Three Thousand Worlds (GL) - Chapter 1

“Guo’er…” Her slender finger stroked the Soul-Gathering Pearl hanging on her chest. Having endured the eighty-one bolts of the Great Tribulation Thunder, Tian Yue looked up at the seemingly endless Heavenly Ascension Ladder. Even a cold and aloof person like her couldn’t help but feel her heart surge. She gently held the Soul-Gathering Pearl and softly murmured, “Guo’er, Elder Sister did it. Once I ascend to the Immortal Realm, Elder Sister will surely be able to cultivate the Immortal Arts to help you reforge your Divine Soul.”

Stepping onto the Immortal Ladder, Tian Yue turned back for a final look. The disciples of her sect had all reined in their initial astonishment at the appearance of the ladder. They were sitting cross-legged, quietly bathing in the profound, mysterious immortal light, hoping to gain some insight and advance their cultivation.

With no lingering attachment, Tian Yue stepped onto the ladder and went all the way, step by step, until she reached the final rung. To her surprise, a welcoming immortal was already waiting. The attendant immortal was slightly taken aback by how easily Tian Yue climbed the ladder, but remained composed, saying, “Congratulations, Immortal Maiden, on your ascension and achieving the Dao. I am the Gate-Guarding Immortal General, here to welcome you. Please follow me.”

“Thank you for the trouble,” Tian Yue acknowledged with a nod. Just as she was about to follow the Immortal General through the Immortal Gate, she was blocked by a barrier.

The Immortal General seemed slightly surprised by this. His gaze paused for a breath on the Soul-Gathering Pearl hanging around Tian Yue’s neck, then he suddenly understood and smiled, “Only an Immortal Maiden who has achieved the Dao and ascended can enter this gate. Dispersed mortal souls from the lower realm cannot.”

When Tian Yue heard this, she felt as though she had plunged into an ice cellar. After a long pause, she stammered, “Immortal General, please don’t jest. The Upper Immortal Wu Fa once instructed me that to reforge a Primeval Soul, I must bring Guo’er’s Divine Soul with me to the Upper Realm. Only by cultivating the Immortal Arts there can I achieve it…”

The Immortal General shook his head and chuckled, “I assume Upper Immortal Wu Fa belongs to the same sect as the Immortal Maiden. Such heartfelt affection and protection is evident.”

“Are you saying, Senior Martial Wu Fa lied to me…” Tian Yue gripped the Soul-Gathering Pearl in her hand tightly. “No, impossible, absolutely impossible…”

“Elder Sister, don’t be sad. Once you ascend and become an Immortal, you can reforge my Divine Soul, and then we can be together again,” Guo’er had said as her soul was scattering. Tears streamed down her cheeks, dampening her nearly transparent soul body. Her gaze drifted toward Yue Wu Fa, and she pleaded, “Senior Martial Wu Fa, is that true or not?”

Yue Wu Fa felt a pang of guilt but gritted her teeth, took out the Soul-Gathering Pearl, and nodded, “It is.” She immediately turned to Tian Yue, who was about to exhaust her spiritual power to keep Guo’er’s soul from scattering, “Tian Yue, quickly stop using your spiritual power! Let me put Guo’er’s Divine Soul into the Soul-Gathering Pearl.”

“Elder Sister, promise me you will ascend to the Upper Realm and achieve the Great Dao, promise me…”

“Elder Sister promises you, Yuè…” Before she could finish her sentence, she had exhausted her spiritual power and fainted.

“Elder Sister…” a soft call seemed to echo in her ears.

“Impossible, impossible!” Tian Yue cried out heartbreakingly, unable to accept the final outcome of her little sister’s soul scattering. She tore off the Soul-Gathering Pearl she had worn for a thousand years, clutched it tightly, and declared resolutely, “Guo’er, Elder Sister will join you!” She immediately turned and leapt off the Immortal Ladder. Limitless Astral Winds surged from all directions. The bone-piercing, soul-destroying pain, however, could not compare to the agony in Tian Yue’s heart.

“This…” The sudden turn of events caught the Immortal General completely off guard. Seeing the Immortal Ladder vanish the moment the Immortal Maiden jumped, he sighed mournfully, “Foolish child! Foolish child!” She ascended just moments ago, only to be destroyed by the Astral Winds and end up with a scattered soul. What foolishness!

“Wu Fa, hurry!” Seeing Tian Yue plummet from the Immortal Ladder, Yue Wu Chen urgently urged.

“Go!” Yue Wu Fa quickly conjured an Immortal Artifact. A beam of immortal light chased after Tian Yue.

“Upper Immortal Wu Fa, Upper Immortal Wu Chen…” The Immortal General rushed forward to greet the two Upper Immortals who had arrived together, but was met with a glare.

“Hmph!” Yue Wu Fa coldly snorted, “Serves you right for your loose tongue!” She then focused, chanting a spell with her fingers to perform her magic, ignoring him.

“My Martial Sister is anxious to save her disciple. Immortal General, please excuse her,” said Yue Wu Chen.

“I dare not, I dare not,” the Immortal General said sheepishly, retreating to the side.

Moments later, Yue Wu Fa finished her spell, collecting a mirror-like magical artifact the size of a palm.

“How is it?” Yue Wu Chen anxiously asked.

“She was lucky. The Immortal Artifact finally caught up to her and managed to take her in just in time.”

Hearing this, Yue Wu Chen breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, “And Guo’er…”

Yue Wu Fa patted her Martial Sister’s hand reassuringly, “Don’t worry. Though damaged by the Astral Winds, her soul was scattered and her spirit broken, I managed to collect her in the Immortal Artifact in time. It’s just that her Divine Soul is scattered across the Three Thousand Minor Worlds within the artifact.”

Upon hearing this, Yue Wu Chen’s heart settled. With her Martial Sister’s Immortal Artifact nurturing Guo’er’s Divine Soul, Guo’er would surely turn the corner and be safe. She affectionately linked her arm with her Martial Sister’s, saying, “Martial Sister, you’ve worked hard.”

“Since you know your Martial Sister has worked hard, you must properly reward your Martial Sister,” Yue Wu Fa teased, rubbing her nose against her Martial Sister’s.

Though Upper Immortal Yue Wu Chen was a powerful figure, in front of her unserious Martial Sister, she could only give her a light, playful punch on the shoulder, scolding, “Stop being so frivolous! Hurry home and let Tian Yue out. I don’t know how badly she was injured by the Astral Winds…”

“Yes, yes, let’s go home, let’s go home…” Yue Wu Fa said, hinting at something, and received a few more playful punches as expected. After enduring her Martial Sister’s light beating, she suddenly composed herself and pondered, “But Tian Yue… This child is too reckless, she doesn’t take care of herself at all. She deserves to be tempered through experience in these Three Thousand Worlds.”

Yue Wu Chen thought for a moment and nodded in agreement, “Since Tian Yue cares so much about Guo’er, let’s fulfill her wish and let her travel with Guo’er in these Three Thousand Minor Worlds.”

Yue Wu Fa was secretly delighted to have her Martial Sister’s approval.

After ascending for a thousand years, her Martial Sister had been constantly urging her to refine the Immortal Artifact, leaving them no time for intimacy! She certainly couldn’t let her Martial Sister’s little disciple come out to bother them just yet!

With that thought, she eagerly dragged her Martial Sister back home.

The Gate-Guard listened to the conversation between the two Upper Immortals and muttered to himself, “I wonder what kind of Immortal Artifact Upper Immortal Wu Fa refined? Can it really reforge a Divine Soul?”

The Immortal Artifact refined by Yue Wu Fa was called the “Three Thousand Worlds.” It contained three thousand minor worlds within itself, capable of collecting scattered and stray souls. After enduring a thousand lifetimes, the soul could be successfully reforged. It was a treasure so rare that even other Immortals would fight over it.

Fortunately, Yue Wu Fa finally finished refining this artifact on the day of Tian Yue’s ascension. Otherwise, the deeply emotional Tian Yue might truly have ended up with her soul scattered and her body and Dao destroyed.