"Has the situation deteriorated to this extent?"
"Is it really the responsibility of the northern army?"
Jiang Ming had a bad feeling in his heart.
He continued reading.
[You arrived at the Capital City and met Zhang Jin. Zhang Jin looked exhausted, but seeing you break through to the Innate stage brought joy to his face, and he then informed you about matters concerning Cultivators.]
"So Immortals really do exist... I, an old man appointed in a time of crisis, have taken charge of defending the entire Capital City. While browsing through the Imperial Family's secret manuals, I discovered such secrets..."
"It is rumored that the Imperial Families of the Rainbow Kingdom and neighboring countries are descendants of Immortals, and all the Imperial Families worship Immortal Artifacts to suppress their Qi Fortune. According to His Holiness, the Wei Family of the Rainbow Kingdom lost contact with their ancestors a long time ago, and even their Immortal Artifacts have lost all their power."
"And fifteen years ago, the imperial family of the Qingmo Khanate in the north had actually been replaced... I mobilized all the spies in the Rainbow Kingdom, and ultimately, only one message came back: that on Cyan Desert Dragon City, an Immortal was seen walking through the air..."
"The so-called ability of us Martial Artists to walk through the air is merely using strength and Inner Strength to propel ourselves. However, these Immortals seemingly can control strong winds and traverse the skies... After living for nearly six decades, I finally understand that there really are so-called Immortals in this world..."
Zhang Jin's eyes were filled with incredulity.
After nearly thirty years of simulations, finally, some pieces of the puzzle regarding Cultivators emerged.
"The Qingmo Khanate..."
Jiang Ming softly murmured.
[The matter of Cultivators is the greatest secret and cannot be written on paper. Upon hearing this, you were greatly shocked.]
[Zhang Jin informed you that the Rainbow Kingdom plans to cede most of their land, and the entire court is preparing to move south. The Emperor of Rainbow Kingdom is even preparing to abdicate and pass the throne to the Crown Prince, unwilling to be the Emperor of a fallen nation. Even Zhang Jin is just a scapegoat pushed to the forefront by the courtiers, allowing them to preserve their posthumous reputations.]
[Zhang Jin advised you to leave the Rainbow Kingdom and take your father to live in another country.]
[To this, you only felt somewhat amused.]
[As an Innate Martial Artist, you possess extraordinary strength, and with the Capital City now empty, you took the opportunity to infiltrate the Imperial Palace, looting the treasury.]
[You saw gold treasures as trash, and in the depths of the vault, you discovered a secret door, behind which you procured treasures at the cost of taking a full-power blow from two Inner Palace Experts.]
[However, inside, there was only a broken Jade Pendant and a Martial Arts Technique, with nothing related to Cultivators.]
[Having finished affairs in the Capital, you decided to return to Changhe County City. You advised Zhang Jin to leave, but he had already resolved to die. You bid farewell to your teacher and returned to Changhe County City.]
[On the way, the shadows of enemy forces grew more numerous. These troops began looting and pillaging the land, and though hesitant, you kept moving forward.]
[Changhe County City was unbroken. You sighed with relief but quickly furrowed your brow, having discovered that the ordinary martial strength of the opposing main force far exceeded expectations.]
[Returning to the city, you attempted to resist the enemy forces, yet it was like a cup of water on a burning cart.]
[After thirty days, the city fell. You barely escaped with Li Hongming and part of the Li Family's resources.]
At this moment, Jiang Ming frowned.
Though the number of Innate Martial Artists in the enemy army was somewhat high, it was still normal. However, the number of Peak Acquired Martial Artists exceeded that of Changhe County City by nearly tenfold!
As a major inland county, Changhe County was not weak, and its County City currently housed nearly all the county's Martial Artists. Yet, their Martial Artists numbers still paled in comparison to the opposing side's.
Jiang Ming suspected this was very likely related to the Cultivators from the Qingmo Khanate.
[As was within your anticipation, the Qingmo Khanate aggressively expanded, consuming the entire Rainbow Kingdom and two neighboring countries within a short year. The Qingmo Khanate was renamed as Great Yuan.]
[In the original Rainbow Calendar of year 765, while fleeing, Li Hongming died from old injuries coupled with his advanced age, passing away regretfully.]
[You nearly succumbed to Heart Demon, but the Nameless Calming Heart Method, learned thoroughly five years ago, automatically activated, soothing your Heart Demon inadvertently.]
[In the same year's December, the Martial Arts Technique obtained from the Rainbow Kingdom's Imperial Family's treasury was bizarrely combined with the Evil Daoist Technique to Cultivation Calming Method. Most of the Evil Daoist Technique's drawbacks were offset. Your Cultivation surged rapidly.]
[You used all resources left by the Li Family and Red Gold Gang to start building your base. When peace finally came to Great Yuan, you roamed the Jianghu, swaying public sentiment, stirring up turmoil, persuading old powers of the previous dynasties with eloquence, using medical prowess to treat and spread your reputation, and founded the Yellow Heaven Sect.]
[In the original Rainbow Calendar year 775. The timing was right, and you raised the flag of rebellion, creating chaos and turmoil. Your slogan: "The azure sky is dead, the Yellow Heaven must stand." The territories of the three old dynasties were thrown into chaos, with the Yellow Heaven Banner waving over the land. The Great Yuan Jianghu, encompassing the former four countries' martial world, was roiled by your intervention. You relied on the Evil Daoist Technique to train a large number of experts and began hunting down masters in the Yuan Kingdom.]
[Cyan Desert Dragon City failed to find your traces.]
[In the original Rainbow Calendar year 782, a decapitation squad was dispatched by Cyan Desert Dragon City, intending to catch the leader first to capture the bandit.]
[You, desiring to battle with an Immortal Master, perished.]
Jiang Ming fixed his gaze on the Simulation Scroll, while using that special feeling to assist Li Jin strategically from a third-person perspective.
At this moment, a shudder ran through him, and the surroundings shifted.
Death playback.
It was as if Jiang Ming had fully entered the Jiuzhou World.
His entire being was filled with boundless power, with a warm current flowing through the Dantian and Qi-Blood surging through his body.
His body exuded a red-golden hue, with steam emanating from everywhere. Inner Strength and Qi-Blood merged as one. As he swung both palms, they pierced the air with a thunderous roar.
The two Innate Martial Artists in front of him turned pale. The moment their arms touched Jiang Ming's, they twisted at odd angles, their faces flushed red, and they vomited blood.
Jiang Ming's two palms had astonishingly defeated two fellow Innate Martial Artists on the spot.
It was only now that Jiang Ming had the time to assess the surroundings. It was a battlefield shrouded in intense Evil Qi, with countless troops surrounding him.
The thick scent of blood wafted over him, soaking him in blood—his own or the enemies', it was unclear.
Behind him were just two bloodied followers sticking with Jiang Ming.
Jiang Ming quickly realized they belonged to the Yellow Heaven Sect.
Yet at this time, those surrounding them weren't just ten Innate Martial Artists.
Jiang Ming, or rather Li Jin, glared at the surroundings like a lion cornered at a dead end.
The carcasses of several Innate Martial Artists underfoot made those present hesitant in fear.
But then a slightly curious voice sounded in his ear.
"Oh? An Innate Great Perfection Martial Artist? Quite the rare find for a superior Corpse Puppet material, hahaha, this trip home was worthwhile."
Before the words finished.
A flash glided past Jiang Ming's peripheral vision.
Instinctively, Jiang Ming spun, hands encircled in red-golden light, reaching forward.
But the next instant, a familiar headless torso and severed arm lay before Jiang Ming's eyes.
That was... himself?
How could it be! The top Jianghu Horizontal Refining Technique, Red Gold True Body, was broken in mere moments!
The last awareness flickered in Jiang Ming's mind before plunging into unending darkness.
"Huff—"
Jiang Ming abruptly opened his eyes, starting to gasp heavily for air.
[First simulation ended, entering simulation settlement]