You Must Hold My Hand Forever.

A dongtian is the place where immortals are said to reside.

It is cut off from the world and contains scenery utterly different from the outside.

Many things that ordinary people take for granted may not apply here.

Because this place was created by immortals, all its rules — even the nearly unfathomable “Dao” — change according to the preferences of those immortals.

This cluster of palaces before them very likely belonged to an immortal or to the disciples of an immortal.

At this moment Qin Ximo stood beneath the immortal mountain and felt only her own smallness, and nothing but awe rose in her heart.

All the achievements she had made in the outside world — whether her peerless swordsmanship or her Ninefold Golden Core cultivation — suddenly seemed insignificant here.

She felt like a mortal again, reclaiming the humility she had when she first stepped onto the path of immortality.

“Let’s go.” Qin Ximo said softly.

“First, we’ll look through those palaces.”

Lu Qianyun led the Hehuan Sect disciples close behind and spoke, “Immortal Qin, this is the heritage left by our Hehuan Sect predecessors.

Why are you so confident, walking ahead without consulting me, the Holy Maiden?”

“You’re probably here for the first time as well, aren’t you?” Qin Ximo replied calmly.

Lu Qianyun neither confirmed nor denied it; indeed, this was her first time here.

In fact, since the Hehuan Sect was founded in this era, no one had ever reached this place — and the reason was simple: the time was not right.

After the decline of the Ancient Age, these dongtian and blessed lands remained.

But indefinite slumber is not a solution; such realms must find a successor to sustain their existence, or they will fade like those once-glorious eras until they vanish from the world.

A few years ago, this dongtian contacted the current Hehuan Sect by some special means.

At that time, it happened to be when Lu Qianyun rose from an ordinary merchant’s daughter to become the famed Holy Maiden of the Hehuan Sect.

That is why Lu Qianyun’s status as Holy Maiden became unprecedentedly high within the sect.

After witnessing the great power this place had revealed, the Hehuan Sect leader was willing to set aside pride and even transfer many sect rights into Lu Qianyun’s hands, content to play the supporting role to the Holy Maiden.

This would have been unimaginable before.

The Hehuan Holy Maiden is different from Holy Maidens in other sects.

As the outside world knows, their existence is largely a show.

They are carefully groomed gifts and tended seeds that will become bargaining chips to bring the Hehuan Sect allies, even powerful benefactors.

Lu Qianyun heard the voices that crossed the ages and learned that this dongtian was about to awaken.

From that moment she began scheming for everything that followed.

Watching Qin Ximo enter the palace cluster, Lu Qianyun’s smile brightened, and she could not hide her excitement as she gripped Cao Xueyan’s hand.

Both their hands were equally cold, a result of their special constitutions.

“Yue’er, from now on you — must keep holding my hand.

Unless absolutely necessary, do not let go.

Do you hear me?” Lu Qianyun whispered carefully through secret transmission to Cao Xueyan.

Cao Xueyan showed no expression and asked back through transmission, “Is Bihua Dongtian dangerous?”

“I don’t know.” Lu Qianyun answered frankly.

“As Immortal Qin said earlier, I have never been here.

What the predecessors told me were only scattered, vague pieces of information.

Few of these I can interpret, but there’s one thing I was told — nothing here will hurt me, but I can’t guarantee it won’t hurt you.

So hold my hand and avoid unknown dangers as much as possible.”

Cao Xueyan’s expression grew complicated.

“Holy Maiden, if we accidentally trigger a formation or some puppet mechanism, would we really die?” she asked.

Lu Qianyun took her fear for real and replied casually, “Maybe.

From what I know, the former master of this dongtian had a cultivation far beyond what we can imagine.

Even those we call Dao Lords in the Nascent Soul realm could only act as errand runners during this dongtian’s heyday.

If it is truly dangerous, none of the people here would survive by chance.”

Cao Xueyan turned pale with fright and watched Qin Ximo walking ahead with a growing sense of unease.

In the simulation, there were several endings where Qin Ximo did not survive.

She feared that this time the unknown existence within the dongtian might be the cause…

Meanwhile, others who had followed through the teleportation array began to appear.

But they looked unwell; some faces were dark purple and bodies wobbled.

Some bent over retching, vomiting onto the ground.

Only those whose cultivation had reached Golden Core could barely steady themselves and recover quickly.

Thanks to that, they were the first to seriously observe this small world.

“This is an otherworldly dongtian?”

“The records are true! A small world crafted by an Ancient Power — this is where immortals reside!”

“Wait — where did Qin Ximo and those Hehuan women go?

Could they have entered the palaces ahead of us? Damn it — this dongtian belongs to the Hehuan Sect’s ancestors, and Lu Qianyun, as Holy Maiden, would know it well.

If they got in first, how would any of us stand a chance?”

“Lu Qianyun is sly.

She swore before, but this place is strange — who knows what tricks she might have to avoid the heavenly gaze.

Keep up and make sure she stays under our watch so she can’t pull any stunts!”

“But… Qin Ximo went in too, and that woman is not to be trifled with!”

“Hmph, we’ll take it step by step.

Just keep in mind why we came.”

They plotted and watched one another.

Once everyone recovered from the aftereffects of the teleportation, they quickly drew lines between themselves.

Although they eyed each other warily and with hostility, none dared act rashly in this strange dongtian.

Moreover, this was a dongtian blessed land; whatever the immortals left behind could be had here.

If one could obtain even one or two percent of its heritage, it would be enough to secure a smooth path for the rest of their lives.