Chapter Two Hundred Twenty-One: The Heavenly Empress is Unfamiliar with Matters of the Human World

Yao Guang Heavenly Empress listened, her expression revealing a mix of puzzlement and curiosity. “So, you’re not trying to ascend to the Heavenly Realm?” she asked, her voice tinged with confusion. “But you are a human cultivator. Why wouldn’t you want to come to the Heavenly Realm?”

“I’ve always found the Human World quite good,” Meng Jing Yu replied calmly, a faint smile on her lips. “The Human World has everything. There are powerful cultivators, but also ordinary people, and even people who cannot cultivate at all. There are beautiful landscapes, delicious food, and interesting stories. I find it much more lively than the Heavenly Realm.”

“But the Heavenly Realm has immortal energy!” Yao Guang Heavenly Empress exclaimed, as if presenting an irrefutable argument. “It’s much more beneficial for cultivation than spiritual energy!”

Meng Jing Yu shrugged lightly. “Spiritual energy is sufficient for me. I haven’t encountered any bottlenecks in my cultivation that spiritual energy couldn’t overcome. And even if I did, I believe I could find a solution in the Human World.”

“The Heavenly Realm has many treasures from Heaven and Earth, countless rare elixirs and magical artifacts,” Yao Guang Heavenly Empress continued, listing the advantages of the Heavenly Realm. “These are things you can’t find in the Human World.”

“The Human World also has its treasures,” Meng Jing Yu countered gently. “Perhaps not as many, but the pursuit is what’s important, isn’t it? The process of searching and discovering is what I enjoy.”

Yao Guang Heavenly Empress seemed genuinely bewildered. “But the Heavenly Realm is eternal, while the Human World is finite. The Heavenly Realm is safe, while the Human World is full of dangers. Why would you prefer the Human World?”

“Perhaps it’s because I find eternity a bit boring,” Meng Jing Yu said, her gaze distant. “And danger… danger makes life exciting, doesn’t it?”

Yao Guang Heavenly Empress fell silent, her golden eyes fixed on Meng Jing Yu, as if trying to understand a creature from a completely different world. After a long pause, she spoke again, her voice softer now. “So, you truly have no desire to ascend?”

“None at all,” Meng Jing Yu confirmed.

“Then why have you come here?” Yao Guang Heavenly Empress asked. “You must have a purpose.”

“I came to see the Heavenly Realm,” Meng Jing Yu said honestly. “I heard about it from a few friends, and I was curious. I wanted to see what it was like, this place that so many human cultivators strive to reach.”

“And what do you think?” Yao Guang Heavenly Empress asked, a hint of expectation in her voice.

Meng Jing Yu paused, choosing her words carefully. “It is… grand. Very grand. The architecture is magnificent, and the energy here is indeed very pure. But…”

“But?” Yao Guang Heavenly Empress prompted.

“But it feels a bit… empty,” Meng Jing Yu said, finally articulating her feeling. “It lacks the vibrancy of the Human World. It feels a bit sterile.”

Yao Guang Heavenly Empress sighed softly. “That is because the Heavenly Realm is a realm of order and harmony. There is no chaos here, no suffering, no conflict. It is a place of peace.”

“Perhaps peace is not always what I seek,” Meng Jing Yu said, a wry smile playing on her lips.

Yao Guang Heavenly Empress looked at her for a long time, her expression unreadable. Then, she slowly stood up. “I understand,” she said. “You are different. You are not like the other human cultivators who yearn for the Heavenly Realm.”

“I suppose not,” Meng Jing Yu replied.

“Then I will not force you to stay,” Yao Guang Heavenly Empress said. “You are free to leave the Heavenly Realm whenever you wish.”

“Thank you, Heavenly Empress,” Meng Jing Yu said, bowing her head slightly.

“However,” Yao Guang Heavenly Empress continued, her voice regaining a touch of its former authority, “you have seen the Heavenly Realm. You must not reveal its secrets to anyone in the Human World.”

“I understand,” Meng Jing Yu assured her. “My word is my bond.”

“Very well,” Yao Guang Heavenly Empress said, a faint smile appearing on her face. “Perhaps one day, you will change your mind and decide to ascend. If you do, the gates of the Heavenly Realm will always be open to you.”

“Thank you, Heavenly Empress,” Meng Jing Yu said again.

With that, Yao Guang Heavenly Empress turned and walked away, her golden robes flowing behind her. Meng Jing Yu watched her go, a thoughtful expression on her face. She had come to the Heavenly Realm out of curiosity, and she had found it to be exactly as she had suspected – a place of great power and tranquility, but also a place that felt strangely detached from the complexities of life as she knew it. The Heavenly Empress, in her eternal wisdom and detachment, seemed to know little of the vibrant chaos and simple joys that made the Human World so appealing to her.