Chu Mo stood there completely stunned; this was even more incredible to him than seeing a Quasi-Saint herb transform into an ancient fierce beast that wanted to eat him.

On this other section of the heavenly road, could there actually be signs of human habitation? And... what's the deal with that curling smoke from cooking fires? Could it be that there are actually secular mortals living here? Chu Mo couldn't even remember how many years it had been since he last saw a scene like this.

Who else but worldly mortals would cook using fire?

The Daoist abode wasn't large, just a few rooms constructed around a courtyard. The green bricks and tiles were easy to miss if one didn't look carefully, nestled as they were in the verdant forest. But the rising smoke from cooking fires was too noticeable; it could be seen from afar.

Chu Mo was really curious— who could be living here? He decided he had to take a look.

The distance wasn't great; for someone of Chu Mo's realm, he should have arrived in the blink of an eye. To his surprise, however, the gravity between Heaven and Earth grew stronger the closer he got to the Daoist abode. The stronger the gravity, the more it affected cultivators. If the gravity became intense enough, it could even make a cultivator just like a mortal!

Take, for example, those ancient battlefields where supreme fighters had battled. The laws of Heaven and Earth there were vastly different from the outside world, with particularly strong gravity. Or like the Five Elements world Chu Mo had once entered, the so-called suppression of realm was actually the result of gravity becoming incredibly strong.

Yet those places usually gave one a very clear sensation upon entering, unlike here, where the gravity increased the closer he got.

When Chu Mo was about ten miles from the Daoist abode, the gravity was so great that he could no longer fly!

Chu Mo had no choice but to descend slowly from the sky and then tried using Shrinking Ground into Inches. He stepped forward... and his figure appeared just a few yards away. For a cultivator of his level, this distance was almost the same as not moving at all.

Chu Mo's mouth twitched, a bitter smile appearing on his face, and then he resignedly walked towards the Daoist abode step by step.

The journey of over ten miles took nearly half an hour because the gravity kept increasing! By the end, Chu Mo felt as if he were carrying a mountain on his back.

If not for his intense curiosity about the owner of the Daoist abode, he would have considered turning back!

Finally, Chu Mo climbed halfway up the mountain and was now very close to the Daoist abode. The first thing that caught his eye was a small courtyard, its walls made of wooden fences, and the gate was small and very ancient in appearance.

To the left of the yard was a well with neatly piled firewood next to it; to the right was a chicken house, with several hens leisurely strolling around the courtyard. One of the roosters, in particular, stared at the sweaty Chu Mo, with eyes that seemed to carry a hint of disdain—what a weak human!

In the center of the courtyard was a grape arbor, perfectly shading the walkway, giving a very comfortable feeling.

Under the arbor, in front of the house, there was a rocking chair and in front of that a wooden stump with an ancient teapot on it.

Had it not been for the appearance of the house, one would have thought this was an ordinary peasant's home. But the house clearly looked like a Daoist abode. Combined with the gravity of this place, everything gave off a very strange vibe.

"Cluck cluck cluck cluck!"

Just as Chu Mo stood at the gate, about to call out and ask if anyone was inside, a hen suddenly started squawking. It looked like she had just laid an egg and was filling her crows with a boastful tone.

The other hens started squawking as well, their cries filled with astonishment, questioning, disbelief...

Well, all those thoughts were just Chu Mo's wild guesses. He stood there watching those carefree chickens and then felt the weight on himself, like carrying a mountain, and couldn't help feeling helpless.

At that moment, an old voice sounded from inside the Daoist abode, "The door isn't locked, push it open and come in by yourself."

Chu Mo was slightly taken aback at first, then a look of joy appeared on his face. He pushed the door casually, but it didn't budge.

Chu Mo was a bit shocked, then he pushed harder... creak!

The old wooden gate made a grating sound but still—didn't move!

Chu Mo's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the door, then strained with all his might once more... This time, Chu Mo swore he used every ounce of strength in his body!

For his realm, pushing like this, even a massive mountain range... would surely topple over!

Yet, the door remained immovable!

Through the crack in the door, Chu Mo saw that all the chickens in the courtyard had stopped their squawking and were tilting their heads one by one, looking at him in amazement.

Especially that rooster, which actually had a touch of sympathy in its eyes.

Damn it!

Despised by a chicken!

And just an ordinary chicken at that!

Chu Mo suddenly felt a desire to cry but no tears would come; this place was simply too bizarre!

As a cultivator at the pinnacle of the true immortal realm, how could he arrive here and not even be able to push open a single door? Was there no justice in heaven and earth?

"Realms, at times, are actually meaningless," the aged voice emanated from within the Daoist temple, "If you can understand this, you will be able to push open this door. If not, then just go back to whatever you were doing. Staying here has no meaning for you either."

Chu Mo's mouth twitched slightly, wanting to say something, but in the end, he said nothing. He simply sat down cross-legged at the entrance of the courtyard and stared blankly at the door.

"Realms, at times, are actually meaningless?" Chu Mo furrowed his brows, contemplating the meaning of the old man's words in his heart.

How could realms be useless? Why are they useless? Could it be that a true immortal and a mundane mortal... are the same? Clearly, that's not correct! The statement certainly couldn't be interpreted in that way.

Then what did he mean by that? Chu Mo sat there, deep in thought.

What he never expected was that this sitting... would last a month!

The elder inside never came out during this time, though the chickens in the yard seemed quite cheerful, merrily strutting around every day. Nobody paid any mind to Chu Mo. Even the chickens seemed to lose interest in the "oddity" at the entrance of the courtyard and ignored him.

To Chu Mo, it didn't even seem as though a month had passed; he merely pondered over a few questions in his mind.

The universe is vast and profound; attaining the realm of a true immortal puts one among the truly exceptional beings of all creatures. And yet, it's still almost impossible to glimpse even a billionth of the universe's truths.

Why, with his immense strength and profound realm, could he not push open a mere wooden gate?

Because of the Dao!

Because the Dao here is different from his Dao!

Here, this Dao manifests as the gravity of heaven and earth. He judged using his Dao, assuming it was just an ordinary door, but in fact, this door... might be a manifestation of the Great Dao!

If his level is not high enough, naturally, he cannot open the door.

That means his true immortal realm is not applicable here, not in alignment with the Dao of this place.

So, what if he had reached the realm of a true immortal under these circumstances? Would he still not be able to open this door? Would he still feel as if he were carrying a mountain with every step?

Looking at the free-spirited chickens in the yard, they were born here and grew up here; from the moment of their birth, they were already integrated into the Dao of this place. Therefore, they don't feel any pressure at all.

This also means that under different skies, the Dao is different, and thus realms... are naturally different too!

On some stars, the gravity is so insignificant that even an ordinary person could step ten zhang, or even further, with a single stride. So, can we say that an ordinary person on that star is a highly advanced cultivator? Of course not!

Therefore, realms... at times, are indeed meaningless!

What's key is the environment you are in! It's the Dao of that place!

The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning through the sea of his divine sense.

And then, Chu Mo merged with the Dao of this place!

He then stood up, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward, and with a gentle push— the door opened.

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So tired, from leading by over two thousand monthly tickets to being overtaken, it's genuinely tiring. The competition is too fierce; it's starting to take a toll on my health. Planning to rest for a few days; I'm taking a little leave with everyone. Since we don't have that many monthly tickets, I won't force it on all you brothers and sisters.

These recent days, I will still maintain three updates a night.

Well, that's it. Everyone has recommendation tickets; vote with a few more. Once I've rested, I'll return to offer everyone an onslaught.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.