150: Chapter 150 The Immortal Realm Arrives, In the Ascension Pool

"Pfft... cough, cough..."

Lin Wan struggled to sit up from the milky-white pool water, spat out a few mouthfuls of pool water rich in Immortal Qi, and coughed violently before he could catch his breath.

He looked around, his eyes filled with the wariness of someone arriving in a strange place, as well as a trace of hard-to-conceal... novelty.

What met his eyes was a vast space shrouded in clouds and mist, saturated with Immortal Qi. The sky was not the azure blue common in the Lower Realm, but a more distant, clearer, and strangely colored hue of faint cyan-gold, as if it could reflect the stars of the heavens. The air was filled with Immortal Qi so dense it was almost impossible to disperse, and incredibly pure; taking a single breath made him feel relaxed all over, and the mana in his body became active, far surpassing even the best blessed lands in the Lower Realm by a thousand times.

Where he was located was a massive white jade pool that seemed to have been formed naturally, or perhaps carved by someone with a great Divine Ability. The pool was about a hundred zhang in circumference, its edges smooth and rounded. On the pool walls were carved countless mysterious and complex patterns that seemed to contain certain truths of heaven and earth, with faint seven-colored immortal light flowing across them. The pool was filled with a milky-white, viscous liquid that felt like grease, emitting a rich aura of life and pure Immortal Qi; this was the legendary "Ascension Pool" water.

The pool water was warm and contained a strange power that was continuously seeping into Lin Wan's body, repairing the minor hidden injuries he had sustained while forcibly breaking through the boundary wall and traveling through the Void Realm tunnel. At the same time, it was also transforming and tempering his Physical Body, Meridians, and even his Divine Soul and mana in a gentle yet firm manner, making them more adaptable to the Laws and environment of the Immortal Realm.

This was one of the functions of the "Ascension Pool": to help those ascending from the Lower Realm shed their mortal forms, transform their mana into immortal essence, and initially adapt to the environment of the Immortal Realm. No matter what level of cultivation a Cultivator from the Lower Realm had, the mana they used was essentially still "mortal spiritual power," which was fundamentally different from the "Immortal Qi" of the Immortal Realm. If one did not undergo the baptism and transformation of the "Ascension Pool" and rashly absorbed the Immortal Qi of the Immortal Realm to Cultivate, it would very easily cause a conflict in mana, lead to Qi Deviation, or even cause the body to explode and die.

"What a 'Ascension Pool', what an Immortal Realm." Lin Wan felt the strange power in the pool water that was transforming him, as well as the dense, pure, and vastly different Immortal Qi of the Immortal Realm around him, and could not help but sigh in his heart.

"The concentration of Immortal Qi here is at least a hundred times that of 'Zhenxu Pass' in the Lower Realm! And it is purer and easier to absorb and refine. No wonder they say the Immortal Realm is a Holy Land for cultivation; based on this most basic cultivation environment alone, it is far beyond what the Lower Realm can compare to."

"Moreover," Lin Wan closed his eyes and sensed carefully, "the Laws of heaven and earth here are also much more complete, stable, and vast than those of the Lower Realm. The spatial structure is more solid; I fear that even a full-strength strike of mine might not be able to tear the space here. The flow of time also seems different from the Lower Realm, more... slow? Or rather, closer to the essence of the Dao?"

"The most magical thing is that the Laws here seem to be more 'clear' and 'active'? In the Lower Realm, comprehending the Laws of heaven and earth is like looking at flowers through fog or viewing the moon in water, obscure and difficult to understand. But here, those Laws of heaven and earth seem to be manifested right before one's eyes, within reach. It is no wonder that the cultivation speed and comprehension of the Dao of Cultivators in the Immortal Realm are far beyond those of the Lower Realm. This is simply the difference between heaven and earth."

Lin Wan was shocked. He was now at the True Immortal Realm, having condensed the supreme Dao fruit of the "Chaos Reincarnation Divine Kingdom," and was considered invincible in the Lower Realm, capable of creating heaven and earth. But in this Immortal Realm, just the environment around this "Ascension Pool" made him feel his own insignificance. One could imagine how many ancient existences, powerful Sects, and terrifying forces were hidden within this vast Immortal Realm.

"However, that makes it even more interesting, doesn't it?" A smile curled on the corner of Lin Wan's mouth, and a trace of anticipation and Battle Intent flashed in his eyes. Deep down, he was not a person content with mediocrity. The vaster the Immortal Realm, the more experts, and the more Opportunities there were, the more motivated he would be to climb to higher Peaks, to pursue that true Dao, to unravel the mystery of the "samsara mirror," and to explore the source of "the end."

"The urgent priority is to first use the water of this 'Ascension Pool' to completely complete the transformation of mana, stabilize my Realm, and adapt to the environment of the Immortal Realm. Then, I will inquire about the situation in this Immortal domain and look for a place to establish a foothold."

Lin Wan stopped overthinking, calmed his mind, and operated the "Chaos Reincarnation Cultivation Technique," beginning to actively absorb and refine the strange power contained in the "Ascension Pool" water, as well as the dense and pure Immortal Qi around him.

The "Chaos Reincarnation Cultivation Technique" was a supreme Cultivation Technique he had created himself, which matched his own "Chaos Reincarnation Great Dao" and was extremely profound. Operating it now in the better environment of the Immortal Realm, the efficiency was countless times higher than in the Lower Realm. As soon as the Cultivation Technique started, Lin Wan's body seemed to turn into a bottomless pit, crazily devouring the surrounding Immortal Qi and the strange power in the "Ascension Pool" water.

"Whoosh—!!"

The originally calm, milky-white pool water began to form a huge vortex with Lin Wan at the center. The dense Immortal Qi, like swallows returning to their nests, gathered from all directions and surged into Lin Wan's body. The strange energy in the pool water, which contained the power of transformation, conversion, and tempering, also found its home and scrambled to seep into Lin Wan's limbs, bones, Meridians, and even his Divine Soul and Sea of Consciousness.

Lin Wan could clearly feel that the mana within him was being transformed, tempered, and purified by the power of the "Ascension Pool" water at an astonishing speed. The originally slightly impure mana that carried the unique aura of the Lower Realm was rapidly shedding its mortal attributes and converting into a more pure, condensed, and fitting immortal essence—Immortal Energy!

At the same time, his Physical Body was also undergoing subtle and profound changes under the tempering of the pool water's power. His skin became more lustrous, faintly flowing with precious light; his bones became more dense, as if made of divine metal and immortal jade; his Meridians were widened and reinforced, becoming tougher and able to withstand the scouring of more powerful and violent Immortal Energy; his internal organs were also tempered to be full of vitality. Even his Divine Soul was becoming more solid and pure, his perception sharper, and his thinking clearer under the nourishment and baptism of the pool water's power.

"Is this... the embryonic form of an Immortal Body?" Lin Wan realized in his heart. No matter how high their cultivation, Cultivators from the Lower Realm were ultimately "mortal bodies," restricted by the Laws and environment of the Lower Realm, with many shackles. Only by ascending to the Immortal Realm, undergoing the baptism of the "Ascension Pool," shedding the mortal form, and transforming into immortal essence to initially forge an "Immortal Body," could one truly establish a foothold and Cultivate in the Immortal Realm. An Immortal Body was far superior to a "mortal body" in terms of cultivation speed, mana recovery, physical strength, Lifespan, and comprehension of the Laws of heaven and earth.

"I have already laid my Foundation with the 'Chaos Reincarnation Great Dao' and condensed a 'Divine Kingdom,' and my Physical Body, Divine Soul, and mana had already reached a limit in the Lower Realm, far exceeding ordinary True Immortals. Now, after this baptism by the 'Ascension Pool,' shedding my mortal form, transforming into immortal essence, and forging an Immortal Body, my Foundation will be even more solid, and my potential will be even greater." Lin Wan was secretly delighted and began to absorb and refine even more focusedly.

Time passed quietly during his cultivation.

He did not know how long it had been, perhaps a day, perhaps several days.

"Boom—!!"

Inside Lin Wan's body, it was as if some shackles had been broken, and a slight roar echoed. The aura around his body suddenly surged, and a more vast, pure, and majestic wave of Immortal Energy spread out from him as the center, causing ripples on the surface of the "Ascension Pool."

"True Immortal Middle Stage, it is done!"

Lin Wan opened his eyes, a flash of Chaos light passing through his pupils, accompanied by a trace of surprise. He had not expected that just by completing the mana transformation in the "Ascension Pool" and forging an Immortal Body, his Realm would naturally break through from the True Immortal Early Stage to the True Immortal Middle Stage! This was certainly due to his deep accumulation in the Lower Realm, as well as the tempering by the power of the interface during the battle in the "Black Abyss" and his Ascension by "breaking the boundary with strength," but the miraculous effect of the "Ascension Pool" water and the unique cultivation environment of the Immortal Realm also played an indispensable role.

"True Immortal Middle Stage... with the Foundation of my current 'Chaos Reincarnation Divine Kingdom,' plus the initially forged Immortal Body and the transformed pure Immortal Energy, I should have some ability to protect myself in this Immortal Realm, right?" Lin Wan felt the vast, surging, and pure Immortal Energy within him, as well as the more solid, stable, and expanded "Chaos Reincarnation Divine Kingdom," and felt slightly at ease.

His current strength was at least several times stronger than when he had just ascended! If he were to encounter the "End Demon General" in the "Black Abyss" again, he was confident that he would not even need to use his "Divine Kingdom" with full power; he could easily suppress and eradicate it with his own Immortal Energy alone.

"However, the Immortal Realm is vast, and there are countless experts; a True Immortal is probably just the starting point. I still need to be cautious and not careless." Lin Wan did not become complacent because of his Breakthrough; instead, he became more vigilant. He remembered that Elder Tianji had said that in the Immortal Realm, above the True Immortal, there were even more powerful Realms, such as Heavenly Immortal, Profound Immortal, Golden Immortal, and even the legendary Grand Unity Golden Immortal, Immortal King, and Immortal Emperor! His True Immortal Middle Stage cultivation was probably no different from an ant in the eyes of the real powerhouses of the Immortal Realm.

"The mana transformation is complete, the Immortal Body is initially forged, and my Realm has also broken through to the True Immortal Middle Stage. It is time to leave this 'Ascension Pool' and go out to take a look." Lin Wan's thoughts moved, and he slowly stood up from the pool water.

The Chaos immortal robe on his body had long been damaged during the Ascension process, and now, soaked in the "Ascension Pool" water, it looked even more disheveled. However, this did not stump him. With a slight movement of his mind, his Immortal Energy circulated, and the water vapor on his body evaporated instantly. At the same time, a grey immortal robe condensed from Immortal Energy, similar in style to the previous one but more ancient, majestic, and faintly surrounded by Chaos Qi, was already worn on his body. This was materializing objects with Immortal Energy; for a True Immortal, this was just a small trick.

"This 'Ascension Pool' water is actually quite good; it contains strange energy and can help people forge an Immortal Body and transform into Immortal Energy. Since I have benefited from it, I might as well take some; it might be useful in the future, or I could leave it for future generations." Lin Wan looked at the milky-white pool water, his heart moved, and he took out several of the best-quality jade bottles he had refined in the Lower Realm and began to collect the pool water.

However, when he tried to put the pool water into the jade bottles, he was surprised to find that the pool water seemed to have spirituality and was extremely difficult to collect. Ordinary jade bottles could not contain the strange energy it contained at all; as soon as they came into contact, the jade bottles could not bear it and shattered one after another. Even when he wrapped it with Immortal Energy and forcibly collected some, once those pool waters left the "Ascension Pool," the strange energy contained within them would quickly dissipate, and they would soon become no different from ordinary spirit liquid, losing the miraculous effect of forging an Immortal Body and transforming into Immortal Energy.

"Sure enough, things in the Immortal Realm are extraordinary. I am afraid this 'Ascension Pool' water can only maintain its miraculous effect if it is in the pool, or if it is stored with special containers or Restrictions. I am a newcomer and do not have suitable containers, which is a pity." Lin Wan shook his head and gave up the idea of collecting the pool water. This "Ascension Pool" water was probably an important resource for the "Ascension Hall" or related forces in the Immortal Realm; how could it be so easy to take away? Being able to soak here, transform his Immortal Energy, and forge an Immortal Body was already a great Opportunity; he must not be greedy.

No longer lingering, Lin Wan moved his body, flew out of the "Ascension Pool," and landed on the white jade ground beside the pool.

With his feet on the ground, Lin Wan finally had the Opportunity to carefully examine the environment around this "Ascension Pool."

The "Ascension Pool" was located on a huge white jade square. The square was about ten thousand zhang in circumference, and the ground was paved with warm white jade, bright enough to reflect a person, with faint immortal energy rising. Around the square, clouds and mist swirled, making it impossible to see the scenery in the distance; one could only vaguely see the outlines of some pavilions and floating immortal mountains, looming in the clouds and mist, like a fairyland.

On the square, except for the "Ascension Pool" in the center, there was nothing else, appearing quite empty and quiet. Only at the edge of the square stood a few tall, crystal-clear jade pillars that seemed to be carved from some kind of immortal jade and were covered with mysterious runes, as well as a closed, hundred-zhang-high, ancient and thick white jade gate.

The white jade gate was tightly closed, and on the lintel, three large characters were engraved in ancient immortal script—Ascension Hall.

The font was vigorous and ancient, exuding a majestic and ancient aura, as if it had stood there for endless years.

"Ascension Hall... It seems that this is the official reception place for those who ascend from the Lower Realm to the Immortal Realm." Lin Wan looked at the three characters and understood. According to the sporadic information he had learned from ancient books in the Lower Realm and from Elder Tianji, Cultivators from the Lower Realm who ascended to the Immortal Realm would usually appear in a place similar to the "Ascension Pool," and the official organization of the Immortal Realm that managed the "Ascension Pool" and was responsible for receiving, registering, and arranging those who ascended from the Lower Realm was the "Ascension Hall."

The "Ascension Hall" belonged to a huge super-power in the Immortal Realm that ruled over many Immortal domains, responsible for managing Ascension matters from the Lower Realm, and could be considered the "first foothold" for those who ascended in the Immortal Realm. Those who ascended needed to register in the "Ascension Hall," receive an identity jade token, understand the basic common sense and rules of the Immortal Realm, and then they would be arranged to go elsewhere, either to join a Sect force or to become a Loose Cultivator and seek their own way.

"Since I am here, I will settle down. I will go to this 'Ascension Hall' to register and understand the situation in this Immortal domain first." Lin Wan tidied his robe and walked slowly toward the closed white jade gate.

However, just as he walked to about a hundred zhang away from the gate, a sudden change occurred!

"Buzz—!!"

The few jade pillars standing at the edge of the square, covered with mysterious runes, suddenly lit up at the same time, erupting with brilliant seven-colored immortal light! The immortal light intertwined, instantly forming a seven-colored light curtain in front of the gate, blocking Lin Wan... outside.

At the same time, a cold, mechanical, and emotionless voice rang out from above the white jade gate:

"Unknown ascender detected, not carrying an 'Ascension Reception Talisman,' not registered in the 'Heavens Ascension Ranking,' abnormal Ascension method, abnormal energy fluctuations, abnormal dao rhyme fluctuations... judged as... an illegal stowaway!"

"According to Article 3, Section 7 of the 'Heavens Ascension Management Regulations,' you are to be detained, awaiting processing by the 'Ascension Hall' steward."

"Illegal stowaway, please cease resistance and accept investigation. If there is resistance, the defensive Formation will be activated to suppress you."