The Queen Mother was the Queen Mother, and the Western Queen Mother was the Western Queen Mother. The one he was about to meet this time should be none other than the true body of the Western Queen Mother herself. An audience with such an existence was, in and of itself, an extraordinary opportunity. Even the slightest revelation from her could lead to immense gains. As the supreme sovereign of Western Kunlun, the resources and heritage under her command were simply unfathomable.
It was said that the Western Queen Mother held in her possession the Elixir of Immortality. Legends and records about her were countless.
For example, in The Chronicle of King Mu, it was written:
"The Western Queen Mother sang to the Heavenly Son, saying: 'White clouds above the heavens, mountains rise on their own. The road is distant, rivers and mountains between. May you not die and may you one day return.'"Guo Pu annotated: "'May' here implies 'please.'"
From this, it was evident that the Western Queen Mother had the power to bestow longevity upon others, granting them long life.
Such stories were far too many to recount in one sitting.
Now that she had extended a personal invitation, Yi Tianxing naturally could not refuse.
He did not bid formal farewell to the Immortal Sect of Qionghua. Instead, he only sent a voice transmission to Zhao Ziyan, telling her that if she ever wished to return to Great Yi, she could summon a domain gate to descend. She had on her a jade talisman capable of opening the domain gate, allowing her to travel once back and forth—more than sufficient.
After all, this trip to the Primordial Continent could not end with just a brief stroll through the Qionghua Immortal Sect. He desired to experience more of the realm's magnificence and spirit. The Qionghua Sect was merely the first stop. Now that Zhao Ziyan had been safely delivered and the major sect leaders met, and after having received a vast amount of precious scriptures and Daoist texts, not only were his goals achieved—they had been exceeded by far.
Shua!
Stepping out of the Qionghua Immortal Sect, he began heading directly toward Western Kunlun. He did not choose to fly but instead walked across the earth, step by step. Yet with each step that seemed ordinary, he would appear several hundred or even thousands of meters ahead the next instant.
Spatial Life Aperture – Shrink the Earth to Inches!
So long as he wished it, traversing a thousand miles in one step was no difficult feat.
As he walked, he observed his surroundings with interest.
"A Ten-Thousand-Year Nine-Leaf Black Ginseng—what a treasure."
"A Seven-Stellar Radiant Tree, top-tier material for artifact forging. It could bloom the Seven-Star Radiant Flower. A precious find indeed."
"A Nine-Eyed Purple Sandalwood, a top-level forging material among Buddhist sects."
...
As he walked, Yi Tianxing was far from casually sightseeing. He continuously scanned his surroundings, unable to help but marvel at the spiritual richness of the Kunlun Mountains. Countless natural treasures appeared in succession—herbs and trees hundreds or even thousands of years old emerging one after another. Some were hidden extremely well, but they could not escape Yi Tianxing's keen perception. One by one, he located them. Ordinary ones he ignored, but those rare or species not in his possession—he would either dig up or carefully clip a branch, preparing to transplant them into his Celestial Garden back home.
However, none of this slowed his pace.
As he continued, he passed by one immortal mountain after another, each radiating unique spiritual energy. Every mountain brimmed with vitality—any one of them would spark frenzied battles among cultivators if located in the outside world. Bloodshed would be inevitable.
"So many cultivators, so many races. Spirit beasts and divine birds beyond counting. This truly is a sacred land of the immortals… a paradise beyond the mortal realm."
Yi Tianxing muttered in amazement as he walked. Looking up, he saw celestial cranes flying in flocks, divine deer galloping across the land, leaping between mountain streams, tigers crouching and dragons coiled—endless divine phenomena. Unknowingly, he had arrived before a colossal divine mountain.
Lifting his gaze, Kunlun Mountain towered high into the clouds. At a glance, its true height could not even be estimated. The clouds were only at its mid-section.
It was vast—truly vast—far beyond what could be treated as a mere mountain.
Even the Celestial Cities of Great Yi were like child's play in comparison.
Ancient trees as tall as the heavens grew everywhere, each likely counting its age in tens of thousands of years. Placed elsewhere, even a single one of these trees would be considered a rare spiritual treasure.
A celestial path appeared ahead of him.
At the foot of that path, a divine beast stood tall with pride. It had nine tails extending behind it, a human face with tiger claws, and an awe-inspiring presence that seemed to command the entire area. Standing before it, one would feel an involuntary sense of awe.
"Lu Wu!"
Yi Tianxing's eyes narrowed as he softly uttered its name.
Lu Wu—also called Jian Wu—was, according to ancient texts, a divine being of Kunlun from the mythological age. It possessed a human face, a tiger's body and claws, and nine tails.
Classic of Mountains and Seas – Western Mountains:
"Four hundred li southwest lies the hill of Kunlun, the imperial capital below the heavens, guarded by the divine Lu Wu. It has the form of a tiger with nine tails, a human face and tiger claws. It governs the nine divisions of heaven and the imperial game lands."Guo Pu commented: "It is also called Jian Wu. Zhuangzi said: 'Jian Wu attained it and resided in the great mountains.'"
As such, Lu Wu held immense status in Kunlun, guarding its domain. Without permission, none could pass him.
"I am Lu Wu. I greet the Sacred King Yi. Her Majesty has already sent word for me to receive you. She is currently hosting a banquet in the Jade Pool and awaits your arrival."
Lu Wu looked at Yi Tianxing and flashed a rare smile before speaking.
"Please, Sacred King—this way!"
He then stepped aside, revealing a radiant celestial gate ahead.
Passing through it would lead directly to the Heavenly Palace of Kunlun, and the Jade Pool within.
"Mm."
Yi Tianxing nodded, his hand flashing as he retrieved a Heavenly Destiny Peach and tossed it to Lu Wu without a word before stepping into the gate.
The Kunlun Divine Mountain was boundless—traveling it on foot would have taken a very long time. Since the Western Queen Mother had already prepared a banquet, lingering further would be improper. Though he remained curious about Kunlun, this was no time to dawdle.
Shua!
As soon as he stepped through, the celestial gate flashed—and Yi Tianxing vanished from the mountain's base.
"A Heavenly Destiny Peach—an innate spirit fruit…"
Lu Wu grasped the peach, delight flashing in his eyes. His impression of Yi Tianxing rose even higher. He didn't eat it immediately, but tucked it away discreetly. What he planned to do with it was his own business.
"Lu Wu, guardian of the mountain… possesses power comparable to the Dao Platform Realm. He's likely just a step away from the Dao Proving Realm…"
Within the celestial gate, Yi Tianxing's heart stirred with caution. If even a single guardian beast was so powerful, then Kunlun Mountain truly hid dragons and crouching tigers.
Yet the thought was fleeting. The next moment, he found himself standing inside an immense Heavenly Palace.
Celestial mists swirled all around. The spiritual energy in the air was palpable—immersed within it, one felt immense comfort. Just breathing this aura could increase one's cultivation.
Beneath his feet were cross-laid walkways entirely forged from rare white jade, warm to the touch—warm jade, a prized gemstone.
Below the walkways was a vast lake-like pool: the Jade Pool itself.
This Jade Pool was no ordinary place. It was said to have formed from the merging of Primordial Hua Qi with innate celestial energies of the heavens and earth, combined with a trace of innate spiritual essence from Kunlun Mountain—resulting in the birth of a primordial spring.
This spring was also a hot spring, its vapors radiating celestial energy—not just spiritual essence, but one infused with Daoist potential.
Simply being here purified the body and soul, warding off evil and accelerating cultivation exponentially.
Most important of all, the essence released by the Jade Pool could extend one's lifespan, preserve beauty, and even grant immortality.
Its benefits were endless.
Female immortals across the realm all dreamed of entering the Jade Pool to cultivate.
"Fellow Daoist Yi, I hope you will forgive the sudden invitation. Your presence brings me great joy. I have prepared a modest banquet—I hope it suits your taste."
Ahead, a grand pavilion stood tall. Beneath it sat a beautiful female immortal, a spread of fine dishes and wine before her. Even from afar, their fragrance wafted powerfully.
"Fellow Daoist Jinmu, you're too kind. I came here on short notice and brought no proper gifts. These humble offerings are but a token of respect."
Yi Tianxing smiled gently and presented a jade box, handing it over. One never visited empty-handed.
Regardless of how small the gift was—there had to be one.
"You're too polite, fellow Daoist. Since you've come, allow me the honor of being your host. Please, take a seat."
The Western Queen Mother smiled, setting the box aside without opening it, and gestured for Yi Tianxing to sit.
"Many thanks, fellow Daoist."
Yi Tianxing smiled and sat down across from her. Only then did he take a proper look at the Western Queen Mother—his eyes flashed with surprise.
Though he had seen countless breathtaking beauties—each woman in the Sacred Palace was a peerless gem in her own right—compared to the Western Queen Mother before him, all seemed slightly dimmed. It wasn't merely about looks. While her appearance was stunning, what truly set her apart was her aura—an air of regal majesty, a presence befitting a world-dominating empress. In front of her, it was hard not to feel awe.
In every era, she would have been a one-of-a-kind existence.
As for her cultivation—Yi Tianxing couldn't sense it at all. The only thing he could tell… was that it was immeasurable.
Dao Proving Realm? Higher?
It was impossible to guess.
"Fellow Daoist… are you aware that the Heavenly Court is about to emerge?"
The Western Queen Mother suddenly spoke.
"The Heavenly Court?"
That sentence was like a thunderbolt. Even with Yi Tianxing's composure, his expression changed dramatically.
"Could it be… the Ancient Heavenly Court of the previous era?"
"Indeed. It is the very same Heavenly Court carried over from the last epoch. Strictly speaking, it is known as the Lingxiao Heavenly Court. Its master is Haotian, also called the Jade Emperor. In this new era, imperial dynasties are the prevailing trend. Once Lingxiao Heavenly Court emerges, it will naturally claim the highest celestial mandate."
She spoke calmly.
The previous epoch was the era of the Eternal Heaven Ark, the age of transcendental dominion. That had been the focal point of heaven and earth.
But in this era, Immortal Dynasties were the trend.
The Heavenly Court of the last epoch had been an incomparably vast entity—once regarded as the orthodox ruler of all realms, commanding the four directions, sun and moon, stars and rain, life and death.
Even mortal emperors had to yield to the Heavenly Court as sons of heaven.