Before reaching Ascension, Tianming didn't have the power to break away from the Welkin plane, but Feiling did. So this time, he only brought Feiling. Of course, his four lifebound beasts looked forward to the battlefield in the sky.
“Ling'er, the horrible woman on the moon still thinks about Lizi. You must teach her a lesson when we get up there."
As Feiling carried Tianming into the starry sky, Xian Xian’s spiritform hung from Tianming’s shoulder and chattered on endlessly.
“I won’t look for her unless it’s a last resort. I just want to inquire about Qingyu and Feng,” said Tianming.
It had been over a month since Huiyue Yin's death. From the divine moonrace’s silence, Tianming assumed that humanity had safely passed the storm. But to be on the safe side, he didn't want to step foot on the moon. If it weren’t for Qingyu, Tianming would have waited a while longer.
They crossed the Kilostar Domain and continued moving up. The higher up they went, the more dazzling the stars became as the bright moon in the sky grew bigger and bigger.
“The moonlight originates from the stellunar source, which is located in the starcore of the Divine Moon Realm, so the real Divine Moon Realm is bigger than the stellunar source that we can see with the naked eye!”
In the Flameyellow Continent, all they saw was the luminous part of the moon. It was light that passed through the surface of the Divine Moon Realm and into the outside world.
“How do you feel?” Tianming asked Feiling.
“It’s a bit strenuous, and we’re only halfway there,” said Feiling.
“Looks like going to the Divine Moon Realm is no easy feat. The old gods of the Flameyellow Continent, such as the Hexapath Sword God, must’ve never imagined a more magnificent world existed above it," Tianming sighed.
“You’re right. It’s getting harder.” In taking Tianming, Feiling was expending a great deal of energy.
The higher up they went, the brighter the stars were.
“So this is the real world. It’s beautiful!” said Tianming.
“Look down, Big Brother,” Feiling said in surprise.
When Tianming looked down, he was stupefied.
“This is a complete picture of the Flameyellow Continent!”
It was a vast continent, suspended in the void. Below it was the realm of chaos, a disorderly world that resembled the dark abyss, or perhaps an enormous mouth filled with boundless energy. Tianming was astonished to find that the Flameyellow Continent was shaped like a person, like an enlarged version of the Specter Mountains, and the spherical Canal of the Dead was actually its ‘head’.
“This is the mortal world of the Welkin plane.”
The higher up she flew, the wider their field of vision grew. Tianming could even see other Welkin continents. However, those continents were too far away from their homeland, so there was no intersection between them. The Flameyellow Continent was rather isolated, but the other continents were closer to each other.
The Archaionfiend wasn’t lying. This was what the world really looked like.
Atop the Welkin plane was the realm of order, which was divided into the astralscape of order and the lower levels of the cosmic aether. Below was the abyss-like realm of chaos. The Welkin plane stretched endlessly between them, a dividing line between order and chaos.
Countless particles and remnants of stars had been deposited on this plane over hundreds of millions of years, forming a bilateral continent. The Welkin plane seemed to be the foundation of the entire universe sandwiched between the realm of chaos and the realm of order.
“How vast!” This was the only description Tianming could think of.
“The Primordial Chaos Beasts in my dreams were most likely roaming the cosmos. So my dreams must be real! Only by leaving the Welkin plane can I embark on the path of deciphering the secrets behind the Primordial Chaos Beasts.” Tianming's heart surged with excitement.
“Look! It’s the Divine Moon Realm.” Feiling’s voice trembled a little from the exhaustion she felt ascending into the sky for the first time.
Having been focused on what lay below, Tianming raised his head and saw a moonlit planet that covered half the space above his head.
“It's much larger than the Ninefold Hell! The surface area of the Divine Moon Realm is at least half that of the Flameyellow Continent!”
The Flameyellow Continent was flat, while the Divine Moon Realm was a planet. Half of the Flameyellow Continent was still huge, and it still seemed shocking when he stood before it. Although the Divine Moon Realm wasn’t as populous as the Flameyellow Continent, it was ahead by many levels. After all, it had a history of millions of years as an outpost of Orderia that monitored dozens of mortal worlds.
At first, the light from the stellunar source concealed everything, but as Tianming approached the Divine Moon Realm he gradually made out mountains, rivers, and dry land on the surface. Just like any other place, there were forests, seas, and cities. However, every rock and tree was clearly filled with a silvery-white glow. That was the power of the stellunar source. When it penetrated into the rocks, they became spirit ores, and any vegetation pervaded by it became spirit herbs. Cultivators used them to strengthen themselves.
“The nova sources and stellunar sources are the foundation of the entire world, and every cultivator within them. Without its stellunar source, the Divine Moon Realm would be just another Ninefold Hell or Flameyellow Continent.” Before he had even gotten close, Tianming could feel the majestic power from the stellunar source.
“What concentrated spiritual energy.” The air entering his lungs felt extremely refreshing.
“So that’s why the Archaionfiend said they’re feasting on meat while we can only slop up the dregs. Although comprehending the will of heaven is more important than supplementing strength, they rely on strength to produce powerhouses, which are passed on from generation to generation via caeli. It’s a virtuous cycle!” Those below Ascension in the Divine Moon Realm didn’t have to worry about increasing their strength. “If the power of the stellunar source is this vast, I wonder how unfathomable a nova source is.”
One had to reach Ascension to cross the astralscape of order and set foot on the battlefield of the higher races. He shouldn’t bite off more than he could chew.
“What I need to do is take root in the Divine Moon Realm and achieve godhood first.”
Tianming was stepping closer and closer to the goal he had in mind. When Feiling reached the vicinity of the Divine Moon Realm, a force pulled and swallowed them.
“This is the gravitational force of the stellunar source!”
At this point, Feiling couldn't resist anymore. With Tianming in tow, she was forced to slow down instead, lest she slam into the surface and perish. To escape the gravitational pull of the Divine Moon Realm, one had to reach Ascension. Therefore, those who lived in this world couldn’t leave it at will.
The Divine Moon Realm was enormous. Tianming figured it was impossible to monitor all entries and exits. Therefore, he and Feiling were able to quietly enter the world. After passing through moonlit clouds, they slowly descended. Tianming looked down and saw the mountains and rivers below, terrain that stretched for millions of miles.
“There’s many cities larger than Taiji Peak Lake and towns everywhere. It’s no wonder Huiye Shi said it’s crowded here. Even the houses here glow with moonlight!”
One might feel nothing after living in this beautiful world for a long time. But as first-time visitors, Tianming and Feiling found it breathtaking.
