15 The Young Lady with Silver Hair [3]

Lucas rubbed the sleep from his eyes and slowly sat up, taking in his surroundings. He was still in the forest, surrounded by a barrier formation. The night was just beginning and the air was still. He absentmindedly stroked the soft clovers near him as he took in his surroundings.

His attention was quickly drawn to the young lady, Felicity, who was sitting beside him. Her silver hair shimmered in the light, and Lucas couldn't help but be struck by her peerless beauty. Despite having met many beautiful women, Felicity ranked in the top ten of his list.

Felicity turned to him as she felt his movement, a warm smile spreading across her face. Though she was unsure how to approach Lucas, she mustered up the courage to speak.

"Are you feeling better now?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Lucas nodded, grateful for the young lady's care. "Yes, I am. Thank you for creating this formation for me... Felicity."

Felicity let out a sigh of relief and settled onto the ground next to him. Though she was older than Lucas, she was still awed by his slender build and height.

"That's great to hear," she said with a smile. "And thank you again for saving me. I meant what I said earlier, I'd like to help you ascend to the Upper Heaven."

Lucas cocked his head in interest. "Really? How do you plan to help me with my cultivation?" he asked, doubting that this noble lady was used to assisting commoners like himself.

"I used to live in the Upper Heaven, but during my training days, I was sent here in disguise to learn from below before ascending the ranks of experts," Felicity explained, a twinkle of determination in her eye.

Lucas leaned in, his curiosity piqued by Felicity's words.

"You're from an Upper Heaven? What do you mean?"

"Yes. And while we're at it, I'll explain to you how I got here. The Divine Emperor enforces strict requirements for each realm to maintain peace. One of those requirements is the cultivation base." Felicity explained.

"For example, in Mortal Heaven, the highest cultivation base allowed is Emperor Spirit Realm. Those who reach this level must ascend to an Upper Heaven within ten years, taking the 10 Judgement Hell's Path. But there are three more heavens higher than Mortal Heaven, starting with Celestial Heaven, which is the second highest, where I come from."

Lucas listened intently, his eyes shining with anticipation. "And what's the next heaven?" he asked.

Felicity could see the excitement in Lucas's eyes. "That would be Immortal Heaven. Next is Celestial Heaven, where I came from. But above that is the Divine Overlord Heaven, where the mightiest cultivators, also known as gods or deities, reside. They have the power to create minor heavens, or even minor worlds, at will."

Felicity wondered if Lucas also aspired to reach the peak of cultivation, but she didn't know him well enough to make assumptions.

For a moment, Lucas was speechless, a flutter of excitement building in his stomach.

He felt the difference between their standing, but he didn't let it make him feel inferior. Instead, he dreamed of living alongside them and reaching their level of power.

Excitement stirred within him at Felicity's offer of assistance with his ascension, despite his lack of understanding of the process.

But before delving into that topic, he had a question of his own. "So, you're from the Celestial Heaven? Can you tell me what happened to bring you to this realm, and how you ended up in such a weakened state?"

Felicity's expression grew sad at his question, as memories of being betrayed by those she trusted most flooded her mind. She felt a heavy weight in her chest as she remembered the brutal beating she endured.

Lucas noticed her distress and was about to retract his question, but Felicity insisted on answering.

"I can handle it," she said with a bitter smile. "It's important for you to know."

Felicity took a deep breath and began her story. "I was betrayed by those I thought were my friends. They weakened my cultivation and took advantage of my vulnerability to beat me. I think they were jealous of the attention I received from every male in our peer group.

"Fearing death, I shattered my own cultivation base with a hidden treasure, which caused me to be rejected from the Celestial Heaven and disappeared in front of my attackers."

Felicity paused, her eyes distant as she remembered the false memories she shared with her former peers.

Lucas was shocked and saddened by Felicity's story, and he felt terrible for bringing up such painful memories.

Silence descended upon them for a few moments, until Lucas finally spoke up. "I'm sorry for making you recall such traumatic experiences," he said softly.

Felicity offered him a small smile. "It's okay. It happened a month ago, after all."

...

"Huh? Weren't you just recently wounded?" His eyebrows furrowed as confusion swept over him.

"Can you explain what you mean?"

"Yes, it's been a month since you were last conscious. You've been sleeping for a month," Felicity explained.

Lucas was stunned. He had lived a month in this world without even realizing it. As an immortal, he was used to months feeling like a mere blink of an eye. But this time, the month felt like a significant part of his life.

"Okay, I understand. But right now, how can you help me?" Lucas asked, trying to redirect the conversation.

"I can help you with resources," Felicity said, shrugging. "Even though this heaven is just an easier trial for me, I still need to get used to it and remember what I did here."

"I see. Well, do you have any questions about me?" Lucas offered. "I'm open to answering any questions you might have."

Felicity's eyes lit up when Lucas mentioned coming from another realm. She was curious about the mysterious aura she felt surrounding him. She took a deep breath and asked, "Who are you, Lucas? I can sense your cultivation is lower than mine, but I also feel two different energies coming from you."

Lucas hesitated for a moment, then replied, "I'm sorry, but I can't answer that yet. You'll have to earn my trust first. But I can tell you that I came from another realm and I practice cultivation for fun."

Felicity's face fell a little at his response, but then perked up when Lucas continued. "Cultivation can be a lot of fun if you're not surrounded by scum," he said with a smirk.

"I know that too well," Felicity replied. "I've faced off against some pretty arrogant cultivators too."