In the midst of Chaos, Wu Shijiu did not even glance at the rampaging Chaos Qi around him, instead, his bright eyes were fixed on Pei Xuanjing, waiting for the latter's response.
Indeed, his own fortunate breakthrough to the Strongest Realm had already exhausted all of his foundation, and even if there were a Heaven and Earth Ascension, he could only plunder the Energy of Creation to strengthen himself, but the true breakthrough to the True Immortal Realm was simply an unthinkable matter.
In Wu Shijiu's view, even if he were successful in Heaven and Earth Ascension and had enough opportunity for a breakthrough, he would still need a long time to accumulate foundation before he could hope to seek the undying realm of the True Immortal.
Or to put it another way, it was the same for all the Supreme Strong who had been ascending continuously these years; their breakthroughs had depleted their foundations. If they followed the original plan and waited for some time after Heaven and Earth Ascension to accumulate, they might still have had the qualifications to contend, but now the situation had changed. At this juncture, those who had just broken through had already lost that privilege.
If even they could breakthrough during this opportunity, then it would mean that all the Supreme Strong had enough certainty, and that would be a joke.
After all, even after Heaven and Earth Ascension which could possibly accommodate True Immortal promotion, it wouldn't be that easy. If ascending to True Immortal were so effortless, Wu Shijiu would be surprised and wonder if immortality was truly within reach.
But!
Although Wu Shijiu and the others might not have the qualifications, it didn't mean everyone lacked them. In the eyes of Wu Shijiu, the man standing in front of him, Shexiao Head Teacher, the Great Ming State Master Pei Xuanjing, did have them.
Though Pei Xuanjing's breakthrough had happened only a few decades earlier than theirs, which for an ordinary Supreme Strong or other cultivators might only be the time taken for one retreat, for Pei Xuanjing it was completely different.
Who was Pei Xuanjing? For thousands of years, he was the first to cultivate from a mere mortal to the Eight-Layer Spirit Realm within a century, and with the unprecedented and unreplicated feat of defeating a Level Nine Strongest of the Spirit Realm while being in the Level Eight, he turned the impossible into possible, breaking the fixed beliefs of countless powerhouses, becoming a legendary figure unique in all of Heaven and Earth.
Thirty years of accumulation might be but a flick of a finger for other Supreme Strong, perhaps not even enough time to cultivate a single divine power, but for Pei Xuanjing, no one knew how profound his power had become, how much foundation he had accumulated.
So, while other Supreme Strong who had just broken through might not qualify for the chance to break through to True Immortal, it was entirely possible for Pei Xuanjing, even if the chance was tiny and almost negligible. A slim chance and no chance were, after all, completely different matters.
Otherwise, if not for this, why would these Demon Race Supreme Strong who had come here with them today, the Supreme Strong from all the top forces of the Sky Wasteland Realm, be here? Was it really just to assist Pei Xuanjing?
"Heh, who knows?" Pei Xuanjing laughed lightly without denying or affirming, not giving a clear response to Wu Shijiu's question.
In fact, it wasn't that Pei Xuanjing was deliberately evasive about Wu Shijiu's question; for Pei Xuanjing himself, he was also somewhat uncertain, without enough assurance.
Along Pei Xuanjing's path, aside from taking some risky actions due to a lack of strength in the very beginning, driven by necessity to boldly entrust his safety to others, as his power grew stronger and he was able to crush all machinations with his strength, or at the very least ensure his own well-being, he seldom took such risky actions anymore.
One who frequently walks by the river may well end up with wet shoes. Those who travel by night often enough are bound to encounter ghosts.
Pei Xuanjing was acutely aware of the great risks his past adventures had carried, and so, unless absolutely necessary, he was not willing to make such choices again.
But the current state of affairs had altered Pei Xuanjing's original plan, significantly impacting his strategy.
According to Pei Xuanjing's former plan, he had made considerable progress in the Paths of Human Immortal, Divine Immortal, and Earth Immortal—three of the five presumed Dao of True Spirit Immortals involving Heaven, Earth, Human, Gods, and Ghosts.
He didn't need to take significant risks; he only had to try and fumble his way through it slowly and systematically. With Pei Xuanjing's current abundant lifespan, he had plenty of opportunities to complete these three Paths.
However, when Bai Xiaosheng informed him that some aimed to break through ahead of time, to seize the chance of Heaven and Earth Ascension and risk everything to reach True Immortal status, Pei Xuanjing found himself being dragged into the fray.
Indeed, Pei Xuanjing was reluctantly pulled in. Unless he was willing to turn a blind eye and let these people attempt their breakthroughs, he had already been forced to join this internal competition.
"However, now that it's come to this, I must take my chances after all. I can't simply concede and miss this golden opportunity," Pei Xuanjing affirmed to himself.
Just as Wu Shijiu had speculated, although Pei Xuanjing seemed to be breaking through at about the same time as the others, their foundations were entirely different; he was qualified for the breakthrough.
In the last life simulation of the Immortal Realm, Pei Xuanjing had cultivated in silence for hundreds of years after establishing his Divine Court. The foundation he accumulated in that Land of Creation was greater than what a typical supreme powerhouse could achieve in a thousand years of cultivation. Therefore, Pei Xuanjing could reach a state beyond what even a Divine Position could bestow upon breaking through.
Pei Xuanjing's current indecision wasn't about whether to break through, but rather about which Path to take first for his ascension to the True Immortal Realm.
The five Dao of Heaven, Earth, Human, God, and Ghost could all lead to becoming an Immortal. These were the five categories of True Spirit Immortal Paths that Pei Xuanjing had deduced, or rather, recognized. Among these, except for the elusive Heavenly Immortal Way and the enigmatic Path of Ghost Immortal, he had deeply engaged in the Path of Human Immortal, Divine Immortal, and Earth Immortal up to crucial points, or in other words, he was only left with the actual trial.
"Following the Path of Human Immortal means utilizing the Energy of Creation of this Heaven and Earth Ascension to transform my body into a God-Devil form, and then unlocking the Divine Hidden to reach a state where my body is a microcosm and the Heaven and Earth a macrocosm. However, I am not certain whether the Energy of Creation of this Heaven and Earth is sufficient to support the complete transformation of my body into a God-Devil form."
"For the Earth Immortal Path, one must open up a Blessed Land, evolve it into a Cave Heaven, transform the Cave Heaven into a world, and embody a civilizational control over Time. My fortunate opening of the Longevity World could, if I integrate this creation into it, probably refine the Taixu Venerable completely, taking the final step to achieve the Earth Immortal Path and ascend to True Immortal."
"As for the Divine Immortal Path, it entails holding the Heavenly Authority, representing the Way of Heaven, aligning with the Heavenly intent, and establishing one's Divine Kingdom Domain. With the authority I currently wield, it should actually be the most assured path." Pei Xuanjing was weighing in his heart which Path to use as his main focus for the initial breakthrough.
Human Immortal Path, Earthly Immortal Path, Divine Immortal Path—each breakthrough path had its advantages and disadvantages. Regardless of which one Pei Xuanjing chose to successfully break through and ascend to True Immortal, it would bring about an unimaginable transformation, endowing him with the mighty power to change Heaven and Earth.
"If I remember correctly, if I break through this time, it should be the first time I do so without the aid of the Life Simulator," the Daoist robe on Pei Xuanjing fluttered, his long hair flying, his brows filled with a resolute expression.
On his journey thus far, it was undoubtedly the Life Simulator that had provided him with considerable assistance, allowing him to accumulate a sufficient foundation, and by leveraging the process of living through simulations to continuously try and err, he could carve out the most accurate path even without guidance.
But this time, there was no clear path forward, or rather, the way ahead was obscure. Pei Xuanjing no longer had much to reference or rely on, and each step forward would require him to grope his way through the darkness alone.
"However, even so, the Life Simulator has laid a deep foundation for me, providing significant help. I mustn't be too greedy," he thought to himself.
Even if he could no longer rely on the Life Simulator to break through, it had still saved him abundant time, allowing him enough moments to deduce and derive the path of the Dao.
With an unwavering Dao Heart, he stepped forward. Pei Xuanjing stood amidst the boundless Chaos, his deep eyes filled with unwavering determination. On the path of cultivation, regardless of which path one took, only by maintaining a steadfast heart could one reach the true peak and stabilize the Immortal Path.
The Sanbao Jade Ruyi in his hand rippled with light, slicing through the Chaos, creating streams of Chaotic airflow that annihilated and birthed anew, shredding everything obstructing it, yet unable to inflict the slightest harm on Pei Xuanjing. As the forces neared him, they were extinguished and dissipated by an invisible radiance.
In the Sky Wasteland, Master Tianji sat upon a Great Formation, suddenly opening his eyes. Deep and bright as stars, a terrifying divine light burst forth. A vast and surging aura pulsated around him, stirring up layers of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, and then light emanated from the formation beneath him, a beam of light soaring into the sky, piercing the canopy, and exploding overhead, sweeping in all eight directions.
Almost simultaneously, many of the Supreme Strong stationed at key points of formations throughout the Sky Wasteland—Spirit Realm Eightfold, Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, even Sixth Level Cultivators—also activated their guarded formation points. Beams of light shot into the firmament, echoing and connecting with lights from other locations, converging across the expanse above the entire Sky Wasteland.
The plan to merge the two realms had begun!
The key to this merging formation wasn't the formation itself; after all, the formation merely served as a conduit to harness Heaven and Earth Essence Qi and connect to the Original Source of Heaven and Earth, and then to break through Heaven and Earth's embryonic membrane into the Chaos.
Only because the spans of the Sky Wasteland were vast and limitless, not even a single top-tier force could easily complete these formation points on their own. It was only through the combined efforts of the human race's numerous forces and the Demon Race that they were able to accomplish this in such a short time. Otherwise, either the human or the Demon Race would need much longer to complete it alone.
Beams of light connected across the firmament to envelop the Sky Wasteland from above, causing tremors throughout, causing mountains to shake, rivers to boil, and the earth to quake as if heralding an apocalypse.
Had it not been for all sides relocating all Cultivators and their human kin into Blessed Lands and Cave Heavens, this single action alone would have resulted in countless Mortal deaths.
The situation grew more intense as if the entire Sky Wasteland was on the verge of inversion. Yet, as the initiator and mover of it all, Master Tianji and the other Supreme Strong showed not a shred of fear. Instead, their eyes sparkled with excitement.
Everything was unfolding as they anticipated; the formation had started moving the Origin of the Sky Wasteland along its currents above the firmament, rapidly gathering and coalescing.
"The Sky Wasteland, the Heaven and Earth where we have dwelled for thousands of years, from today it shall be obliterated," a Supreme Strong voiced with a touch of sentimentality.
After all, they had lived in the Sky Wasteland for thousands of years; for many Supreme Strong, it represented half a lifetime. Given the current state of the Sky Wasteland, it was inevitable that they would feel a complex mixture of emotions. The formation was already activated, and whether successful or not, there was no going back to what was.
"Hmph, what is there to pity? Why put on such a show," scoffed a Strong, devoid of any regret. "This world was never truly ours; our Ancestral Land is our root. Our life here has only been a temporary sojourn."
To them, their homeland would always be the Daming World. They were Cultivators from the Daming World. They had left because the Daming World was not suitable for Cultivators to live in. Now, as the Ancestral Land was reviving, it was only natural for them to return home.
"There's nothing to lament. This One-Sided World was ultimately flawed and incomplete, devoid of the Will of Heaven and Earth, destined to never ascend. Even if we did nothing, this world was bound for destruction sooner or later. It's better to integrate it into the Ancestral Land as fodder for the Ascension of Heaven and Earth—merely a change in the manner of existence," declared another Supreme Strong.
The Sky Wasteland was fundamentally flawed and incomplete, a critical secret until today. Aside from the very top echelon of Supreme Strong, others, even the masters of powerful ancient Holy Lands or kings of ancient countries, were not privy to this knowledge.
Despite its abundant Heaven and Earth Essence Qi enabling many Cultivators to practice with ease, at its core, the Sky Wasteland was deficient, its Heavenly Dao incomplete, and its Will of Heaven and Earth missing for reasons unknown.
The Will of Heaven and Earth was the core of a World. Although lacking sentience, it was fundamental for the operation and Ascension of Heaven and Earth. A World without it could never ascend, dooming it to eventual obliteration.
A World destined for extinction might have little impact on common Cultivators—their lives fleeting compared to Heaven and Earth—but for Supreme Strong, it was different. An imperfect Heaven and Earth that couldn't ascend meant a complete barrier, preventing them from making any progress, a profound torment.
Originally, for many Supreme Strong, some had already considered leaving the Sky Wasteland to find another World suitable for survival, to prolong their path of Cultivation. Even the uncertain future was better than stagnating here.
Yet coincidentally, the Ancestral Land had begun its revival, offering them a glimmer of hope.
No one wishes to halt their progress on the path of cultivation; this is especially true for powerful cultivators, as the pursuit of strength and the innate desire for eternal life are inherent to all beings.
For those supreme strong ones who have already stepped into the Nine Realms of Spirit, they have reached the pinnacle of mortal cultivation, only one step away from transforming into a True Immortal, achieving Immortality where one would outlive Heaven and Earth. Such an opportunity, so close at hand, is something the supreme strong ones are unwilling to give up.
However, the Sky Wasteland Realm is flawed, doomed to decay, fated to silently fade into oblivion, unable to sustain their onward journey, and even hindering their continued cultivation. This is intolerable to these supreme powers.
Just as they were ready to abandon the Sky Wasteland Realm to search for a new world, one more suitable for their cultivation, the news of the revival of the Ancestral Land came, offering these supreme strong ones a glimmer of new hope.
It is known that the Daming World, as a world that has nurtured civilizations and birthed so many supreme powers, is extraordinary. At first, it was only because of the vast Great War that Heaven and Earth fell silent, and now that it has revived, it will undoubtedly be a new golden era for cultivation.
Now, with the revival of the Ancestral Land, these supreme strong ones no longer need to search for a new world, a new Heaven and Earth that can accommodate them, support their cultivation, and allow them to explore the Immortal Path.
…
When some strong ones expressed doubts that the Ancestral Land had not birthed a True Immortal for thousands of years, suggesting that perhaps its potential was limited, a bold idea was proposed: to sacrifice the imperfect Sky Wasteland Realm as nourishment for the Ancestral Land's ascension, which may allow the Ancestral Land to birth a True Immortal.
In the face of sufficient interests, nothing is unthinkable. Since the Sky Wasteland Realm is flawed, unable to endure eternally, and destined for oblivion, it would be better to directly convert it into nourishment to help the Ancestral Land ascend.
The yearning for an undying True Immortal is beyond words for the supreme strong ones. Let alone a flawed Sky Wasteland Realm, as long as they are confident in the feasibility of their plan, even a complete Sky Wasteland Realm would not deter them from paying the price to see the plan through if they had the power to do so.
"With Heaven and Earth Ascension, the True Immortal will no longer be mere fantasy!"
"We, as inheritors of the will of our predecessors, will be the first batch of True Immortals in this countless generation. We shall achieve Immortality and eternal life."
"Hahaha, who would have thought the prophecy was true, this will truly be a Great World like no other, birthing True Immortals unprecedented."
"…"
Watching the Origin of countless Sky Wasteland Realms converge, emitting vast and turbulent power, these supreme strong ones are filled with anticipation, nervousness, dreaminess, and vigilance.
Since the dawn of cultivation, countless cultivators and heroes have aspired, hoped for, and pursued the status of a True Immortal, Immortality, yet so many heroes and peerless goddesses could not escape the passage of time and vanished into nothingness, leaving behind only regret.
Now, they are to inherit their legacy, fulfilling the expectations of countless cultivators over thousands of years, ascending to the realm of True Immortal, and henceforth living eternally between Heaven and Earth.
Of course, in addition to anticipation and nervousness, the vigilance in the hearts of these supreme strong ones is also raised to the utmost, for none of them know how much fortune the next Heaven and Earth Ascension will bring, nor how many True Immortals it can accommodate.
Cultivation is not a dinner party, nor does it abide by courtesy, kindness, humility, and tolerance. Cultivation is about competition, a race across a wooden bridge by countless armies — the Dao of one prevailing over the bones of the many, with life and death at stake. Being a step ahead or a step behind can lead to unpredictable outcomes, and none dare let their guard down.
So, do not be fooled by their smiling faces and cordial demeanor at this moment. The moment Heaven and Earth truly ascend, the instant the fortune descends, they will become each other's greatest rivals, the strongest enemies on the path to achieving Dao.
Boom!
The vast Origin Force converged to a pinnacle and shot upwards, smashing through the Heaven and Earth's embryonic membrane and hurtling into the boundless Chaos.
At that moment, all the Supreme Strong decisively followed suit, breaking through the membrane to arrive within the vast Chaos.
Next, their task was to protect this Origin Force, enabling it to connect with Pei Xuanjing, who was outside the Chaos of the Ancestral Land, to allow the Origin Force to integrate into the Ancestral Land, drawing the two worlds closer within the boundless Chaos, and ultimately achieving a successful merger.
"It's finally here!"
Pei Xuanjing's previously half-closed eyes snapped open, his gaze blazing with a divine light.
As he spoke, many Supreme Strong involuntarily turned their attention toward him.
"National Teacher, what exactly has arrived?" Wu Shijiu asked with a hint of curiosity.
Although the boundless Chaos was incredibly terrifying, to the Supreme Strong who stayed there even briefly, constantly defending against the Chaos Qi was a form of tempering for themselves.
Wu Shijiu, who had not long ago made a breakthrough, was entering the Chaos for the first time, and now, with Pei Xuanjing, a powerful being by his side, he naturally wasn't too concerned about his own safety and cultivated with peace of mind. Hearing Pei Xuanjing's words now, he was quite puzzled.
"The Taoist Friends from Sky Wasteland have already begun," Pei Xuanjing said calmly, looking toward a certain direction.
Hmm?
Wu Shijiu, along with the many Supreme Strong, followed Pei Xuanjing's gaze, but they saw nothing. The boundless Chaos was still as it had been at first.
Could it be that they have noticed something we haven't, and the gap between us and them is this significant?
These thoughts involuntarily surfaced in the minds of the Supreme Strong present. Aside from Wu Shijiu, who had recently broken through, whether it was the human race or the Demon Race, the few arriving beings of immense power were extraordinary.
Especially the Wolf King of the Demon Race, a Supreme Strong of the Wolf Clan whose formidable strength was recognized by many as second only to the Lion Emperor within the Demon Race. Coupled with the Wolf Clan's ultra-sharp perception, the fact that even he had detected nothing was rather exaggerated.
If it weren't for the prestige that Pei Xuanjing had established over the years, had it been anyone else, these Supreme Strong might have wondered in their hearts whether the other was merely bluffing.
These thoughts, in reality, all happened in the blink of an eye, a mere flicker of time, but in the next instant, all the Supreme Strong wore expressions of horror as they looked at Pei Xuanjing, their shock almost completely unmasked.
"National Teacher!" Wu Shijiu's face changed drastically as he exclaimed in surprise.
It turned out that after Pei Xuanjing finished speaking, before these individuals had any chance to react, he took a sudden step further into the Chaos, penetrating dozens of miles deep. And with his deeper entry, the Chaos Qi he stirred up become even more wildly violent.