He surfaced in an enormous lake, the scenery beautiful and picturesque, with both shores resembling a celestial paradise. Occasionally, a few birds would fly by, their feathers splendid and unlike anything found in the mortal world. In the distance, mountain ranges overlapped, and in the sky, now and then, a giant boulder the size of a small mountain would float past—floating islands covered in trees, clouds racing silently by, all of it completely defying his idea of a normal world.

"So this is the Heavenly Court? It truly is different from the mortal realm!"

William Carter glanced at his reflection in the lake and saw that he had become exceptionally burly. The face that had grown a bit pale from working in an office now looked resolute and chiseled, exuding a heroic aura.

After surfacing in the lake, he waited a long time but saw no one else emerge, nor did he see anyone around the lake. William Carter felt quite puzzled and thought to himself, "I ascended to the Heavenly Court via the Path of Merit—surely someone should come to receive me. Why is it so empty around this lake, with not a soul in sight? Where did everyone else go?" He swam ashore with effort and walked several miles before finally seeing an old man sitting under a large tree, dressed in ancient robes and a tall hat, with a clear and refined appearance, sitting in silence while fishing. Delighted, he called out, "Elder! May I ask, where is this place? How do I get to the Heavenly Court?"

The fishing elder, hearing his polite inquiry, looked up and asked, "Oh! Where did you come from, and what business do you have in the Heavenly Court?"

William Carter replied respectfully, "I was sent from the underworld to the Heavenly Court as a virtuous person destined to become a Yellow Turban Warrior. I don't understand why no one came to receive me here, leaving me unsure where to go."

"Oh! Oh! Oh! So you're from the lower realm. Then you've come to the wrong place. This is outside the Thirty-Three Heavens, on the periphery of the Pangu Continent, in Fengzhou, one of the Eight Divine Continents. It's still a hundred and eighty trillion miles from the Heavenly Court—quite far indeed!"

William Carter was shocked and suddenly felt lost, not knowing what to do.

The fishing elder looked at him with interest and said warmly, "Young man, since you're here, you might as well settle in. This land of Fengzhou is also a good place to live. I'll give you two things; if you encounter any monsters or beasts, they can keep you safe."

William Carter had never imagined that he could get lost even after death. Hearing the elder's words, he was startled and asked, "Are there monsters running rampant here in Fengzhou?"

The fishing elder replied, "Some people cultivate to become immortals, and naturally, there are demons who achieve enlightenment as well. Fengzhou often has beings from the lower realms who wander in by mistake, and there are even more monsters and beasts than people." The elder pointed south and kindly advised, "From this Mirror Lake, it's just about a mile south to the Hall of Heart and Stars. Those with great magical power who wish to leave Fengzhou and ascend to the Pangu Continent can only do so there—it's the only passage connecting to the Pangu Continent. The Hall of Heart and Stars is filled with righteous energy, so monsters and beasts dare not approach. Go there first, and you'll surely find someone to ask for directions."

William Carter accepted a roll of yellow cloth and a fist-sized stone from the elder. Just as he was about to thank him, the elder ignored him, lifted his fishing rod, closed his eyes, and leisurely let his hook drop back into the water. William Carter simply assumed the elder was eccentric, bowed in thanks, and headed in the direction the elder had indicated, toward the Hall of Heart and Stars.

After being transformed by the waters of the Heavenly River, William Carter's body had become incredibly strong—he had grown at least ninety centimeters taller, his muscles bulging, the very image of a mighty man among men. With every movement, the mysterious power of water and fire within him would stir. With a single step, that power would ripple through his dantian, generating two streams of warm energy that flowed down to his feet, allowing him to easily stride seven or eight meters at a time, his steps light and swift. The Hall of Heart and Stars was indeed not far from Mirror Lake, and before long, he found the place.

What he hadn't expected was that the Hall of Heart and Stars was so vast. The entire hall was like a small city, made up of more than a dozen buildings. The largest main hall was more than ten times bigger than any stadium on Earth. Inside, it was not deserted; scattered groups of people were gathered here and there, many of them seemingly engaged in heated debates.

These people appeared to be from every era—some wore long robes, some were clad in armor, some had wide sleeves, others wore light shirts. Their accents varied from north to south, but they all spoke the same language.

Chapter Three: The Five-Colored Stone

William Carter was dressed like a modern office worker—suit, leather shoes, white shirt. He hadn't worn a tie for several days before the car accident, and it had been left behind in the mortal world, not brought with him. When the waters of the Heavenly River transformed his body, his clothes had grown with him. Even though he now stood nearly two meters seventy tall, his clothes still fit perfectly, and he didn't stand out among the crowd of people in their various outfits.

He found a group where the debate was particularly lively and listened for a long time, gradually learning a lot about the Pangu Continent and the Eight Divine Continents. It turned out that these people had experiences much like his own—they had done good deeds in their previous lives, accumulated merit, and been granted rewards by the underworld's judges, sent to the Heavenly Court to become immortal officials, only to end up here by mistake. Some had arrived earlier and were showing off what they had learned; others, who had come later, were anxious not to miss anything and hurriedly asked around, gathering into large groups.