Sweeping across the heavens, starting with the first emperor of the ancient times.

Seeing that Xiao Fan not only didn't answer but also dared to ignore him, the middle-aged man in the brocade robe was furious: "What an ignorant bumpkin from the lower realm! How dare you... when I'm asking you a question..."

Before he could finish speaking, the middle-aged man's expression changed drastically as a terrifying fist light appeared in front of him.

"How dare you lay a hand on me?" The man in the brocade robe was both shocked and furious. He quickly defended himself. He was very angry that this country bumpkin from the lower realm had no martial ethics and actually attacked him without a word.

To his shock, the strength of this country bumpkin from the lower realm seemed to far exceed his expectations!

boom!

The two fists collided, the void shattered, and the man in the brocade robe let out a muffled groan.

He felt an irresistible, immense force surge through him, causing his blood and qi to churn, dimming his protective aura, and causing him to stagger backward.

"How is this possible?" The middle-aged man was horrified.

As fellow seekers of enlightenment, how could he have been at a disadvantage in their duel?

He is a native Daoist from the Lesser Immortal Realm, so his foundation should be stronger!

Xiao Fan remained silent, pressing his advantage relentlessly. He unleashed the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, transforming it into a miniature world that enveloped his opponent.

Fists, palms, fingers, and legs—each strike was as heavy as a mountain, yet unpredictable, containing the power of suppression and evolution.

The middle-aged man in brocade robes initially roared and used various exquisite imperial techniques to fight back, but the more he fought, the more alarmed he became.

The opponent is incredibly strong, and their physical strength is terrifying. My attacks are often neutralized by their brute force or strange techniques of shifting the universe.

"Stop! Do you know who I am? Do you know where you are? If you dare to hurt me, you will die a horrible death!" the man in brocade robes roared, trying to intimidate others with his status.

Xiao Fan ignored him, seized an opening, and shattered the opponent's hastily formed protective seal with a punch, leaving a solid mark on his chest.

"Pfft!" The man in the brocade robe coughed up blood, cracks appeared on his imperial body, his aura instantly weakened, and fear finally filled his eyes.

He was scared. This country bumpkin from the lower realm was truly ruthless and incredibly powerful!

Xiao Fan stopped, grabbed the heavily injured man in the brocade robe, and said calmly, "Now, can you answer my question properly?"

This so-called cultivator from the Lesser Immortal Realm was unexpectedly weak; he was no match for even the supreme beings of those forbidden zones, let alone him.

Is this all the powerful beings in the Lesser Immortal Realm are?

The middle-aged man in the brocade robe felt the cold killing intent in Xiao Fan's eyes and was somewhat frightened. He knew that this man really dared to kill him, so he nodded with difficulty.

He couldn't quite understand it.

Which lower realm did this monster come from? How can it be so powerful?

Are the earthworms in the lower realm this strong?

Xiao Fan took him and flew off in a random direction. Intelligence was crucial for those newly arrived.

This person is a good starting point.

At the very least, we need to figure out the basic structure and power distribution of this small immortal realm.

This world, known as the Little Immortal Realm, doesn't seem as transcendent as one might imagine.

……

In the Origin Realm, several years later, a visitor arrived at the Heavenly Court.

On this day, Jiang Hao was playing chess and discussing Taoism with Lingbao Tianzun and Yuanshi Tianzun in the back garden.

The celestial general on duty sent a message saying that a mysterious supreme being was requesting an audience outside the South Heavenly Gate, wanting to inquire about the passage between the two realms.

Jiang Hao, holding the black piece, gently placed it in a corner of the chessboard. His expression remained calm. He exchanged a glance with Lingbao and Yuanshi, and said with a smile, "They've arrived."

This was clearly anticipated.

Lingbao Tianzun's gaze remained fixed on the chessboard, a white piece on his fingertip swirling with subtle sword energy: "It's only natural that they can't sit still. The path to immortality is their biggest worry."

The Primordial Celestial Venerable picked up his teacup, nodded, and said, "The desire to live and the yearning for the Dao are the same throughout history."

Jiang Hao instructed the heavenly general: "Take him to the side hall to wait."

Afterwards, Jiang Hao and the other two arrived at the side hall.

Standing in the hall was a figure shrouded in a hazy glow, whose aura was ancient and powerful, belonging to the Supreme Dao level.

But now they're adopting a rather humble stance.

Upon seeing Jiang Hao enter, the figure paused slightly, then the light dimmed, revealing a middle-aged man dressed in a crimson-gold robe.

"Greetings, Heavenly Emperor." The middle-aged Supreme Being bowed, his voice steady, but a subtle hint of urgency could be discerned upon closer listening.

Jiang Hao sat down in the main seat, gestured for the other person to sit as well, and asked directly, "What brings you here, sir?"

The middle-aged emperor pondered for a moment before getting straight to the point: "I apologize for disturbing the Heavenly Emperor, but I have come regarding the passage between the two realms that I saw on the ancient star Kunlun. May I ask the Heavenly Emperor, is the Immortal Realm beyond that passage?"

After saying that, he stared intently at Jiang Hao, his eyes filled with longing.

Jiang Hao did not hide anything: "It is not the Immortal Realm as traditionally understood, but a large adjacent world called the Lesser Immortal Realm."

"The Lesser Immortal Realm..." the middle-aged sage murmured, a glint of light flashing in his eyes as he pressed for an answer:

"May I ask the Heavenly Emperor, does that realm offer any benefit to our lifespan?"

That's what he's most concerned about.

Jiang Hao glanced at the middle-aged sovereign and calmly said, "According to reliable sources, that world contains special substances and has an environment more suitable for longevity. It should not be difficult to live for hundreds of thousands of years with ease."

"Hundreds of thousands of years?"

The middle-aged sage's body trembled violently, and the hazy aura surrounding him fluctuated wildly, clearly indicating that he was deeply shaken.

This is normal. For these supreme beings in the forbidden zones who have severed themselves, the number of hundreds of thousands of years has an unimaginable impact.

Those were long years that they had never dared to hope for in the past.

The side hall was quiet for a moment, with only the slightly heavy breathing of the middle-aged man.

He seemed to be trying his best to calm himself down.

After a long while, the middle-aged sage spoke again, his voice drier than before, but also more resolute:

"May I ask the Heavenly Emperor, what price must someone like me pay to enter the passage between the two realms and travel to the Lesser Immortal Realm?"

He knew that such an opportunity would never be given away for nothing.

Jiang Hao leaned back slightly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the jade armrest, making a soft tapping sound.

Jiang Hao's tone was calm, even somewhat casual, as if he were chatting:

"As you all know, I am actually very easy to talk to and reasonable. When opportunities arise, I will give them to everyone and never keep them to myself."

The middle-aged man remained silent upon hearing this, but inwardly he thought: If you say so, then so be it...

He had witnessed firsthand the Heavenly Emperor's methods of suppressing all the heavens, clearing out forbidden zones, and forcing all sides to submit, so he dared not take these words as mere politeness.

Jiang Hao continued, "However, while this is an opportunity, there must be some rules, especially for you supreme beings of the forbidden zone. We need to treat you differently."

Jiang Hao paused, then looked at the other person calmly.

"I know that there are two types of people who enter the forbidden zone. One type has the blood of billions of living beings on their hands and has instigated dark turmoil."

Another type entered the forbidden zone, but never launched a dark uprising.

The middle-aged man felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that the crucial moment had arrived.

Jiang Hao's voice remained calm: "For those who have never instigated any dark upheavals, the conditions can be more lenient."

Jiang Hao looked at him calmly as he spoke, "Which one do you belong to?"

The middle-aged man was startled by the gaze and, without hesitation, immediately said:

"I hereby inform the Heavenly Emperor that although I have entered the forbidden zone, I have never instigated any dark upheavals, and throughout the long years, I have never committed any act of devouring living beings."

The middle-aged sage spoke frankly, which was one of the reasons he dared to come to the Heavenly Court to inquire.

Lying is pointless before the Heavenly Emperor.