Astride the billowing starmist of the Cloud Sea’s Fifth Realm, a colossal spirit beast, its body a majestic three hundred zhang, roamed the heavens. A spirit tiger it resembled, yet upon its brow sprouted a solitary horn, ten zhang in length, glinting with a chilling, otherworldly luminescence.

Upon the mighty tiger’s back, some thirty figures sat in meditative pose, their faces serene, eyes closed in contemplation. Male and female were amongst them, each radiating waves of cultivated power.

Before them, at the base of the horned beast’s prow, stood a man of middle years. Clad in robes of deepest violet, which stirred though no winds blew, he gazed into the starmist ahead, lost in thoughts unknown. Behind him, a wizened elder stood in reverent silence, sharing the elder’s vigil.

“Sect Leader,” the elder murmured, “at the tiger’s current pace, we shall reach the Moruo Continent by tomorrow’s dawn.”

These were disciples of the Violet Dao Sect. Their journey to Moruo Continent was delayed by the intrusion of Sixth Realm factions, all lusting after a coveted alchemical formula and jade scroll, forcing the Violet Dao Sect to tarry.

With matters resolved and the search by the Sixth Realm complete, the Violet Dao Sect wasted no time and set forth upon the path to the Reversion Origin Sect.

The middle-aged sect leader, his gaze fixed upon the distant star-specked void, nodded slowly after long contemplation. “The matter of Cheng must find resolution.”

The elder was puzzled, unable to grasp the meaning behind the words of the Violet Dao Sect’s most esteemed leader. In his mind, the conquest of the Reversion Origin Sect was all but assured; what need was there for any “resolution”?

“Sect Leader…” the elder began to speak.

The sect leader shook his head. “You misunderstand. A great upheaval is brewing, and the Cloud Sea shall not remain at peace.” He sighed heavily. “For a mere alchemical formula and jade scroll, factions from the Sixth Realm swarm forth, and even those of the Seventh and Eighth seek to claim them. Is it truly worth such strife?”

“The formula and scroll, after all, hold a value beyond measure; it is no surprise they stir such covetous hearts,” the elder offered softly.

“That formula is an ill omen. When it first emerged, it sparked a cataclysm across the Cloud Sea. Now, for a second time, it surfaces… I wonder, who is it that has claimed the formula? The longer it remains hidden, the greater the devastation it shall bring.” The sect leader shook his head, a shadow of unease upon his brow.

“Word has it that the Poison Granny of the Five Venom Sect has pilfered the formula and scroll, concealing them deep within her domain,” the elder whispered hesitantly.

“Never underestimate the cunning of the ancient monsters within the Sixth Realm’s sects!” the sect leader chuckled.

The elder frowned, pondering deeply. “Could it be that another claims the prize?”

“If the Poison Granny had truly seized them, would the Five Venom Sect still exist? How could she, with her cultivation, withstand the force of Shi Luo Xing’s self-immolation? How could she have eluded the vast searches, or slain Qian Guizhong of the Huaqing Sect during her escape?”

“Qian Guizhong, a Nascent Soul master, was slain? In the span of a single incense stick’s burn, before the second wave of Huaqing cultivators arrived?” The elder gasped, his mind reeling. He was clearly unaware of this dire news.

“The Poison Granny could never achieve such a feat. Only the true possessor of the jade scroll and formula could command such power. Their assassination of Qian Guizhong was likely born of necessity. Doubtlessly, they encountered Qian Guizhong as they fled that desolate continent, sparking suspicion and forcing their hand.” The sect leader’s eyes gleamed with admiration and respect.

“Ruthless in their actions, decisive in their strikes, they cleansed the field with the death of Qian Guizhong. Moreover, amidst the chaos, they shifted the blame onto the Poison Granny, weaving a veil of deception, gaining precious time to escape the Sixth Realm’s tightening net. Even I, if placed in their stead, might not have accomplished such a feat.

“But even more significant is their profound cunning. I know not if they intended to cast blame upon the Poison Granny, or if they truly grasped the implications of this matter, but if they had, their mind is beyond compare!” The sect leader’s admiration deepened.

The elder at his side felt his heart pounding. After a moment, his brow furrowed in confusion.

The sect leader, though not turning, seemed to sense the elder’s questions. “If the jade scroll and formula were successfully claimed, it would be a great boon for a Sixth Realm faction. But if they were lost once more, after being within reach, it would be a catastrophe. The Sixth Realm needs an explanation to give to the Seventh, Eighth, and even the Ninth.”

The elder’s eyes widened with understanding and disbelief. “So, they allow the Five Venom Sect to exist, clinging to the tale that the Poison Granny is the culprit. Even Qian Guizhong’s death, I imagine, is attributed to her disciples.”

The sect leader smiled, his voice soft, almost to himself.

“This mysterious cultivator is brilliant, offering the Sixth Realm an explanation. No matter the final outcome, that explanation will lessen their burden. Otherwise, why would their search parties lack even a single Nascent Soul cultivator, composed instead of mere Foundation Establishment disciples, searching for one who could slay a Nascent Soul master in the time it takes an incense stick to burn… If I were a Sixth Realm Sect Leader, I might even erase every clue to protect that mysterious cultivator, allowing them to vanish without a trace. In that way, only the Five Venom Sect would perish!”

The elder felt his soul shaken. He gazed at the middle-aged man before him with profound reverence, awe, and even a hint of fear.

He had followed Lu Yuncong for years, witnessing his rise from obscurity to the pinnacle. Three millennia ago, the Violet Dao Sect was a mere minor sect within the Fifth Realm. But in Lu Yuncong’s hands, it had become a force to be reckoned with. While not the strongest in the Fifth Realm, the name of Lu Yuncong was known even in the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Realms.

“I yearn to cross paths with this mysterious cultivator… I have a premonition that our paths will meet.” A flicker of anticipation lit the sect leader’s eyes. His form, standing with hands clasped behind his back, resembled a towering mountain in the elder’s gaze.

Time flowed onward, and the mighty spirit tiger ripped through the starmist, its speed ever increasing.

As they neared Moruo Continent, a mere half-day’s journey away, a sudden azure light erupted in the void ahead. Eerie and intense, it pierced through the starmist, bathing the fog in an ethereal blue glow.

The spirit tiger faltered, its eyes widening in alarm, a hint of fear within their depths. It growled softly, yet dared not advance.

This sudden turn of events instantly roused the thirty-odd disciples on the tiger’s back. Their faces remained impassive, and they rose to their feet in unison, eyes coldly fixed upon the scene before them. Not a trace of panic could be found amongst them.

For they were disciples of the Violet Dao Sect, the core members, personally trained by Sect Leader Lu Yuncong himself! Pride coursed through their veins. They could die, they could fall, but they would never yield to fear. Even if mountains crumbled before them, they would remain calm.

The elder at Lu Yuncong’s side frowned, his gaze glued to the eerie azure light. Lu Yuncong alone remained unmoved, gazing serenely into the fog as if nothing had occurred.

The blue mist swelled, soon encompassing a thousand zhang. Then, it churned, and from within its heart, a lithe figure emerged.

Hair of sapphire blue, clad in robes of pure white, with a face of sublime beauty, untouched by cold indifference or arrogant pride. A serene elegance was all she possessed. In her hands, she cradled a flute of verdant jade, like a fairy stepping forth from the void, gracing the mortal realm.

As the ethereal being drew closer, the blue mist around her spiraled, hardening into a corporeal form, becoming a celestial azure dragon of a thousand zhang.

This fairy stood atop the dragon’s head, gazing with placid calm upon Lu Yuncong. Her eyes were like pools of deepest blue, filled with perfect clarity.

They were like bottomless springs, enough to enthrall anyone. Even the most violent souls would be calmed beneath her gaze, filled with self-reproach.

“Li Qianmei!” Lu Yuncong remained with hands clasped behind his back, his eyes resting upon the woman. Though inwardly astonished by her serene beauty, his expression betrayed nothing.

“Li Qianmei, of the Ninth Realm’s Broken Heaven Sect!” the elder at Lu Yuncong’s side retreated several steps, his eyes filled with wariness. He recognized the figure at once, the only woman in the Cloud Sea with sapphire blue hair, Li Qianmei!

“Qianmei greets Brother Lu.” The woman offered a smile, inclining her head slightly towards Lu Yuncong.

“You flatter me, Daoist Li,” Lu Yuncong responded with a bow.

“Brother Lu, I have three questions to ask, and I hope you can offer me answers,” she said, her voice soft and gentle. She has wandered far, asking similar questions to those she deems enlightened, but has yet to find what she searches for. Of the questions she seeks answers for, she has only asked one of each person she has crossed.

“Please speak,” Lu Yuncong nodded.

“My first question is, what is Heaven?”

Lu Yuncong glanced at Li Qianmei, contemplating for a moment. “A Cage, is Heaven!”

The fairy furrowed her brow, her gaze unwavering. “A Cage you say?” She contemplated her question for a few moments before continuing. “Why is Heaven a Cage?”
“Is that a second question?” Lu Yuncong grinned. “Or does it still encompass your first question?”
She tilted her head, a strand of blue hair falling gently across her face. “It is still one, can you answer?”