Chapter 496

Chapter 496: The Distant Legend

Du Jianyin’s eyes blazed with a fierce glimmer, his face alight with fervor. To him, worldly grudges and passions held no meaning—only the pinnacle of the Sword Path mattered. He would sacrifice anything to grasp it.

Within Ye Yun’s Sword of the Thunder God, Du Jianyin sensed sword intent—a key to refining his own Sword Path. This revelation electrified him. Without another word, he sat cross-legged, focusing on healing.

Jun Ruolan regarded Ye Yun calmly, her eyes now free of resentment. This puzzled him. He’d stolen the seed of the mysteries of thunder; logically, she should despise him. Yet her serenity felt genuine. Ye Yun chalked it up to her Moon Goddess Palace upbringing—a lost treasure meant little to someone of her stature.

“Senior Sister Jun,” Ye Yun ventured, “Thunder Falls Valley won’t reopen soon. Tell me about the Moon Goddess Palace.”

Jun Ruolan studied him. “Do you comprehend the vastness of heaven and earth? Our realm stretches beyond horizons. The Moon Goddess Palace ranks among the Eight Major Sects governing this continent.”

Ye Yun nodded. The Eight Major Sects were legendary—their inclusion marked supreme status.

“The Great Qin Empire falls under our jurisdiction,” she continued. “You might deem it mighty, yet above it looms the Jiaoyue Dynasty. The Moon Goddess Palace serves as its capital.”

Ye Yun’s brow arched. “Great Qin teems with Nascent Soul experts and saints. How formidable must Jiaoyue’s masters be?”

Jun Ruolan chuckled. “Nascent Soul cultivators are rare enough here. As for Earth Immortal realm saints? The entire Jiaoyue Dynasty hosts barely a hundred, most within our palace. Great Qin itself has but a handful.”

This stunned Ye Yun. To the Jin Kingdom, Great Qin seemed invincible—a realm without Nascent Souls versus one boasting thousands. Yet Jiaoyue’s saints remained scarce despite its size. Cultivation truly resembled a pyramid—each tier thinning drastically.

His thoughts drifted to Tongtong’s round face, then to the illusionary couple outrunning golden-armored warriors. Their power dwarfed saints—they’d teleported the Heart of Immortals and Demons across dimensions. Realization dawned: Earth Immortals couldn’t define them. Only Heavenly Immortals fit.

“Does Moon Goddess Palace house experts beyond saints?” Ye Yun pressed.

Jun Ruolan’s expression turned grave. “Those surpassing saints ascend to the Heavenly Realm. Our leader and two Supreme Elders linger at Earth Immortal’s peak, striving to breach heaven’s gate—a millennium’s effort, still unfulfilled.”

Ye Yun’s resolve hardened. The Nascent Soul stage challenged him; sainthood demanded the unimaginable. Yet if even palace leaders stalled for centuries, the Heavenly Realm’s gates must be near-impassable.

He gripped his advantage—the Heart of Immortals and Demons. Mastering the Cleansing Immortal Heart Technique would forge a body impervious to Purple Mansion Thunder itself.

“Ever heard of Lingxiao City?” Jun Ruolan’s question carried newfound weight.

“Me! Me!” Tongtong bounced up. “Immortal Dao Sect’s turf! I’ve been!”

Jun Ruolan and Ye Yun stared.

“Impossible,” Jun Ruolan countered. “Lingxiao City lies trillions of miles distant. Twenty years of nonstop teleportation gates couldn’t bridge that gap.”

Tongtong stuck out her tongue. “Poor people think that! Super teleportation arrays link the Eight Major Sects!”

Jun Ruolan froze. “Those consume Immortal Spirit Stones beyond measure. Our palace hasn’t used one in a millennium. How did you…?”

“Dunno!” Tongtong chirped. “But I went! Jealous?”

Ye Yun ruffled her hair. “Why envy? Cultivation happens anywhere.”

Jun Ruolan ignored them. “Lingxiao City’s spiritual energy dwarfs Great Qin’s by a hundredfold. Training there accelerates progress tenfold—maybe a hundredfold.”

Ye Yun’s pulse quickened. A year there equaled a century here. His technique demanded monstrous energy—Lingxiao City could fuel unprecedented growth.

New purpose crystallized. After securing Su Ling’s soul-healing pills, he’d reach that city.

Lingxiao City—his next summit.