Meng Lin blinked in confusion, her vision adjusting to the sudden shift in their surroundings. The world around her was eerily familiar, a huge contrast to the chaotic raging sea of red.

"This place..." Meng Lin muttered, her hand still gripping the jade box tightly. She glanced to her left, where her master still held her.

“We’ve arrived safely. This island is protected by a spatial barrier; I used that as a focal point for the teleportation. No one should discover us unless they have spatial abilities," Li Yu said as she released Meng Lin.

Meng Lin’s eyes widened as she released her spiritual consciousness, recognition flashing on her face. “A spatial barrier? It's this undisclosed island... I’ve been here before.”

Her master turned to her, her expression curious. “Oh, then is this a good place to rest? I sense a lingering danger from this place; what might that be?"

Meng Lin's gaze flickered. "It should be the multiple spatial boundaries several dozen meters ahead behind those trees. I hear that they are quite dangerous."

"Several boundaries?" Li Yu’s expression hardened as she gazed into the distance, where the trees cast long shadows over the terrain. “Multiple boundaries this close together... that explains the danger I sensed earlier,” she murmured, more to herself than to Meng Lin.

Meng Lin nodded, still feeling tense from their chaotic escape. "Yes, it’s unpredictable. The last time I was here, if it wasn't for the Realm Breaking Crystal, I wouldn't have dared to stay near them. One wrong step, and you could be torn apart.”

Li Yu sighed softly. “It’s perfect then, manageable for us to stay hidden. We’ll use this time wisely.”

Meng Lin glanced up at her master, some thoughts surfacing in her mind. "Master, I have been fighting and cultivating, and at first, I thought I understood the realms involved in cultivation, but… I couldn't grasp the realms of all those beings we met these past days. What exactly is the Ascension Realm?"

Li Yu raised an eyebrow, a smile tugging at her lips. “It’s about time you asked. I was wondering when you'd seek my knowledge on such matters.” She sat down cross-legged in the sand, motioning for Meng Lin to join her. “Since we’re safe for now, I’ll start teaching you. You’ve earned it.”

Meng Lin sat down beside her, slightly surprised yet nervous. "Perhaps you should wait for your wounds to heal; I don't know if this is the appropriate time for teaching."

Li Yu’s gaze softened as she smiled. “For me to fully heal these wounds would take more than four months,” she said, her voice calm despite the severity of her injuries. “But for now, the wounds are doing no further harm. This is as good a time as any.”

Meng Lin blinked, concern still evident in her eyes, but she nodded slowly. Her master seemed at ease despite the immense toll her body had taken in the recent battle.

Li Yu leaned back slightly, her gaze fixed on the distant waves of seawater. “You’ve been through much these past few days, and you’ve encountered beings far beyond what most cultivators at your stage can even fathom. It’s natural that you’re confused about the realms and the power gaps between them.”

Meng Lin’s brow furrowed. “Yes, Master. When I faced those stronger cultivators, especially that old man Tian Yu, I realized how little I knew. What exactly is the Ascension Realm? And what lies beyond it?”

Li Yu nodded, her expression serious but not harsh. “You’ve reached the mid-stage of the Soul Wandering Realm, a significant milestone. But there is much more to cultivation than just climbing the ranks. Each realm represents not only power but also an understanding of the world and yourself.”

She paused, tracing a line in the air with her finger. “You started at Qi Condensation, where you gathered and refined basic qi. Then, in the Foundation Establishment realm, you stabilized that energy and laid the groundwork for your journey.”

Meng Lin nodded, recalling those early cultivation moments.

“After that, you reached the Golden Core realm, where your energy condensed into a core within your dantian, and you began to learn about elemental qi, a higher form of qi. And now, in the Soul Wandering Realm, your soul is in metamorphosis—allowing you to use soul energy to some extent.”

Meng Lin's mouth parted slightly at the new information; she had been able to utilize her soul energy to blow herself up before, but she didn't think it was because of the realm she was in.

Thinking more about it, she realized that even the soul defense technique that she learned utilized soul energy; she just didn't pay it much heed.

Li Yu stopped for a minute, noticing Meng Lin's focused expression. After a moment, she continued, “After Soul Wandering comes the Nascent Soul Realm, where your dantian core is able to leave your body and merge with your body to create a translucent spectral body. That’s where cultivators begin to grasp the deeper mysteries of existence.”

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“And then?” Meng Lin asked, with a gleam in her eyes.

“Then,” Li Yu continued, her finger tracing the line, “there’s the Ensoulment Realm. At this stage, your physical body and soul become one, making them nearly impossible to separate or destroy without significant effort. All your attacks carry the weight of both spiritual and soul energy."

Li Yu’s gaze grew sharper. “Beyond Ensoulment is the Nihility Realm, where cultivators comprehend the void—the emptiness between worlds. This is where spatial abilities, like those you've encountered with that Palace Master, truly manifest. Those who master the void can traverse vast distances or even create dimensions as big as this continent."

Meng Lin’s mind wandered, her thoughts turning to the powerful scenarios that transpired before. "And after the Nihility Realm...?"

Li Yu’s voice became softer yet more profound. “After Nihility comes the Ascension Realm, where I stand. In the Ascension Realm, we gain access to primal qi, energy that we can draw from any realm we occupy. We can also manipulate time, fate, and some lesser laws to an extent."

Meng Lin felt a chill run down her spine as she grasped the immensity of what her master was saying. “Does that mean that someone like me could be affected by a manipulation from someone in the Ascension Realm?"

Li Yu nodded slowly, her expression serious. “Yes, I suspect our fate was altered to meet Tian Yu so that he could somehow escape from the bowels of that Voidshroud Whale."

Meng Lin furrowed her eyebrows as she considered the implications. "You think Tian Yu did it?"

"No, that's the problem; it's impossible for someone at the Ascension Realm to do that."

Meng Lin's thoughts raced as she processed Li Yu's words. The implications of the Ascension Realm and its connection to the manipulation of abstract concepts stirred a mixture of awe and fear within her.

"Then who could have altered our fate?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Li Yu's gaze grew distant, as if peering into the fabric of space before her. “There are only five beings known to have surpassed the Ascension Realm. They exist in the Half-Immortal Realm, referred to as the Five Absolutes. However, I don't think they need to do something as tricky as manipulating fate."

Meng Lin was silent for a moment, her thoughts jumping at the titles mentioned. "The Five Absolutes..."

Li Yu noticed Meng Lin's sudden silence and her furrowed brow, and she worried if she shared too much. “For now, focus on your own growth. We will need to stay here for a while. I have to recover from the injuries inflicted by Tian Yu, and you too need to heal your spiritual veins."

Meng Lin silently agreed, her mind still swirling with the events that had unfolded. The confrontation with Tian Yu, the jade box’s strange power, and now the colossal amount of information was overwhelming, as well as exciting.

As she looked out over the vast horizon, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore in the distance filled the air, giving her a moment of peace amidst the chaos. She closed her eyes and meditated.

**Huanxia Province**

**Origin Cave Mountain**

In the grand cave system of Origin Cave Mountain, deep within the Huanxia Province, Jin Xue paced in frustration. His eyes flickered with irritation as he listened to the report coming through the talisman in his hand, his subordinates anxiously waiting nearby.

"My brother's soul tablet... destroyed?" Jin Xue growled, gripping the talisman tighter. "How could this happen? Who could have possibly taken him down?"

The voice on the other end of the talisman was shaking. "We don’t know, Boss. He was seen near the central region; however, he quickly evaded our scouting. We don't know where he is now."

Jin Xue's frown deepened. "Riu, Li!" he barked, turning to his two subordinates, who stood at attention. Riu, the Shadowblade, a slim man cloaked in black, and Li, the Iron Fist, a hulking brute of a man, exchanged glances before stepping forward.

"Take a group of men and investigate. I want you to find out who did this, and if the suspect has the box, apprehend him!" Jin Xue ordered, his voice cold and demanding.

Riu nodded, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword. "We'll find him, Boss."

Li cracked his knuckles, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "I'll make sure they pay."

"Good," Jin Xue said, his tone icy. "How are the preparations going?"

Riu stepped forward, his tone calm and composed. “Everything is proceeding according to plan, Boss. The sects under our control have been informed of your intention to ascend as the new ruler of the Yuan Kingdom. They’ve expressed no dissent, given the power we hold over them. We should be ready to leave within the week.”

Jin Xue nodded, his frustration easing slightly as he turned his back to them and gazed toward the cave's entrance. His eyes burned with ambition. “Good. Once I sit on the throne, no one in the Yuan Kingdom will be able to challenge us. The sects here bend to our will, and soon the kingdom will as well.”

He continued, "All those who oppose us will be crushed. But first, I need to make sure everything is in place. I have unfinished business here.”

Riu raised an eyebrow. “Unfinished business, Boss?”

Jin Xue turned back toward them, his expression dark. “I didn’t come back to Origin Cave Mountain just for the throne."

Riu and Li exchanged glances, their curiosity piqued, but they knew better than to ask further. Jin Xue was not the type of man to reveal his plans until the moment was right.

Jin Xue strode deeper into the cave system, his footsteps echoing through the grand halls. Behind him, his subordinates followed in silence.

The cave walls, lined with gleaming ores and strange inscriptions, continued until the heart of the mountain. Jin Xue paused before a massive stone door engraved with ancient symbols.

He pressed his hand against the cool surface, and with a surge of his qi, the door rumbled open, revealing a hidden chamber.

Inside, resting on a pedestal at the center of the chamber, were two jade boxes.

“This,” Jin Xue murmured, his hand brushing over the intricate carvings on one of the jade boxes, “is the key to ensuring my rise to power. With these boxes, not even the strongest cultivators of the continent will be able to do anything to me."

Riu and Li remained silent, their eyes fixed on the jade boxes, knowing that whatever lay inside held immense power—power that could change the course of the entire continent.

Jin Xue smirked, his grip tightening on the two jade boxes. “Once I claim what’s inside, not even the heavens will stop me from becoming king.”