.

.

"How can someone live in a place like this? I shouldn't have trusted that Fang Mu, both friends are definitely out to murder me" Jiang concluded.

Jiang didn't know where he should start from in locating what he came here to seek, also he couldn't go back either since the door had mysteriously disappeared.

It was then Jiang remembered that Fang Mu had said something when he handed over the medallion to him, Jiang quickly brought out the medallion, cut his finger and then let his blood soak into it, he then inserted a bit of his mana as well, once this was done the whole scenario in the Huang palace began to change from the horror movie he had earlier sighted to a place fit for an immortal, it was all sparkly and grand.

Jiang didn't have time to take in the beauty of the inside of the palace before the medallion on his palms vibrated and expanded in size, then the words spirit ascension pond written in shining golden letters with an arrow indicating a certain path appeared at the center of the medallion while floating in the air, it looked beautiful and mystical and Jiang even attempted to grab the floating letters but failed miserably, he lightly giggled at his stupidity.

Jiang walked toward a narrow dark pathway from inside Huang manor, he turned left as indicated by the medallion, he walked some more and then he arrived at area which had something like a transparent door made of water, above that door was a signboard and written on it were the words "Land Of Ascension" underneath these words were another set of words written in smaller letters "Garden Of Fire, Ascension Pond and Flames Of Nirvana", Jiang didn't understand what all those words meant and he couldn't be bothered about it, he immediately stepped through the transparent door without hesitation and then appeared at the other end which looked like an outdoor recreational environment, the sudden brightness that hit his eyes made him flash them shut in that instance, he gradually let his eyes to flutter open and gradually adapt to the light, At the entrance where Jiang still stood there was a pathway but on either side of this pathway were a lot of fire elemental trees, herbs and flowers, everything there was essential for fire elementals, there was even the dragon herb which was said to have gone extinct, the dragon herb was one of the most important and rarest ingredients used in making fire longevity pill, this pill had the ability to extend a fire elementals life by a thousand years and this was very precious but since the dragon herb went extinct this pill is rarely seen, who would have thought that there will be a place full of such herbs.

Jiang was very knowledgeable about herds since he acquired the golden space and seeing so many extinct herbs made his eyes shine with momentary greed.

Jiang signed deeply after seeing all those fire element herbs and trees that produced precious fruits useful to fire elementals, they were some fruits and herbs that he couldn't even identify, as Jiang walked through the pathway leading to the center, the area full with the fire element properties emitted heat but it wasn't the violent kind of heat but the soothing kind, Jiang had this weird feeling when he walked through the pathway that the trees beside him where somewhat alive.

When Jiang arrived at the middle area of this strange Land of Ascension, some distance from where he stood there was indeed a pond, he looked up to the sky and the color was blue and white, the natural color of a sky unlike the completely different red sky he had first seen at the place where fire herbs and fruit trees were planted.

Jiang uttered as he looked down at the ground surface of where he presently stood, unlike the garden of fire that was made up of soil and hard surface, the middle area which was the ascension pond area was made up of something soft, white and a bit bouncy, Jiang was tempted to jump up and down as he playfully took large strides towards the pond.

Suddenly Jiang stopped walking and exclaimed Jiang exclaimed, not because of the pond but because his eyes where suddenly drawn towards the other side of the pond, at a very far distances away from the pond area Jiang could see a sea of flames and at the end of that very huge sea was a mountain that appeared to be made of bubbling lava "How's that even possible" Jiang was surprised yet again, this has happened a lot of times in just this day, the sky above that area was also red but of a darker shade, it was like the land of Ascension was divided into three places, It was then something clicked in Jiang's brain and then he apprehended the words that were written before entering that strange transparent door.

The Land of Ascension was indeed divided into three parts, the Garden of Fire was the first place Jiang walked through and now he is at the middle which is the area of the ascension pond, he is certain that the other place with the sea of flames is called the Flames of Nirvana.

Jiang has this notion that all these three places have something to do with cultivation growth, he feels the emperor is one lucky cultivator to have all this at his disposal, "Why won't he be the strongest in Tang Qin Shang with all this" Jiang grudgingly lamented.

He was right to guess that all this helped in increasing the emperor's cultivation but the emperor had to acquire the right to use all of them with his own hands, through various adventures, he had to experience many life and death situations to be where he is now.

Jiang decided to concentrate on what he came here for, which was the ascension pond, the water in the pond was the clearest Jiang had ever seen, also there was something really mysterious about the pond water because it kept forming bubbles that floated above and within these bubbles where different items made from the body of water, these items were ranging from jades, exquisite flowers, accessories, furry cute birds that even flapped their wings, it looked really beautiful but after a while the bubble will burst and then the process will start all over again.

Jiang was still at the entrance of the pathway while watching all this, after seeing the pond and its fascinating qualities, he immediately proceeded forward, Jiang wondered what material could have been used to construct the ground area of the pond of ascension, he really liked the feeling he got under his feet but this wasn't an important matter so he hurried along to the pond.

There was a tablet beside the ascension pond and on it was written "Techniques to cultivate in the ascension pond", Jiang didn't think that to cultivate in the ascension pond one will need to follow certain techniques ,there were actually two techniques and when Jiang saw the first one that was the most beneficial, he conveniently treated it like it was invincible, it was just too crazy, "Who in their right mind will do such things" Jiang blushed just thinking about it and then moved on to the second technique called " Submerge" Jiang then read the instructions listed under submerge "1: submerged into the ascension pond and receive unfathomable power" they were also some other weird instructions transcribed on the tablet that he had to read diligently and once he was done Jiang quickly took off the yellow Hanfu that he put on before leaving his bed chambers along with his inner robes and then dived into the ascension pond, he couldn't wait to enjoy all the benefits the pond had to offer, and according to Fang Mu the emperor will be absent from his palace and won't be back until the following day so he had the whole day to enjoy the pond.

Jiang realized that upon entering the pond, the water wasn't deep so it only covered half of his body but then space shifted and Jiang was sent to a private space within the pond, it was like underneath the pond they were demarcations thereby creating numerous ponds within and this pond he had been sent to for the moment was now his personal pond, Jiang had earlier wonder how numerous people could cultivate in such a small pond and using such bizarre techniques but now he knew it was definitely possible.

Jiang recalled that when Fang Mu was taking him sightseeing in the imperial palace he had once said that the ascension pond was opened to cultivators but only after a certain competition had been held and a few winners were chosen and also the time for such a competition was still very far ahead, and that was why he had to assist Jiang in getting access ahead of time,

Jiang had also asked Fang Mu then "Any of the chosen winners can enter Huang palace, is that a good thing, this is after all the emperor's dwelling" Fang Mu had answered "Of course not" but he didn't further explain, now Jiang thinks that perhaps this pond is movable.

Jiang had doubted Fang Mu words because the pond was so small but after getting his own private space he had to believe in Fang Mu words, Jiang contemplated the reason why he always finds it hard to believe in Fang Mu words, there was no need to do that because Jiang knew why but he had begun to think he had been treating Fang Mu unfairly after all he had never offended him.

Jiang observed that underneath his personal ascension pond, despite water covering him from head to toe, he didn't have a problem in breathing, he began to think that perhaps he had turned to a fish, this was nonsensical talk but no one can put it past Jiang, he was certain now that this water was really special and could perform miracles as he had once heard.

Jiang did as was instructed on the tablet and completely dipped his whole body, including his head into the pond, although he was skeptical about doing this on enemies' territory, he decided that one can't achieve true power without taking a risk.

He sat at the bottom of the pond in a meditation position with his legs crossed together, he realized that the veil he was wearing was hindering the flow of the warm current entering his body, In that tablet it was a requirement to be completely like the day he was born before entering the pond to experience the so-called unfathomable power but he didn't think even his veil won't be spared, Jiang contemplated many times about whether to or not to take off the veil, the trauma from his experience with Jun Tang was still fresh in his consciousness and the veil had somewhat become a part of him, a guard to protect his true face, he was good looking now no doubt but what if one day that ugly face somehow comes back, with the veil covering it he won't be discovered and condemned, this was Jiang's theory so he tried to guide the warm current generated from the pond to all acupuncture points in his body one more time but whenever it reached time to guide it to his face area it got cut off and he had to start all over again.

Jiang had no choice but to swim back up, remove ice jewel and put it away, he was required to be like a newborn when cultivation using the technique "Submerge" and newborns don't wear artifacts that is why ice jewel hindered his cultivation earlier "No one is here anyway, no one can see me or hurt me" he repeated this in his head over and over again, Jiang put on a determined look, his eyes sparkled then he shut it and continued cultivating as directed by the tablet, he would not come out of the ascension pond until he achieves power.

The power he wants to rule over his destiny.