Legend of the Perfect Emperor

Tian Yi and Meng Xiang came to a halt as a carriage pulled up beside them.

"You two, do you want a ride to the Soaring Cloud City? There are still 300 miles until we arrive there, and the more people travel together, the safer this journey will be," said the middle-aged man with the reins in his grasp.

Tian Yi looked at the middle-aged man, and his gaze glanced at the carriage before he nodded. "Thank you for the offer; I will surely return this favor from senior," he said with a smile. "Let's go, Meng Xiang."

"Un."

Tian Yi and Meng Xiang entered from the back of the carriage where they were greeted with a sharp gaze from the figure clad in black.

Meng Xiang's soul trembled slightly from the cold gaze of the figure, but Tian Yi merely smiled in return.

"Greetings, young lady," he said to the figure in black, causing her to heart tremble in surprise.

How did he know that she was a female? She was sure that the robes covered her entire body, leaving only the orbs in her eyes barely visible!

The middle-aged man was also surprised; even he wasn't able to discern the figure's gender until she actually spoke to him.

After Tian Yi and Meng Xiang sat down, the middle-aged man controlled the reins to the horses, moving the carriage once again.

"What are your names? My surname is Xiao." He asked the two.

"Shuyi."

"Meng Xiang." They replied.

"I see… Are you two siblings? You look like it."

Tian Yi looked at Meng Xiang whose eyes were filled with countless emotions, as though she too, wanted to know the answer.

Tian Yi smiled and nodded. "Yes— we are siblings."

"I see, I see…" The middle-aged man surnamed Xiao nodded as though he already knew the answer with his head still facing the road.

"Are the two of you also Cultivators? I was surprised to see the two of you walking this Merchant's Road well-known for its dangers without any bodyguards!" he told them the truth, his voice filled with curiosity.

"I am one, but she is only a mortal,' said Tian Yi. "I plan on teaching her cultivation, though."

"Is that so?" Xiao said, not so surprised at his answer. "You must be very talented and confident to travel this road alone, let alone with a mortal by your side. As for you, little sister, the path of a cultivator is a long and cruel one— filled with dangers and cruelty— but you have such a talented brother, so you will be fine," said Xiao, his natural talent for sweet-talking showing.

Meng Xiang nodded to Xiao's words that were similar to the ones spoken by Tian Yi.

"Are the two you of also going to the Soaring Cloud City?" Xiao asked them.

"You can say that, so yes," said Tian Yi.

"If you do not mind me asking, what for?"

"Just for touring."

"Ah, so you're also going there for the event, huh?"

"Event? What event?" Tian Yi asked him.

"Hm? So you're not going there to participate in the Stairway to Heaven?"

"Stairway to Heaven…" Tian Yi mumbled. "Although we did not know of this event, we will surely be there to witness it!"

"When does it start?"

"We still have 6 days before it officially starts."

Tian Yi nodded, his eyes filled with excitement and curiosity, wondering what this Stairway to Heaven event was.

"Is senior also going to participate in it?" he asked.

"Hahaha…" Xiao laughed bitterly at his question. "That event is only for the young ones. I am already too old for that, unfortunately."

"The Stairway to Heaven is an event hosted by the Four Ancient Lands of Qing Shan Continent, where the contestants will battle each other to surpass one another to reach the top for the staircase, and only Cultivators under the age of 21 can participate." Xiao started to explain to him the details of this event.

"This event will last for six days and nights straight, and there will be a staircase that ascends past the clouds with exactly 100,001 steps and 10 levels that the contestants will have to climb— 10,000 steps for each level."

"Contestants that reaches the required levels will be rewards with riches, especially the top three highest climbers with their rewards almost exaggerated."

The more Xiao explained the Stairway to Heaven event the more excited and curious Tian Yi got— his eyes sparkling like the stars in the starry sky.

"Although the rewards for the top three have yet to be announced, it will surely be exaggerated. Rumors have it that the top three might even get to become Core Disciples of any one of the Four Ancient Lands the instant they join!"

"Four Ancient Lands…?" Tian Yi mumbled these words with puzzlement in his tone, clearly unknowledgeable to that term.

Understanding the meaning behind his tone, Xiao cried out loud: "You don't know of the Four Ancient Lands— the four most elite sects in the entirety of the Qing Shan Continent?!" He was clearly shocked.

There are still people out there unaware of these four colossal giants of the cultivation world?! Outrageous!

"Uhhh…" Tian Yi was speechless.

Was he supposed to know about them? Are they that important in this world?

Xiao didn't even have to look behind to know the face Tian Yi was making, and he facepalmed. "Even the other Continents that are separated by the Divine Sea that even Immortal Realm experts cannot travel know of the Four Ancient Lands… but you, who physically live in this Continent does not know of their grand name? Oh my heavens, where have you been living in for the past million years? A different world?"

"....."

Tian Yi made a weird expression because of Xiao's last few words.

He was indeed, from a different world, after all...