Above the myriad stars, only the Heavenly Demon reigns.

In Lu Chen's eyes, the mountain's protective formation and foundation strength far exceeded the destructive power of Geliya. A direct assault was impossible; he could only rely on his wits. His skills in formation were also well beyond what the current energy concentration on this planet could support. Clearly, in ancient times, the energy density of this planet was much higher than it is now. This indicated that the treasures within the cave… could very well exceed his expectations! It was worth taking the time to acquire the Five Elements Key. The only way forward was to seek the immortals and join a sect in the cultivation world, gradually working toward his goal. It might take several days, or even months. Geliya understood this, and for the sake of the treasures in the forbidden area, she refrained from any rash reactions. Little Sirius remained completely obedient to Lu Chen, without any questions, following him one hundred percent. Thus, the three of them, along with the Orion ship, were brought to a cultivation sect called "Qinglan Sect." The Orion ship landed on the sect's sword platform. The mountains resembled swords, surrounded by swirling clouds and mist, with flying cranes appearing in the distance. This scene beautifully blended classical and modern aesthetics, creating a striking contrast. On the sword platform, young disciples who were practicing swordsmanship gathered around the enormous flying artifact they had never seen before, gazing up at it with fascination and murmuring among themselves. Soon, the three were brought to the main peak's Discipline Hall to face the sect’s judgment. There were only three judges. They were: the sect leader of Qinglan Sect, Qingyunzi, a middle-aged man with a commanding presence; the Discipline Elder, an elder with carved features and a stern expression; and the Alchemy Elder, an elderly woman who, despite her age, was skilled in embellishment. All three wore ancient blue Taoist robes, their hair tied up high, exuding an imposing aura. However, according to modern assessment standards, their cultivation levels were only in the thirties. The strongest, the sect leader, was only at level thirty-five, which was still below Geliya's level. They could neither discern Geliya's true identity as a succubus nor her real cultivation level, nor did they notice the cat cage inside the Orion ship. The sect leader stood in the center of the Discipline Hall, his tone severe. "Who are you? Where do you come from, and why have you trespassed into the forbidden area of the Five Sects?" Faced with this philosophical inquiry from the sect leader, Lu Chen, who had been a fan of fantasy novels in his previous life, gave a slight bow and replied earnestly, "In response to the sect leader, we three are from beyond the realm, seeking the immortals to cure our ailments. We are new to this place and may have caused some offense; we hope the sect leader and the two elders will forgive us." Geliya and Little Sirius were momentarily taken aback. The three judges frowned as well. "Is there anyone besides the Celestial Demon from beyond the realm?" "Could it be… you are immortals residing in the heavens?" "Where would you find an immortal at the Qi Refining stage? Even their flying artifacts are inferior to our ancient ones, merely possessing unique designs." "Speak the truth; where do you three actually come from?" Lu Chen caught a key term.

Qi Refining stage? Levels in the teens represent Qi Refining? Levels in the twenties are for Foundation Establishment? So, does this mean these three leaders are all Golden Core cultivators? "Beyond the realm is a vast starry sky, home to many continents similar to this world, with both strong beings and those as weak as us," Lu Chen explained. The elderly woman shook her head and sneered. "Above the stars, there are only Celestial Demons; where would humanity come from? Are you perhaps transformed from Celestial Demons?" Lu Chen suddenly realized a crucial point: from the perspective of this planet, the outer asteroid belt illuminated by the sun at night indeed resembled a sea of stars. Thus, the so-called Celestial Demons might be the mutated beasts inhabiting those asteroids! "Beyond the stars lies thick black mist and storms, and outside is a much broader cosmic expanse. We are merely humans from beyond the realm afflicted by a strange illness, here to seek immortals and medicine. Whether we are transformed Celestial Demons, the elders can discern through their examination," Lu Chen defended, then introduced Ellie and Geliya. "This is my sister, Ellie, who possesses considerable beast-controlling talent, but unfortunately, she was subjected to a soul-binding curse when she was young, and after repeatedly encountering strange entities, she became overly frightened, leading to some mental issues." "This is my elder sister, Geliya, also a swordsmanship genius. She is afflicted by demonic poison but has always relied on sword energy to suppress it, never allowing it to manifest. This severely affects her normal cultivation and prevents her from realizing her full swordsmanship potential." The Discipline Elder scrutinized Lu Chen but could not discern his illness. "And you?" Lu Chen spread his hands. "I am a mechanical master, controlling large artifacts... I am not sick; I brought them here for treatment." Geliya shot a cold glance at Lu Chen... suppressing her feelings. She thought to herself, you are the one who is sick; your whole family is unwell! The sect leader gestured to the elderly woman. "Sister Zhehui." The woman immediately stood up and approached the three, checking Geliya and Ellie’s pulses. "This girl is a half-demon werewolf with great elemental control talent; there is indeed a soul-binding curse in her sea of consciousness, but it is not a common method found in the True Spirit Continent, which is rather rare." "This girl warrior has a unique constitution; her demonic poison appears to be of the same source as that of the Celestial Demons but is very pure, integrating with her body without mutation, which is quite rare... With such a constitution, she can still nurture such pure sword energy, which is indeed uncommon in the world." Seeing that the elderly woman had no intention of continuing her examination, Lu Chen felt neglected and extended his right hand. "Please examine me too, Elder." The elderly woman placed her hand on Lu Chen's right hand, but her eyes remained fixed on his face. "You do look quite decent... but are you really all family?" Lu Chen was puzzled. "What do you mean? Do we not look alike?" The elderly woman shook her head with a sigh. "Your talents differ too greatly; you have forcibly reached the Qi Refining stage through elixirs and arduous training; it will be difficult for you to establish a Foundation in this lifetime." Geliya, who had been displeased with Lu Chen, finally found some amusement. The Discipline Elder let out a slight sigh of relief, stroking his beard and saying, "It seems the three of them are not lying..." The elderly woman returned to her seat.

"Master, how should we deal with them?" The sect leader scrutinized Lu Chen and the others, still feeling a bit apprehensive about them. "Regardless, these three have trespassed into the forbidden area; this is no trivial matter. First, let’s detain them and decide after I consult with the other four sect leaders!" Just then, a hoarse, aged voice came from outside the door. "Take the three to the Wanshi Peak; I will handle them myself." The sect leader was taken aback. "Master Uncle, why have you come out of seclusion!" The old man's voice was ancient and resonant. "I have observed the celestial phenomena; recently, the Celestial Demons will show some unusual movements. These three trespassing into the forbidden area at this time is a matter of heavenly secrets. Let them cultivate at Wanshi Peak for ten days; I have my plans." "Understood!" Thus, the sect leader personally escorted Lu Chen and the others to Wanshi Peak, located in the heart of Qinglan Sect. The Orion ship also flew over automatically, landing in the forest at the foot of Wanshi Peak. An elderly man with white hair, holding a whisk, was sitting cross-legged on a boulder atop the mountain, accompanied by a young Taoist in green robes. The boulder atop the mountain was incredibly smooth, resembling a giant egg of a star beast or the shell of a spaceship. The old man had entirely white hair and beard, sat upright, was not very tall, and appeared slim, with deep, benevolent eyes that seemed calm and composed. He clearly emanated the aura of a transcendent being. Lu Chen approached to assess him. This old man was at level forty, equivalent to the Nascent Soul stage. However, his physique seemed weak, as fragile as a candle in the wind. He must have been several thousand years old... Was he an ancient cultivator whose cultivation had gradually declined to the Nascent Soul stage? The old man waved his hand toward the sect leader. The sect leader bowed and retreated. Unlike the sect leader and elders, the old man’s first glance was at Lu Chen. "Do you know why I have taken you as temporary disciples?" Lu Chen cupped his hands in salute. "The disciple does not know." The old man stroked his beard and smiled. "Many years ago, I had a direct disciple who claimed to come from beyond the realm and was an adventurer seeking treasures." Lu Chen frowned. The ship wanting to break through the black mist was not an easy task; most would lose their way until their spiritual oil ran out, becoming prey for the beasts. This person was not only powerful but also quite honest, actually calling themselves a treasure-seeking adventurer. "What happened then?" The old man stared at Lu Chen, letting out a deep sigh full of meaning: "In the end, she left... I once thought she was the chosen one to resolve the Celestial Demon issue, but it seems she was not."