After My Rebirth, I Ended Up Happily Ever After with the Saintess - Chapter 126

Stepping onto the white jade platform and gazing up at the colossal, towering palace gate that pierced the Nine Heavens, both Ye Li and Qin Yixuan were struck by an ineffable shock. The gate was a thousand zhang high, entirely carved from unknown primordial divine jade, its surface flowing with patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers—each line containing profound Dao rhythm. Standing before it, they felt like ants, involuntarily giving rise to a sense of reverence.

Beyond the gate was not the expected cluster of palaces, but a boundless, magnificent sea of clouds and a land of immortals. Countless floating celestial mountains were faintly visible in the mist; some bore magnificent, elaborately carved palaces and pavilions; others featured flying waterfalls and babbling brooks. Further in, faint, brilliant stars could be seen encircling, with the sun and moon shining together, as if forming a separate heaven and earth. The spiritual energy here was so dense it had materialized into liquid spiritual rain. With every breath, their cultivation slowly increased, making them feel thoroughly comfortable, as if every pore was cheering.

“This is the Nine Heavens Heavenly Palace…” Qin Yixuan whispered, her beautiful eyes shimmering with brilliance. The Divine Maiden’s origin in her body became unusually active at this moment, like a thirsty traveler meeting sweet rain, greedily absorbing the pure innate spiritual energy of this place.

Ye Li felt the same deep sensation. The fragment of the Samsara Mirror in her sea of consciousness vibrated slightly, conveying both alertness and a resonance with an existence of a similar caliber. She acutely sensed that the spatial laws within this Heavenly Palace were entirely different from the outside world, layered and stacked, as if countless small worlds were nested within, making it profoundly mysterious.

The welcoming envoy, Yun Ying, and several Heavenly Palace stewards stepped forward. Besides Yun Ying, the aura of the others was similarly deep and vast, at least at the late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation level. They wore uniform, moon-white, cloud-patterned Daoist robes with sleeves embroidered with the pattern of Ninefold Palace Gates, appearing solemn and mysterious.

“Two young friends, welcome to the Nine Heavens Heavenly Palace,” Envoy Yun Ying said with a smile, her tone more cordial than when they were outside. “These two are the Heavenly Palace’s External Affairs Stewards, Qing Lan and Chi Song. They will be responsible for your initial reception and arrangements.”

Qing Lan was a gentle-mannered female cultivator in blue robes. Her eyes held a constant smile, giving off a feeling of bathing in a spring breeze. Chi Song, on the other hand, was a stern-faced, robust middle-aged man with eyes like lightning, clearly a meticulous person.

“We appreciate the efforts of the two stewards.” Ye Li and Qin Yixuan returned the salute, their manners graceful and neither subservient nor arrogant.

Steward Qing Lan said warmly, “There are not many rules within the Heavenly Palace, but there are a few forbidden areas we hope the two of you will not trespass. Furthermore, most Heavenly Palace disciples are in seclusion for cultivation and are rarely seen on ordinary days, so we ask for your understanding.”

Under the guidance of Envoy Yun Ying and the two stewards, they passed through the massive palace gate. The moment they stepped through, it was as if they had traversed an invisible barrier, and the surrounding scenery changed again. Underfoot was a lustrous white jade corridor. This white jade was not ordinary; it was ‘Spirit-Nurturing Jade,’ capable of automatically absorbing and storing spiritual energy. Walking on it, spiritual energy naturally permeated their bodies, nourishing their meridians.

On both sides of the corridor was a boundless view of the cloud sea immortal realm, with celestial cranes gathering and spiritual beasts running in the distance. What was more astonishing was that these celestial cranes and spiritual beasts all emitted an aura no weaker than the Core Formation Realm, clearly spiritual creatures that had achieved cultivation.

“Those are Bright Moon Celestial Cranes. They have cultivated in the palace for three thousand years, equivalent to the early Nascent Soul cultivation of the human race,” Steward Qing Lan explained, seeing Qin Yixuan show interest in a crane that was pure white with a bright moon mark on its head. “And that Three-Eyed Spiritual Ape over there is skilled in spatial divine abilities and is one of the spiritual beasts guarding the ‘Myriad Scroll Pavilion.'”

As they proceeded deeper, the Divine Maiden’s origin within Qin Yixuan became increasingly active. She felt every cell in her body cheering, like a wanderer returning home. A certain ancient Dao rhythm permeating the air resonated strongly with the origin in her body, deepening her understanding of the 《Nine Heavens Profound Water Sutra》 at an unprecedented speed.

Even more surprising to her was that some previously obscure points suddenly became clear. For instance, the true meaning of “The highest excellence is like water”—she had always understood it as utmost gentleness and goodness, but now she realized it also contained the Dao of Creation, “Water benefits all things without contention,” as well as the punitive might of “Water can carry a boat, and it can overturn it.”

Unknowingly, a faint, pure azure light began to emanate from her body, and the pale golden divine pattern on her forehead flickered in and out of sight. Her entire demeanor grew increasingly ethereal and holy, like an immortal who had transcended the mortal world. As she walked, subtle ripples of water light shimmered beneath her feet; every step subtly aligned with the rhythm of the Water Dao.

This transformation naturally did not escape the eyes of Yun Ying and the others. Yun Ying’s eyes held a flash of “I knew it” realization and contentment, while the respect in the eyes of Stewards Qing Lan and Chi Song deepened.

Ye Li took all of this in, realizing that Qin Yixuan’s identity was probably far more than just a “guest” within the Nine Heavens Heavenly Palace. She silently squeezed Qin Yixuan’s hand, conveying silent support.

Steward Chi Song suddenly spoke, “The aura on Young Friend Qin reminds me of the ‘Mystic Maiden’s Dao Rhythm’ recorded in the ancient texts of the Palace. It seems the rumors are true; the lineage of the Mystic Maiden is truly reappearing in the world.”

Qin Yixuan was slightly stunned by this, and just as she was about to ask, a long, clear bell sound suddenly came from the front. The bell sound was clear and high, containing the power to purify the mind, instantly clearing their thoughts.

“That is the ‘Awakening Bell,’ which rings once in the morning and once in the evening to help disciples maintain a clear spiritual platform during cultivation,” Steward Qing Lan explained. “It seems we arrived just in time for the evening class.”

As the bell reverberated, streaks of light could be seen flying out from some distant celestial mountains, converging towards the depths of the Heavenly Palace. The figures within those streaks of light had powerful auras, all at least at the Divine Power Realm or higher cultivation level.

Ye Li was secretly alarmed. The Nine Heavens Heavenly Palace truly lived up to its extraordinary reputation. With any random disciple having such a level of cultivation, its foundation was far deeper than she had imagined.

The group continued forward and arrived at a massive plaza suspended in the sea of clouds. In the center of the plaza stood a nine-story jade pagoda, its body emitting a soft light, surrounded by dozens of disciples sitting in meditation and cultivating. When these disciples saw Envoy Yun Ying, they all rose to salute, their gazes showing surprise and curiosity when they swept over Qin Yixuan.

“This is the ‘Enlightenment Plaza,’ and the ‘Nine-Turn Exquisite Pagoda’ in the center can help one enter a deep state of enlightenment,” Steward Qing Lan continued to introduce. “If the two of you are interested, you can come here to experience it another day.”

Qin Yixuan felt the rich Dao rhythm on the plaza, and the Divine Maiden’s origin in her body became even more active. She could even clearly sense the joyful excitement of the water-attribute spiritual energy in the air, as if welcoming their sovereign.

Ye Li, however, noticed nine stone pillars standing at the edge of the plaza. Each pillar was carved with different patterns: the sun, moon, and stars; mountains and rivers; flowers, birds, fish, and insects; as well as various mysterious runes. These stone pillars looked casually placed but were actually aligned with a mysterious formation, the intricacies of which even she could not fully fathom.

“Those are the ‘Nine Ultimate Primordial Suppressing Pillars,’ which suppress the Heavenly Palace’s destiny and are also the core of a powerful, endlessly potent palace-guarding array,” Envoy Yun Ying explained, seeing Ye Li’s interest in the pillars. “If fully activated, even a Mahayana stage cultivator would find it difficult to break through.”

Ye Li’s heart was solemn, and her assessment of the Nine Heavens Heavenly Palace increased by several points.

Passing through the Enlightenment Plaza, a spiritual medicine garden appeared ahead. The garden was planted with various rare spiritual herbs, some of which were ancient divine medicines extinct in the outside world. The fragrant aroma was refreshing and invigorating.

“This is the ‘Hundred Herb Garden,’ personally managed by Elder Mu De,” Steward Qing Lan said, pointing to an old man watering the spiritual herbs in the garden. “Elder Mu De is one of the oldest elders in the Palace, proficient in the Dao of Alchemy and the art of spiritual planting.”

The old man sensed their arrival and raised his head. When he saw Qin Yixuan, a flicker of light crossed his cloudy eyes, followed by a benevolent smile. “Mystic Maiden’s aura… Good, good, good. I have waited so many years, and finally this day has come.”

Qin Yixuan quickly saluted, “Junior Qin Yixuan pays respects to the Elder.”

Elder Mu De waved his hand and chuckled, “No need for formalities. If you ever have need in the future, you may come to the Hundred Herb Garden to find me. I may not have much else here, but spiritual herbs are plentiful.”

Continuing forward, the environment grew increasingly serene. Within the swirling clouds and mist, glimpses of exquisite courtyards scattered across the various celestial mountains could be seen. These courtyards varied in style—some simple and elegant, others magnificent and refined—but all emitted powerful restriction fluctuations.

“This is the ‘Clear Cultivation City’ in the Outer Three Heavens, provided for visiting dignitaries and Palace stewards to reside in,” Steward Qing Lan said, pointing to a cluster of courtyards ahead. “Two adjacent courtyards have been prepared for the two of you. The environment is quiet and suitable for cultivation.”

Ye Li and Qin Yixuan exchanged a look, both seeing satisfaction in the other’s eyes. The journey so far affirmed that the Nine Heavens Heavenly Palace truly lived up to its transcendental reputation, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura everywhere.

Just as they were preparing to head to their residences, a strange fluctuation suddenly emanated from the depths of the Heavenly Palace in the distance. This fluctuation contained an incomparably pure and sacred aura, causing the Divine Maiden’s origin within Qin Yixuan to tremble violently, almost uncontrollably surging out of her body.

Envoy Yun Ying’s expression shifted slightly, then turned into one of delight. “It’s the direction of the Mystic Maiden Palace… It seems the Palace Lord has sensed it.”

Qin Yixuan forcefully suppressed the churning origin within her, a mix of anticipation and unease flashing in her beautiful eyes. She vaguely felt that her destiny was about to undergo a major turning point here.

Ye Li squeezed her hand, gently saying, “No matter what happens, I will be by your side.”

Qin Yixuan’s heart warmed, and she nodded. With Ye Li by her side, she felt immense peace of mind.