Jared narrowed his eyes, skepticism written all over his face. “Are you messing with me? Even if an immortal had passed through this realm, it’s impossible they left any treasures behind. And besides, why would an immortal bother with a low-level plane like ours?”
At Jared’s words, Octavion let out a chuckle. “Who said the immortal’s cave was in the Ethereal Realm?”
Jared blinked in surprise. “It’s not here? Then where?”
Octavion simply lifted a finger and pointed toward the sky.
“The Celestial Realm? Are you saying this Immortal’s dwelling is in the Celestial Realm?” Jared stared at Octavion in disbelief before his tone edged with irritation. “Are you messing with me? At my current level, who knows when I’ll even be able to ascend? What’s the point of telling me this?”
This was nothing more than chasing rainbows -pursuing something so far out of reach that it bordered on the absurd. And yet, Octavion had the audacity to bring it up, even offering to share the treasure with him.
Octavion raised an eyebrow at Jared, clearly surprised. “What? Don’t you know? Ascension isn’t the only way to enter the Celestial Realm.”
Jared frowned, confusion flickering across his face. “Then how else would I get there?”
“You seriously don’t know?” Octavion fixed Jared with an intense stare.
“Just tell me! I don’t have time for this!” Jared snapped, his impatience mounting.
Seeing that Jared genuinely had no idea, Octavion finally explained in detail, “Jared, there’s another way to enter the Celestial Realm besides ascension-you can climb the Celestial Stairway. Normally, those who ascend through cultivation start at the fourth level of the Celestial Realm. Below that is the third level, where most cultivators arrive only after overcoming countless trials and hardships. I’m not exactly sure about the other realms, but in the Celestial Realm, the Celestial Stairway appears once every hundred years. Strength doesn’t matter-if you can pass the Nine-Level Test of the Celestial Stairway, you’ll gain entry into the Celestial Realm. However, this method will only take you to the first level.”
Jared’s excitement surged. So one doesn’t have to cultivate to Ascendance to reach the Celestial Realm! Could it be possible for me to ascend with my current cultivation level by using the stairway?
Still, uncertainty gnawed at him. This was a once-in-a-century opportunity-if he missed it, he might ascend through cultivation before the next chance even arrived.
“How much longer until the stairway appears?” he asked impatiently.
“Based on calculations, it should be soon,” Octavion replied. “But its exact location is unpredictable. Every time it appears, war and bloodshed follow. Countless cultivators seek to climb it, dreaming of earning their place in the Celestial Realm. For celestial cultivators trapped in the Ethereal Realm, the stairway is their only hope of returning. Otherwise, they’re forced to wait for the Heaven and Earth Array to vanish-which could take ages. That’s why, whenever the Celestial Stairway emerges, these stranded celestials will stop at nothing to seize the chance.”
Octavion paused, then said, “Not sure how much of that you actually understood.”
Unbeknownst to Octavion, Jared was well aware of the Heaven and Earth Array. In fact, the strange disturbances that happened were his doing.
“I get what you’re saying,” Jared said, a slight frown forming. “But wouldn’t that mean anyone could just climb the stairway and leave the Ethereal Realm for the Celestial Realm?”
Back then, Divinus had told him about the Heaven and Earth Array but never mentioned the Celestial Stairway. Even the celestial cultivators trapped in the Ethereal Realm had never brought it up.
If such a shortcut exists, why hasn’t anyone used it?
