Chapter 16: The Polar Abyss

Although Hua Shaojie attained the Celestial Immortal realm in just two years, this was only possible due to the foundation he had built over his long years of cultivation in the mortal realm. In truth, even immortals in the Immortal Realm have a limited lifespan. The most common and lowest level is the Mortal Immortal. Those born within the Immortal Realm reach the initial stage of Mortal Immortal by the age of ten, and their lifespan is 15,000 years. Naturally, with even the most basic cultivation technique, one can advance to the Earth Immortal realm, which grants a lifespan of 30,000 years. Upon reaching the Celestial Immortal realm, one’s lifespan extends to 50,000 years. It could be said that even the most ordinary immortal possesses a lifespan of at least 50,000 years. Ten thousand years is called an "Epoch," 100,000 years a "Cycle," one million years an "Era," and ten million years a "Grand Era"—provided, of course, that one lives a peaceful life.

Theoretically, reaching the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm grants eternal life. However, successfully advancing from Celestial Immortal to Great Luo Golden Immortal is not something everyone can achieve. It is a hurdle, a pit; clear it, and everything is well, but fail, and you fall in, with time slowly burying you.

According to the conventions of the Immortal Realm, the standard time for someone born in the realm to advance from Mortal Immortal to Earth Immortal is 100 years, and from Earth Immortal to Celestial Immortal is 1,000 years. After that, you have 48,900 years to cross that hurdle—that massive pit.

Thus, Hua Shaojie is undoubtedly a genius. His arrival on Bi-Hai Star was for a specific mission, primarily because the Divine Weapon Star, which opens once every cycle, was about to begin. It would be the most bustling event in the Immortal Realm: the qualifying tournament for the Divine Weapon Star. In theory, anyone can go to the Divine Weapon Star, but past experience shows that it only opens once per cycle. Upon opening, one must pass three trials to reach the actual Divine Weapon Star. Entry to these trials requires a ticket, and a maximum of 108 people can reach the Divine Weapon Star each time. The entrance closes as soon as the 108-person quota is filled, and anyone still within the trials is sent back to the entrance.

"They say the Divine Weapon Star qualifiers are extremely intense. This time, the Earth Flame Sect, Ancient Sword Sect, Bi-Hai Sect, and Ten Thousand Beasts Sect are forming an alliance. Zhang Qiang and I are the vanguards for the Earth Flame Sect. I wonder if the representatives from the other two sects will be Hua Ruoxue and Zhang Cuishan? I wonder what their expressions will be when they see Zhang Sanfeng?" Hua Shaojie stopped eating and took out the communicator Tang Yi had left behind, dialing a series of numbers.

"The Immortal Realm is truly the Immortal Realm; this long-distance communicator can only be used within the same city. Hmm, it’s connected. Haha, he’s already arrived!" Hua Shaojie laughed, stood up, and headed for the door.

In the Polar Demon Abyss star sector, on a dark, blood-colored planet, Tang Xianyu casually discarded a corpse that had been drained of its blood until only skin and bones remained. Looking out at the purple-black grasslands connecting to the pitch-black, moonless sky, a flash of crimson light flickered in his eyes.

"Hah, fifty years have passed, and I have finally reached the late stage of the Nine Heavens Profound Immortal. Now, no one in this star system is my match. Tang Yi, with your aptitude, you should have reached the Immortal Realm long ago. You forced me to teleport to this Immortal Realm, sparing me the pain of sealing and the danger of the tribulation ascension, yet you made me appear in this Polar Demon Abyss. Should I thank you, or should I hate you?" Tang Xianyu murmured to himself with his hands behind his back. "Regardless, once we both ascend to the Immortal Realm, we can only be enemies! A battle is inevitable, sooner or later!"

As it turned out, Tang Xianyu had been sent by Tang Yi’s ultra-long-distance teleportation, only to end up in the Immortal Realm. The tragedy was that he was dumped on a planet within the Polar Demon Abyss sector. When he first arrived, Tang Xianyu was incredibly weak, not even at the initial stage of Mortal Immortal, and in this harsh environment, even a moderate storm could have torn him to pieces.

Actually, Tang Xianyu had been torn apart many times. The first time he encountered a sandstorm tornado on the grasslands, he was shredded into a pile of flesh and blood. However, he discovered that his special ability had evolved; the scattered flesh slowly merged back together, eventually reforming his human shape. Although the environment was harsh, it was still the Immortal Realm, and even the thinnest immortal energy here was far superior to the spiritual energy of the mortal realm. As the flesh merged, it absorbed the immortal energy, which directly elevated his cultivation to the initial stage of Mortal Immortal. Over the next ten years, Tang Xianyu wandered the planet, often being beaten and killed by the immortals—no, here in the Polar Demon Abyss, they were called demons—at least a hundred times, and his cultivation rose to the initial stage of Earth Immortal.

The Polar Demon Abyss was the site of the ancient Immortal-Demon War. The original Demon Lord had self-detonated his true body, causing the several Immortal Lords he was fighting to perish as well. His clone led the remaining demons to hold out in the Zhiai Star sector, now known as the Polar Demon Abyss. Originally, there was no distinction between immortals and demons in the Immortal Realm. No one knew when or why demons appeared, but since the Immortal Realm was dominated by immortals, demons were labeled as outsiders and were to be eradicated. Thus, the Immortal-Demon War began.

The current Polar Demon Abyss is extremely chaotic, with no rules or constraints. In a random brawl, Tang Xianyu, then at the initial stage of Earth Immortal, was enraged and drained the blood of a late-stage Earth Immortal demon, discovering that this blood could be refined to boost his cultivation, equivalent to decades of bitter practice. From then on, there was no turning back: fighting, killing, and draining blood. That is how the current Tang Xianyu came to be.

Tang Xianyu scanned the starry sky, made a decision, and took out a flight apparatus, stepping inside. The vessel flew off in one direction—toward the main star system of the Polar Demon Abyss, the Zhiai system.

"Hehe, little one, can you tell big brother where this is? There's a reward!" Tang Yi bent down in front of a small child and asked.

"…Mom said not to talk to strangers! And don't take things from strangers either." A little girl of four or five, with rosy cheeks, blinked her large, bright eyes at Tang Yi.

"Hmm, well, my name is Tang Yi, you can call me Brother Tang Yi. You can tell me your name too, and then we won't be strangers anymore!" Tang Yi continued.

"Hmm, I have to ask Mom. Mom, Mom is coming over!" the little girl called out, turning back.

A woman emerged from a nearby courtyard, came up to the little girl, and said to Tang Yi, "Young friend, may I ask what you need?" She appeared very guarded against Tang Yi.

"…My apologies, miss. I am passing through and wanted to ask where the nearest city is. I have been traveling for a long time and need to replenish my supplies," Tang Yi said helplessly.

"Is that so?" The woman breathed a sigh of relief. "There are no cities on this planet; the nearest one is on that planet to the east. It looks like you have an interstellar flight vessel, right? This is a small place, and there are no teleportation arrays. You'll have to take your own vessel."

"In that case, thank you very much, miss. Please accept this small gift as a token of my gratitude." Tang Yi held out a small jade artifact to the woman.

"I cannot, there is no need for this," the woman said, taken aback, and immediately refused.

Helpless, Tang Yi had to stuff the jade into the little girl's hand. The woman's expression changed instantly, followed by a look of astonishment.

Tang Yi just smiled, pulled out a small spacecraft, and slipped inside. He waved at the pair, and as the little girl’s clear voice rang out, the craft headed east.

"Brother Tang Yi, my name is Song Lingke!" the little girl shouted at the spacecraft!

"This Song Lingke has extraordinary abilities, and her mother is no slouch either. This is the first time since entering the Immortal Realm that I've discovered people with special abilities, and two at once! I'm really looking forward to the Immortal Realm now!" Tang Yi said to himself inside the craft.