The previously pitch-black night sky suddenly shook violently. Clumps of black clouds swirled into a giant vortex, then were split by a beam of golden light that descended directly from the heavens. The light was so dazzling, it flooded the entire Qingxi Town Square, making it as bright as day.

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. The originally strong night breeze was replaced by a warm, pure energy wave that pressed against their chests. The Zhou Merchant soldiers surrounding them immediately dropped their bows. Their knees trembled, and one by one, they knelt to the ground, their faces filled with fear and deep awe.

"That's... Ascension!" whispered one of the soldiers, his voice trembling. "A master cultivator is ascending to the Immortal Realm!"

In the center of the square, at the very center of the holy light, a woman was slowly floating into the air. It was Lady Mei. She wore a pure white silk dress that fluttered gracefully in the heavenly breeze. Her long black hair flowed beautifully, and around her body swirled hundreds of silver energy lotus petals. Her face was beautiful, yet cool and serene—exuding a divine aura untouched by worldly affairs. After years of cultivating in the mortal world, today was her day to transcend the limits of humanity and ascend the throne of the gods.

However, atop the roof of the watchtower, Ye Tian paid no attention to the beauty or grandeur of the procession. His mind was occupied with only one thing: survival.

"Catch that thief! Don't be swayed by the light!"

The sound of a shout from the head soldier, still trying to recover from his daze, startled Ye Tian. Several more arrows shot towards him. One grazed Ye Tian's cheek, leaving a small, stinging trail of blood.

Ye Tian glanced back—the soldiers were already desperately climbing the tower. Before him was a gaping abyss tens of meters high that led to the plaza. If he remained there, he would be caught. If he jumped down, he would surely die of broken bones.

Seeing the golden whirlwind swirling near the tower from Lady Mei's Ascension energy, a flash of madness crossed Ye Tian's mind. He didn't know what the immortal realm was, nor did he know who the floating woman was. All he knew was that the swirling wind seemed to be able to support his body.

"Rather than being beaten to death, I'd rather take a gamble!" Ye Tian shouted inwardly.

Clutching half a bag of rice tightly to his chest with one hand, Ye Tian took a stance. He sprinted to the edge of the roof, kicked with all his remaining strength, and... JUMP!

Ye Tian's slender body shot through the night air, free-falling straight toward the golden energy vortex surrounding Lady Mei.

Below, the soldiers gaped in disbelief. "That rat has gone mad! He jumped into the Ascension vortex!"

At the same time, Lady Mei, who had closed her eyes to absorb the laws of heaven, suddenly sensed something foreign intruding on her territory. She opened her beautiful, clear eyes and was shocked to see a figure dressed in rags and with a soot-stained face flying toward her, clutching a hemp bag tightly in his hands.

"Who—"

Before Lady Mei could finish her sentence or wave her hand to chase the intruder away, Ye Tian had already entered the radius of her core energy vortex.

BOOM!

The dense heavenly energy instantly slammed into Ye Tian's mortal body. It felt like all his bones were being broken and then reattached in a matter of seconds. Ye Tian screamed in pain, but his eyes remained fixed, refusing to faint. His body spun around in the air, losing control, until finally—BOOM!—Ye Tian's body slammed hard into Lady Mei's back.

Ye Tian's survival instincts immediately kicked in. Without any regard for manners, his free left hand immediately wrapped tightly around Lady Mei's slender waist, hugging her from behind like a scared koala, while his right hand remained locked on the rice bag.

"Let go!" Lady Mei's cold face instantly turned bright red with shock and anger. No man, let alone a filthy mortal, had ever dared to touch her like this.

She tried to channel spiritual energy to throw Ye Tian off, but the Heaven's Gate seal above them had already been fully opened. The golden vortex sealed them both as one object to be pulled upward. The repulsive energy from Lady Mei's body clashed with the pressure from Heaven's Gate, disrupting its flow, and the remaining Ascension energy was instead forced in, settling into Ye Tian's meridians.

"I won't let go! If I let go, I'll die!" Ye Tian shouted in Lady Mei's ear, piercing the roar of the heavenly thunder. The increasing pressure made Ye Tian's consciousness begin to blur, but his embrace only tightened.

The golden light in the sky exploded with a blinding flash. The majestic Heaven's Gate, shaped like two giant doors of white jade, swung open above the clouds.

In one powerful breath, the vortex of light shot upward at a speed beyond comprehension, carrying Lady Mei... and a stowaway who was clinging to her tightly, along with half a bag of stolen rice.

In Qingxi City Square, the golden light slowly faded and disappeared, leaving behind a silent night and dozens of warriors staring blankly at the empty sky. Ye Tian had vanished from the mortal world, leaving his homeland for a place he had never imagined.