"Please, have a seat," the old man welcomed Qin Yan and his group to sit at a wooden table in the reception hall of the house. He brought ceramic teacups and a teapot, serving tea to everyone.

"Please enjoy." The old man lifted the teacup and took a sip of tea. Although Qin Yan and his group were not accustomed to drinking tea, they felt the old man's hospitality and decided to take a sip as well. The tea had a fresh and unique aroma, and despite its peculiar taste, it had a distinct flavor.

"By the way, may I know how to address each of you?" The old man smiled and inquired after looking at everyone.

Qin Yan and the others promptly shared their names with the old man, who nodded in approval. He politely remarked, "Ah, good names. Just like you, it's clear that you are all talented individuals. You have a bright future ahead of you!"

Lin Shiqi asked, "And what should we call you, old man?"

The old man chuckled, "Here, everyone calls me Old Monarch." Pausing for a moment, he continued, "By the way, may I ask how you all came to know the True Monarch? Can you tell me?"

Qin Yan felt that the old man had no ill intentions, so he briefly recounted his encounter with the True Monarch to Old Monarch. After hearing the story, Old Monarch was extremely surprised. "So... all of you have come from the human realm. It's truly remarkable. It's been a long time since I've seen humans coming from the human realm."

"The human realm?" Qin Yan was puzzled by the term. Old Monarch laughed, "It seems you don't know where you are, do you?"

"Where are we?" Qin Yan asked.

"Oh, there are many names for this place. We usually refer to it as the Heavenly Realm."

"The Heavenly Realm? How did we end up in a place like this?" Lin Shiqi questioned.

"I'm not sure. The Heavenly Realm and the human realm are completely separate places. Normally, it's very difficult for people to travel between these two places. Additionally, the gateway to the Heavenly Realm was closed several hundred years ago. Once the Heavenly Realm's gateway is closed, the two worlds are essentially cut off from each other, and humans cannot come from the human realm to the Heavenly Realm. But from the current situation, it seems that the gateway to the Heavenly Realm has reopened."

"The gateway to the Heavenly Realm? What is that?" Lin Shiqi was getting confused.

"Well... oh, it's nothing." Old Monarch hesitated. Changing the subject, he asked, "Earlier, you mentioned that you came to find the True Monarch. May I ask what you need from him?"

"Well..." Qin Yan realized he hadn't thought about what to do after finding the True Monarch. Dream Butterfly spoke up, "I have a question, Old Monarch. Where did you and the people here come from?"

Old Monarch was taken aback. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "The origins of the people here are quite complex, and I'm not entirely sure where they came from. However, most humans here, like you, came from the human realm."

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"So the people here also came from the human realm?" Lin Shiqi was astonished, while Dream Butterfly raised a question, "But didn't you say that the gateway to the Heavenly Realm was closed several hundred years ago, and no one from the human realm could come to the Heavenly Realm anymore?"

"That's right, the people here arrived in the Heavenly Realm several hundred years ago. Is there a problem with that?" Old Monarch said, looking puzzled.

"Of course, there is a problem," Dream Butterfly stated, growing more perplexed. "If they truly came here several hundred years ago, it's not possible for them to still be alive and look so young."

"Oh, I see..." Old Monarch suddenly understood something and chuckled, "Young lady, you are right. If it were in the human realm, they wouldn't live this long. But perhaps you're not aware, the Heavenly Realm is different from the human realm. Living in the Heavenly Realm greatly extends one's lifespan, so living for hundreds of years is not a problem."

"Really?!" Lin Shiqi was both shocked and thrilled. "What about us? If we live here?"

Old Monarch stroked his beard, smiling as he said, "Since you were able to come to the Heavenly Realm and survive here, it means you are no longer ordinary humans. As long as you stay in the Heavenly Realm, your lifespan will also greatly increase. Living for hundreds of years will be quite easy."

"That's amazing!" Lin Shiqi's eyes sparkled with joy. "Then let's just stay here, so we can live for hundreds of years too!"

"Hehe, sure, if you're willing to stay, we would be very welcoming." Old Monarch said with a smile.

The others were also delighted. They all shared a similar sentiment to Lin Shiqi, as everyone would naturally want to live longer.

"Wait a minute." Qin Yan suddenly remembered something and said, "We can't stay here. We need to go back to the human realm. There are still many things we haven't completed there."

Upon hearing Qin Yan's words, Lin Shiqi also remembered, "That's right, Ice Sister and the others are still in the human realm. It would be great if they could come here with us."

Qin Yan stared at Old Monarch and said solemnly, "I have a request for your help."

Old Monarch replied, "Please go ahead. If it's within my abilities, I will certainly assist you."

Qin Yan spoke in a serious tone, "Since the so-called gateway to the Heavenly Realm has opened, allowing us to come from the human realm to the Heavenly Realm, it should also be possible to return from the Heavenly Realm to the human realm. Do you know how to go back?"

"Well, about that..." Old Monarch's expression stiffened, showing a troubled look.

"Is there a problem?" Qin Yan asked.

Old Monarch said with a serious expression, "I might as well tell you the truth. The method of entering and exiting from the human realm and the Heavenly Realm is a taboo classified matter. It's something I can't disclose to you."

"Why is that?" Lin Shiqi felt disappointed. "It shouldn't matter if you tell us. We won't use it for any wrongdoing."

"No, this is the rule here. The rules must not be broken." Old Monarch waved his hand firmly.

"Just tell us, don't be so stingy," Lin Shiqi persisted. However, the previously amiable Old Monarch now showed a hint of anger on his face as he sternly said, "Since you have come to the Heavenly Realm, you must abide by the rules here. If you cause trouble again, please leave on your own!"

Seeing Old Monarch's anger, Lin Shiqi decided not to continue pressing the issue, and the atmosphere became tense and awkward.

At that moment, Yi Tianchou, who had been silent, spoke in a deep voice, "May I ask, where do these rules come from, and who established them?"

Old Monarch paused, looked at Yi Tianchou, and replied, "Well, these rules were established by the leader of our Heavenly Realm humans, the Heavenly Emperor."

"The Heavenly Emperor?" Yi Tianchou's lips curved into a faint smile as he said, "In that case, can we meet this 'Heavenly Emperor' and have a discussion with him? Since this 'Heavenly Emperor' is the one who established the rules, shouldn't he have the authority not to follow these rules?"