Wu Jian had been forced to alter her body, transforming herself into a muscular young woman. Initially, the change was incredibly challenging. Every movement felt foreign, and she grappled with her new identity. But as the years passed, she gradually grew accustomed to her new body, and, somewhat to her surprise, she even found a level of comfort in it.
Not long ago, however, something profound changed within her. It felt as though a mental shackle—something that had been binding her very thoughts—had suddenly snapped. This unanticipated clarity made her realize just how strange it was that, as a cultivator of the Ultimate Convergence Realm, she had been obediently following Leo, someone she now regarded as little more than an insignificant ant.
The memories of countless nights spent with Leo began to bubble up in her mind, each one more infuriating than the last. Wu Jian was not someone who could be easily offended or humiliated; she had developed a resilient spirit over her 15 million years as a cultivator. But even for her, what she had endured felt like a betrayal of her dignity. She had never imagined that she, a powerful and revered cultivator, would experience such utter humiliation.
Despite the anger and sense of betrayal that simmered within her, Wu Jian hesitated to revert her body to its former male physique. It wasn't her female form that angered her; the real source of her fury was the humiliation she had endured. Her frustration was directed at Leo, not at the body she inhabited.
"I actually feel more comfortable in this body," Wu Jian murmured to herself. Her straightforward nature shone through—an unusual trait for an Ultimate Convergence cultivator. She wasn't one to overthink things. After a moment's reflection, she decided to keep her female form.
Her decision to retain her current body, however, did not mean she intended to forgive Leo. Revenge remained a clear objective. Without wasting any time, she began teleporting back to where Leo was, though the journey would take a while as she had been working on a mission in a distant region.
...
Meanwhile, Wang Xuanwei had been searching for Wu Jian, intent on discovering her whereabouts. Just as he prepared to ask around for information, she appeared before him, her presence catching him off guard.
"Wu Jian!" Wang Xuanwei exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise. It wasn't simply her sudden appearance that surprised him; it was the fact that she still retained her female physique.
Wang Xuanwei was perceptive enough not to comment on her appearance. He understood that if Wu Jian had wanted to change back to her original male form, she could have done so at any time. Bringing up the subject could be risky—it might even offend her, something he, as someone who hoped to forge an alliance with her, wished to avoid at all costs.
"It seems you've already taken care of him," Wu Jian said, smiling faintly as she observed Leo's miserable state.
"Correct!" Wang Xuanwei replied with a satisfied nod. "This punishment is far from what he truly deserves, but I held back from inflicting too much torture on him for fear of damaging his soul. Instead, let's go to the Immortal World to conduct a thorough soul search."
Wu Jian nodded in agreement.
For most people, traveling across worlds is a formidable challenge. The process demands immense resources, rare artifacts, or complex portals. But for Wu Jian and Wang Xuanwei, such journeys were effortless. As cultivators of exceptionally high realms, they possessed abilities that made inter-world travel as easy as a thought.
The reason their cultivation realms were currently locked at the half-step Celestial Ascension level was simple: the world they occupied could not sustain anyone beyond that power level. This lower world had strict limits; if any cultivator advanced beyond Void Refining and officially entered Celestial Ascension, the world itself would expel them and forever prohibit their return. For Wu Jian and Wang Xuanwei, this ban was a small price to pay; they had no issue being barred from a lower world like this.
At any moment, they could leave this world without requiring a portal or any specialized equipment. As high-ranking cultivators—Wu Jian with her Ultimate Convergence Realm and Wang Xuanwei with his Eternal Mastery—they knew the locations of various immortal worlds and had traveled across them countless times. Wu Jian, in particular, had reached a level of mastery that allowed her to locate even the most suitable worlds, including the Golden Immortal World, and she could enter it whenever she chose.
...
After several weeks of careful planning, Wu Jian and Wang Xuanwei completed all remaining tasks and gathered other summoned cultivators. They meticulously ensured that no unfinished business remained behind, eliminating any ties that might bind them to this world. Once they were confident in their preparations, they finally broke the lock on their cultivation and stepped boldly into the Celestial Ascension Realm.
The moment their auras surged and officially reached the Celestial Ascension stage, the world's forces responded immediately. It was as if the world itself acknowledged the arrival of beings it could no longer contain. A powerful force descended upon them, casting them out of the world with great authority. But Wu Jian and Wang Xuanwei had anticipated this moment. They had placed all the summoned people in a spatial ring capable of holding living beings, ensuring that everyone would be expelled alongside them. As the world expelled Wu Jian and Wang Xuanwei, it also cast out all those held in their space ring.
...
With Wu Jian leading the way, they traversed the void and soon arrived at an immortal world. Entering this world was smooth and without incident; they were both seasoned travelers of the multiverse, having faced similar transitions countless times before.
The laws governing entry into immortal worlds vary significantly. Some worlds allow unrestricted access to all who find them, while others impose strict requirements, often requiring permission from the world's ruling forces. In the case of immortal worlds, these rules and restrictions differ widely. Some worlds may require one to register with a ruling power or meet certain entry conditions; others are entirely closed to outsiders without any exception.
Of course, these restrictions are not enforced by the worlds themselves but by the powerful forces residing within them. Technically, any cultivator of the Ultimate Convergence Realm could enter any immortal world if they wished. However, ignoring the established rules of a world would bring swift retribution. The ruling powers would see such an entrance as a declaration of war, and the intruder would soon be surrounded and likely killed. In these cases, the laws set by influential people can be just as effective as natural laws, since disregarding them could lead to fatal consequences.
With millions of years of experience, Wu Jian was an expert in navigating immortal worlds. She specifically chose an immortal world she was well-acquainted with, one that imposed minimal restrictions on unauthorized entry. The only requirement in this world was a simple registration process with one of the seven ruling dynasties. This registration was relatively straightforward; cultivators needed only to provide a wisp of their aura and a single drop of blood. This information would be stored temporarily and returned upon their departure from the world.
It's important to note that some immortal worlds impose far stricter entry conditions. Certain realms require unauthorized entrants to leave behind a fragment of their soul as collateral—a price far higher than a simple drop of blood and a wisp of aura. This soul fragment can be a safeguard, binding entrants to that world's laws and ensuring they abide by its rules. Compared to such stringent requirements, the entry process for the world Wu Jian and Wang Xuanwei now entered was extraordinarily lax.
One of the reasons Wu Jian selected this particular immortal world, known as the Crystal Expanse, was her familiarity with many of its powerful cultivators. She had connections here, old friends and allies among the masters who resided in this world. Familiar faces would make it much easier to re-establish herself and integrate smoothly; in a place where trust is hard-won, having others to vouch for you is invaluable.
However, Wu Jian harbored lingering doubts about her memories of these relationships. Having once been subjected to mind control had corroded her confidence in her own recollections. For all she knew, the memories she held of her allies and her time in the Crystal Expanse might be fabrications. The mind-control experience she endured had shaken her deeply; after all, whatever mysterious power had manipulated her mind was potent enough to capture and control an Ultimate Convergence Realm cultivator. If it could accomplish that, it might easily have altered her memories as well.
Another of Wu Jian's concerns was the passage of time. She had no way to know how long she had been gone. From her own perspective, only a relatively short period had passed since her capture; she feared more years might have passed than she could account for.
...
When Wu Jian and Wang Xuanwei entered Crystal Expanse, they were relieved to find no complications at the entry. Wu Jian had briefly worried that the entry laws might have changed since she was last here. Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and her concerns were put to rest.
"The aura here is the same… the feeling is the same," Wu Jian murmured, taking in the world around her. "Not much has changed! It looks like not much time has passed since we were captured!" She took a deep breath, relishing the energy that filled the air. Being confined in an inferior world had felt like being trapped in a tiny coffin buried deep underground; the world could hardly contain her, leaving her feeling cramped and restless. Now, in a world that could tolerate her full power, she finally felt like she could breathe freely again.
Wang Xuanwei shared in her relief, though to a lesser extent. He, too, had felt confined in the lower world, as if he had been placed in a cave that only just fit his body. Now, in a world where his power could fully flourish, he felt liberated.
"Follow me!" Wu Jian called, gesturing for Wang Xuanwei to join her. "Let's check on my sect before anything else." Though she wanted to conduct a soul search on Leo to uncover the truth of what happened, her concern for her sect was even more urgent. If, as she suspected, only a short time had passed since her capture, she would be able to return to the sect and then investigate Leo's role with a clear mind.
Wu Jian was not just another traveler in the Crystal Expanse—she was a well-known figure, a founder of many sects across different worlds. But the sect in this world held special meaning for her. It was the one she was most fond of, a place she had poured much of herself into, cultivating it over countless years. Her reputation as a founder and protector made her something of a legend here.