a decoration all this time, and carefully polished it. The sword trembled slightly, as if the sudden attention was almost too much to handle.

Hostess Su smiled faintly. "You do have it quite hard right now. Why don't I take you somewhere you can relax?"

"Does the Qiluo Celestial Realm have a branch in the Eastern Sky Region as well?"

"Of course. Otherwise, how would we gather information? Don't tell me you've already been there?"

"No, I was just guessing." Wang Sheng let out an embarrassed laugh. "I am a married man. How could I frequent such places? If the great powers of the Immortal Saint Realm found me there, I would undoubtedly become famous overnight."

Hostess Su covered her mouth and laughed softly.

Looking puzzled, Lishang asked, "Qiluo Celestial Realm?"

Wang Sheng replied, "It's—"

Gently, Hostess Su interjected, "You will understand once we go there. The Qiluo Celestial Realm has nearly a hundred branches across the Eastern Sky Region, and there happens to be one nearby. Since it also serves as a hub for the intelligence network in the Eastern Sky Region, we might as well make a detour. We can gather more information along the way."

Since intel was crucial to their survival, Wang Sheng and Lishang agreed at once.

With a light wave of her hand, Hostess Su made the great koi speed off in a new direction. She also cast a spell within the carriage that instantly poured the white waves around them into the massive fish.

A draconic roar echoed through space as the koi disguised itself into a mighty azure dragon covered in multicolored scales. Its jaws gripped the harness and pulled the carriage at high speed.

A day later, Wang Sheng woke Ling Sheng and Yaoyun so they could witness the wondrous sight ahead. A vast nebula in the midst of star formation stretched before them, forming two faint images of dancing beauties. Even from afar, it was breathtaking.

As they drew closer, countless gigantic celestial bodies in the nebula came into view. They also saw countless beautiful scenes along the way.

The shifting nebula unfolded like an endless illusion. Entering it made them feel as though they had stepped into a celestial realm. Now and then, various mounts sped through it. The occasional passing silhouettes of immortals stirred the imagination even further.

After flying for another half a day, they stopped near a pink, shell-shaped nebula.

At its deepest point, a sun shone like a pearl, radiating a captivating glow. A celestial body that immortals had placed here revolved slowly around the young sun at the perfect distance.

It served as a branch of the Qiluo Celestial Realm.

Ling Sheng softly commented, "It is so beautiful."

Hostess Su smiled. "All of this is the wondrous craftsmanship of the Great Dao. Aside from that celestial body, immortal power had no hand in the creation of this place. Come, I will take you to rest for a few days. The journey must have been very tiring."

Wang Sheng smiled. "Are the usual arrangements in place?"

"Of course. You are an honored guest here." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Just as Wang Sheng was about to tease her further, Yaoyun appeared before him with astonishing speed. It looked as though she was about to throw herself into his arms, but she instead drove her elbow into him, making him bare his teeth in pain.

"Do not forget that Hua Qing is still diligently cultivating so she can reunite with you sooner!"

"Yeah, yeah," Wang Sheng said at once, conceding defeat. He smiled wryly at Hostess Su. "Please find us a quiet place to rest."

Hostess Su could not stop laughing.

The pink azure dragon brought them down without obstruction onto the celestial body. Before long, they reached a rather "simple" great palace that was open on all sides. Nearby were hot springs and splendid bathing pools, while further out, terraces of layered blossoms stretched into the distance. Every decoration was lavish and magnificent.

The Golden-dusted divine phoenixes flying above, the coiled dragon crafted from pearls, and the young, graceful female immortals moving about made it the perfect location to pass the time.

As usual, they had the entire place to themselves. No one would be charging them Spirit Stones anyway.

Hostess Su went to gather her subordinates and receive intelligence reports from various sources, leaving Wang Sheng and the others to rest.

Yaoyun had already pulled Ling Sheng away to soak in the hot springs. Wang Sheng could not help but worry whether the Ghost Heart Vine could end up getting waterlogged.

Lishang softly remarked, "Hostess Su is truly remarkable."

She and Wang Sheng sat in two separate pools half a zhang apart, sampling fruits and fine wine that drifted over with the flowing water.

Wang Sheng chuckled. "This is a place for Golden Immortals to indulge themselves. Even if an ordinary Heavenly Immortal saved up for a lifetime, they probably would not last a few years here."

Lishang said, "I thought this place would be like those establishments run by the Fengli Sect..."

"Elegance is the key to earning more Spirit Stones," Wang Sheng said as he slowly reclined in the water. He sighed comfortably. "Lishang, if we run into serious trouble later and I cannot look after you, slip away and return to the Xinghai Sect."

"Mm," Lishang replied with a light nod. She swayed her serpent tail gently under the water.

Silence fell between them. Before long, steady snores came from Wang Sheng's side. Lishang smiled faintly and closed her eyes to rest as well.

After some time, she opened her phoenix eyes just a sliver and looked at Wang Sheng, who was lying flat in the adjacent pool. Her gaze moved from his face down to his well-built chest.

Strange. Ever since he received a portion of my race's primordial power, how come he has become more... appealing?

After pondering it briefly, Lishang attributed it to the effects of the primordial power.

Since Empress Nuwa also created the human race, perhaps we share some traits. Does that mean that if I gave him more of my primordial power, I could attempt to fulfill my responsibility of continuing my race's lineage through him?

Lishang sank into thought. She did not dwell much on tender feelings between men and women. On the contrary, she approached such matters with a more rational mindset. Perhaps that was one of the differences between humans and her kind.

Wang Sheng murmured, "Senior Sister..."

Lishang was startled, but she quickly realized that Wang Sheng was just talking in his sleep. Her lips curved into a faint smile.

Forget it. His heart already belongs to someone else. Being close friends is already good enough. In this vast space, I'm sure I'll eventually encounter others of my own kind.