Chapter Forty-Six: The Five Realms of the Immortal Path

At last, Yi An managed to piece together, through hints and roundabout questioning, the identities of Ao Xiuxiu and the old turtle. His face darkened involuntarily. With Heaven’s Court gone, the aquatic clans had naturally risen to become the most powerful force in the mortal world, unrivaled and unchallenged. Now that he had fallen into their hands, whatever their intentions might be, he was left with no choice.

However, he sensed no malice from them, which gave him a measure of comfort.

As for the old turtle before him, unremarkable in appearance yet the right-hand aide of the Dragon King of the East Sea, he was at the very least a True Immortal.

True Immortal—only those who had crossed the threshold of the Earthly Immortal Tribulation could be called immortals. The realm of True Immortal was the very beginning of the immortal path, the first realm after ascension.

In the past, True Immortals were numerous; throughout the Immortal Realm, there were so many Taiyi Immortals that they were as common as dirt, and True Immortals were as numerous as stray dogs.

But since the disappearance of Heaven’s Court, how many immortals could possibly remain in the mortal world? Let alone Taiyi Immortals—there might not even be a handful of True Immortals left.

The realm of Taiyi Immortal was the second after True Immortal.

There were five ranks among immortals: True Immortal, Taiyi Immortal, Golden Immortal, Grand Golden Immortal of the Great Luo, and Primordial Grand Golden Immortal.

Of these, the Primordial Grand Golden Immortal was also known as a Quasi-Sage. Compared with a true Sage, they were only lacking the Primordial Violet Qi and thus could not command the power of heaven and earth.

It was precisely because Sages could wield the forces of heaven and earth that the saying arose: “All beneath the Sage are but ants.”

“Brother Yi, are you married? What do you think of me?” Ao Xiuxiu asked, her face full of hopeful anticipation.

Yi An’s expression grew even more awkward. To be called “brother” by a “young lady” who was in fact decades, perhaps centuries, older than himself left him deeply vexed.

Though, in terms of age, even the ancestral dragon of the dragon clan paled in comparison to him, he could not prevent such thoughts from arising.

“You are certainly as beautiful as a flower, but I am already betrothed, as you must know. Among humans, marriage comes early—sometimes at twelve or thirteen,” Yi An replied with a wry smile. At this point, he had discerned Ao Xiuxiu’s true intent, and his heart settled somewhat.

If it were a human maiden, he might not have minded taking such a fortuitous offer, but thinking of the other party’s identity gave him a headache.

“I see…” Ao Xiuxiu’s tone fell, but in the next instant, her lively energy returned, and she said coquettishly, “I don’t mind. You can simply divorce her, and then there won’t be any problem.”

“Uh…” Yi An was momentarily speechless.

You might not mind, but I do.

What exactly do you see in me? If you tell me, I’ll change it!

“Miss Ao, this just isn’t the way. As the saying goes, ‘One should not cast away a wife of humble origins.’ If I could abandon her for you today, who’s to say I wouldn’t leave you for another in the future?” Yi An could only rely on his glib tongue. With the old turtle watching closely, he couldn’t use forceful means. Against this innocent young lady, he could only persuade her gently to abandon this reckless idea.

“That makes sense,” Ao Xiuxiu nodded, momentarily stunned. Clever as she was, she was no match for Yi An; with just a few words, her enthusiasm was dampened, though she was loath to give up entirely.

For a time, Ao Xiuxiu fell into a quandary.

The old turtle, who had been walking ahead, was keeping a close eye on the two. Upon hearing Yi An’s words, he looked over with clear appreciation. So long as the little princess abandoned her wild notion, his shell would be safe.

That lad—he’s promising indeed. Not bad, not bad.

The Prime Minister Turtle was in rare good spirits, his heart as light as air.

“Well then, Miss Ao, if that’s the case, I won’t intrude further—there’s an urgent matter at home,” Yi An seized the opportunity to say.

“Oh, but since you’re already here, why not visit our Crystal Palace? We haven’t had an outsider in centuries—you’d be the first. I don’t think you’d refuse my invitation, would you?” Ao Xiuxiu put on a look that brooked no refusal.

Yi An could only force a smile and agree.

The old turtle moved swiftly. Yi An glanced around; the scenery flashed by in a blur, and with only a few exchanges, they had returned from Qiantang to the East Sea, heading straight for the deep ocean.

Back in the sea, Ao Xiuxiu was like a fish in water. She eagerly slipped out from the old turtle’s protective barrier, relishing the familiar embrace of the ocean.

Soon, Ao Xiuxiu had darted far ahead, leading the way.

“Senior, could you please withdraw the protective barrier for a moment?” Yi An asked.

Having received the old turtle’s guidance, and seeing Ao Xiuxiu swimming so freely, he was itching to test how his own water-avoidance technique had progressed.

Sensing his intent, the old turtle smiled. “There’s no need to trouble yourself, boy. Here, take this as a token of our first meeting.” With that, the old turtle tossed him a small red orb, etched with strange patterns.

“A Water-Avoidance Pearl?” Yi An was taken aback. He had seen one before in the Zhang household in Yingchuan, but it was far less lustrous than this one, meaning the original owner’s cultivation must have been much deeper.

“You have some knowledge, I see. With this Water-Avoidance Pearl, you needn’t tire yourself practicing that technique anymore,” the old turtle said.

“Thank you for your kindness, senior. I’ll gladly accept it. But after all, the Water-Avoidance Pearl is an external aid; true strength comes from within. Relying too much on outside objects is not a long-term solution,” Yi An replied, quietly putting the pearl away.

The old turtle was speechless.

If you don’t want it, you could at least give it back!

Nevertheless, he withdrew the protective barrier, allowing Yi An to acclimate to the pressure of the sea on his own. The instant the barrier vanished, though Yi An had braced himself and immediately used the water-avoidance technique, the sensation was still uncomfortable, as if a mountain pressed upon his back, nearly suffocating him. Only after some time did he gradually adapt to the environment.

But aside from that, after following the old turtle’s advice, Yi An found that his water-based spells were much improved—their effectiveness and his endurance were almost double what they had been before.