As of now, aside from the projection and possession simulations that Pei Xuanjing himself has undergone, and the worlds he has experienced—those of unknown reality or illusion—the only two confirmed worlds capable of supporting such a grand cultivation era are the Great Ming World and the Sky Wasteland.
When the plan to merge the two worlds began, and from the moment the Origin of Sky Wasteland was introduced into the Great Ming World, within this vast Chaos Void, the Great Ming World became the core of the known worlds that nurtured life.
The plan for Heaven and Earth Ascension was something even the Supreme Strong had never encountered before; they too did not know when this opportunity would truly arrive. Therefore, at this time, these Supreme Strong would rush to the Great Ming World at the first opportunity, quietly awaiting the right moment, observing the evolution of Heaven and Earth, and then seizing the chance to seek their own breakthroughs.
Therefore, Pei Xuanjing was completely indifferent and unconcerned about these people currently rushing towards the Great Ming World, as it was meaningless.
"There's no need to think too much; right now, observing the evolution of Heaven and Earth and comprehending its ways is the correct path," Pei Xuanjing said to Wu Shijiu.
…
No matter the time or what might happen next, enhancing one's own strength is the most important. Even if you pay attention to the actions of others, it will not affect them because of your attention. Therefore, only by improving your own strength can you face the upcoming situations with more confidence.
The moment of Heaven and Earth Ascension, with the manifestation of the Great Tao of Heaven and Earth, presents an unprecedented opportunity for every Cultivator. It is an easier and simpler process compared to past cultivation, and it would be regrettable to miss it.
After speaking, Pei Xuanjing did not wait for Wu Shijiu to respond. He left an Avatar to guard the entry of the Origin of Heaven and Earth into the Great Ming World, while his true body returned to Shenxiao Mountain in the Great Ming World.
As a Taoist Friend, he had said what he should. How Wu Shijiu would act should be based on his own considerations and understanding, something Pei Xuanjing could neither influence nor wish to, since all cultivation must ultimately return to one's own heart.
The process of Heaven and Earth Ascension, the evolution of Heaven and Earth, can only be most rewarding when one immerses oneself within Heaven and Earth. At least for now, Pei Xuanjing's Realm is not sufficient to grasp all the changes in the Great Ming World from outside the Chaos Void.
"All disciples under Shen Xiao Sect, Taoist Disciples, and those of the Taoist Academy, if not necessary, should devote themselves to cultivation in the upcoming time, without being affected by external matters. Enhancing oneself is the Righteous Path," Pei Xuanjing conveyed to his subordinates after returning to Shenxiao Mountain. Indeed, during the span of Heaven and Earth Ascension, secluded cultivation and practicing magic is the best choice.
Of course, this decree served only as a reminder. If the recipients of the decree, no matter which branch they were from, did not wish to comply, Pei Xuanjing would impose no punishment. After all, cultivation is personal, and everyone's path is different—perhaps some Cultivators' focus in cultivation does not lie here.
Following Pei Xuanjing's return, the Shenxiao Decree had been issued, and those under the protection of Shenxiao Sect, the Taoist Academy disciples, and some from the Taoist School heeded the decree. They set aside their other affairs and began secluded cultivation.
The actions of the Shenxiao Sect, Taoist Academy, and some Taoist School disciples naturally attracted the attention of other forces, and they soon learned that this was a message from a Supreme Strong. In no time, countless Cultivators began to follow suit.
It should be known that from the moment of Heaven and Earth Ascension, with the manifestation of the Great Tao, all Cultivators could sense the changes in Heaven and Earth and realized that their cultivation seemed to become a bit easier. However, aside from a few Cultivators, most did not immediately enter into seclusion.
As they had never experienced the moment of Heaven and Earth Ascension, although they knew that it would bring opportunities and great fortunes, they had no clue when and how these would appear. Ordinary Cultivators were entirely at a loss.
They felt the changes in Heaven and Earth and noticed a slight easing of their cultivation bottlenecks. Yet, many Cultivators did not dare or wish to immediately enter into secluded cultivation. They were waiting for Heaven and Earth to continue ascending, for the fortunes to descend, fearing that they might miss everything by secluding themselves and lose their chance to seize these fortunes.
For the unknown, yet wondrously described fortunes that countless people spoke of, these countless Cultivators could only suppress their desire to seclude themselves and agonizingly waited, without the slightest clue about what to expect.
However, at this moment, once they received the news about the Shenxiao Sect and Taoist Academy disciples entering secluded cultivation, and after confirming it was a decree passed down by the Supreme Strong Pei Xuanjing, they immediately began to seclude themselves without any hesitation.
This might have been an inexplicable trust in Pei Xuanjing. Even though Pei Xuanjing had not informed them, once they saw many disciples from the Shen Xiao Sect and Taoist School reassuringly entering into secluded cultivation, they too let go of their worries.
And at this time, countless Independent Practitioners and many native forces of the Great Ming World, noticing that many top-notch disciples of forces from the originally returned Sky Wasteland had also started to retreat and engage in secluded cultivation, were immediately convinced and comfortably went into their own secluded cultivation.
"It seems Bai Xiaosheng's information was correct. Although Heaven and Earth Ascension has started, the descent of fortunes is still far off. This process is our opportunity. We must seize every moment to enhance ourselves, to prepare for seizing as much fortune as possible when the opportunity comes," Zhao Baiyang told the people in front of him.
He too had received the message from Bai Xiaosheng before the plan to merge the two worlds, who told him that though Heaven and Earth Ascension had begun, the fortunes would not descend immediately. In this process, cultivation would become easier and presented an opportunity to enhance one's strength.
Although uncertain why Bai Xiaosheng, who had disappeared for many years, suddenly appeared and conveyed this information, Zhao Baiyang did not harbor much suspicion. They currently had no major conflicting interests, and Bai Xiaosheng's credibility remained trustworthy.
"It's a pity that we are still far behind," Tie Qianshan said with a complex expression. "According to Bai Xiaosheng, this time there will be Supreme Strong who wish to seize the opportunity to make a desperate attempt to transform from mortal to immortal, to break through the True Immortal Realm."
The news had been a tremendous shock to Tie Qianshan. He knew that Heaven and Earth Ascension was a scheme laid out by many Supreme Strong to plan their breakthrough to the True Immortal Realm, but he had not expected everything to happen so quickly and so suddenly, that some Supreme Strong would take action at this time.
Upon hearing these words, the originally relaxed atmosphere suddenly grew quiet.
True Immortal!
Immortal, indestructible, and everlasting, living forever while heaven and earth decay…
No adjective seems too exaggerated when applied to a True Immortal; in fact, it still feels insufficient.
The higher one's cultivation, the clearer the vast gap between each Realm becomes.
To ascend into the Nine Heavens of the Spiritual Realm is definitely not hyperbole; currently, several within Zhao Baiyang have already condensed their Taoist Foundation and stepped into the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm.
But precisely because of this, they are acutely aware of the power they possess and even more aware of the terrifying nature of the Supreme Strong.
…
Now, with the enhancement of their Divine Position, they might be able to battle with the first and second rank cultivators of the Spirit Realm Eightfold, but they don't even qualify to face the Supreme Strong directly.
Let alone now, even if they were to break through to the Eight-Layer Spirit Realm in the future, it's doubtful they would qualify to confront the terrifying Supreme Strong.
Only today have they really comprehended the terror that was Pei Xuanjing back then, and they realized how incredible his achievements were for suppressing a Spiritual Realm Level Nine Strongest with the Eight-Layer Spirit Realm, which brings understanding to why Pei Xuanjing was treated with equal respect by many Supreme Strong of his time.
Now, they are impossibly far from the Strongest Realm, yet there are already those who can assault the True Immortal Realm. Such a fearsome gap is a great blow to them.
They thought to lament that they were born at the wrong time, that the Revival of Heaven and Earth was too brief, leaving them insufficient time to cultivate and accumulate a foundation, forced to watch with regret. However, Pei Xuanjing, who existed alongside them back then, has now ascended to the Strongest Realm and holds the qualifications to pursue the True Immortal Realm, so a powerhouse like Zhao Baiyang couldn't bring himself to utter such words.
"True Immortal, it's unattainable for us now, but not just for us—all the countless cultivators of the two worlds who now qualify to peer into the True Immortal Realm are few and far between. We must recognize how far we are, and those who've recently broken into the Strongest Realm likely feel even more regret," Xue Wuheng said solemnly, his tone laced with a hint of relief: "At least we are fortunate; we have encountered this era, we still have a chance, the qualification to pursue the True Immortal Realm."
Indeed, though they have not stood at the pinnacle, they can't yet vie for the qualification to break through to True Immortality. But on further reflection, many cultivators who have practiced even longer than them do not qualify either. In fact, in both worlds combined, there are countless cultivators, and not even all the Supreme Strong qualify to contend for the True Immortal status. These people suffer more than even them.
Moreover, whether it's self-consolation or self-encouragement, throughout millennia in these two worlds, countless exceptional heroes have longed to pursue True Immortality to no avail, ultimately dying in regret, taking their obsessions into death.
Compared to these individuals, at least they are much more fortunate. Although they've missed the current opportunity, as long as Heaven and Earth continue to ascend and True Immortals emerge, it means this plan is viable, and they too have the qualification to forge ahead, to one day also qualify to pursue the True Immortal Realm.
As for the common concerns about the limited number of True Immortal positions, Zhao Baiyang and the others aren't particularly worried. After all, it's far too distant. Considering these problems now is premature, and even if we take ten thousand steps back, when they do qualify to break through to True Immortality, will they truly be confined by this limitation?
No!
If now it is indeed proven that the Ascension of Heaven and Earth can accommodate the existence of True Immortals, then those who are not content to stand still after the ascension of True Immortals will continue to seek out new paths, to integrate more worlds into the Great Ming World, so that Heaven and Earth can ascend once more and become even stronger.
As for there actually being any who are content with maintaining the status quo?
Having once stood at the peak, individuals like Zhao Baiyang really don't worry about this, because they were once so similar to these Supreme Strong; even in stagnation, they are ceaselessly seeking ways to find the path forward. And those content with the status quo, lacking the ambition to advance, would likely find it difficult to step into the True Immortal Realm.
Not to speak of others, Pei Xuanjing alone, as long as he does not fall, will never lose the desire to grow stronger, will never stop his cultivation.
"So, the more we discover how powerful and terrifying Pei Xuanjing is!" Zi Tianxiong exclaimed, his admiration hard to dispel.
Even though, in comparison with others, and in the eyes of ninety percent of the cultivators between Heaven and Earth, Zi Tianxiong's ascension to the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm in such a short time has drawn the envy of many and can be called a leading figure among cultivators, compared to Pei Xuanjing he is quite out of his league, nearly as different as heaven and earth, and feels he's not even fit to compare himself to Pei.
"Over the years, among the many new Supreme Strong, I fear only Master Pei is truly qualified to compete for the True Immortal Dao Fruit," Zhu Houji mused aloud within Tiandu of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty.
As the Ruler of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, Zhu Houji practiced the Divine Tao and also the Cultivation Skill of the Human Race Common Master from the Witch Deity Teaching; he's one of the rare cultivators that Pei Xuanjing knew of who do not need extended secluded cultivation to enhance their power.
For Zhu Houji, what he needs is to constantly manage the Great Ming Divine Dynasty. The more prosperous the dynasty becomes, the more heavenly favor and Qi Luck he receives, the heavier his authority grows, and his power enhances accordingly.
Where other cultivators need to painstakingly study even with the Ascension of Heaven and Earth to convert those insights into their own foundation, Zhu Houji needs none of that process.
Aside from his own Refining Spirit Cultivation Realm, a large part of his power comes from the enhancement of Heaven and Earth. Now that Heaven and Earth are advancing, even if the scope of authority he carries from Heaven and Earth won't increase and might even shrink with the ascension, his power continues to grow, truly a way of increasing power while lying back and reaping the benefits.
Divine Tao Cultivation is closely related to Heaven and Earth; after all, Divine Tao involves upholding Heaven's Tao, with a significant part of one's power coming from the authority bestowed by Heaven and Earth. As long as one's divine status is sufficient, they can ascend.
The difference between ordinary cultivators and Divine Tao Path Cultivators is similar to how Wu Shijiu took shortcuts to break through to the Supreme Strong Realm. Ordinary cultivators must construct their own stairway to higher realms, but Divine Tao Path Cultivators, due to their position, already have the framework laid out. They can first reach the realm, then backtrack to fill in the gaps they skipped, which is considerably easier than for ordinary cultivators.
But easier does not mean it's carefree.
The cultivation of the Divine Tao may sound quite simple, and far easier than that of ordinary cultivators, but why then is the practice of the Divine Tao not the mainstream in the realms between Heaven and Earth, and even in the Sky Wasteland and the current Cultivation World, the Incense God Path is a reluctant choice behind Qi Refining, Spirit Refining, and Body Refining among several systems?
Because such cultivation, although swift, is not so easy after all but comes with its own set of great dangers.
The Divine Tao does not require the understanding of Realms but only the Refining of positions to possess strong power. However, for most cultivators of the Divine Tao, this is both a making and an unmaking—Divine Tao is a bond for cultivators. They must adhere to the rules of Divine Tao authority and fulfill the obligations demanded by the power of the Divine Tao, to maintain the blessings from the Will of Heaven and Earth and their own Divine Tao positions. Should they fail to uphold their positions and lose heavenly favor, they will be stripped of their authority.
Of course, this is the most common method of cultivation within the Divine Tao and the path followed by most Divine Tao cultivators. Another method, as with Pei Xuanjing, starts with obtaining a Divine Tao position. While adhering to the situation shaped by the Divine Tao authority, one relies less on the power of Incense Faith to advance but instead cultivates the Laws. By harnessing the power of the position and taking charge of the Laws' authority, one gradually masters these Laws, turning them into their own foundation. Such cultivators of the Divine Tao, even if they lose their positions, will not suffer great loss and will still retain ample power.
Every approach has its drawbacks and benefits: the former progresses quickly in cultivation, while the latter takes a much slower pace in grasping and controlling the authority of Laws and also places significant demands on one's will and talent. Not everyone is capable of this, and those who are typically do not choose the Divine Tao, at least not at present, without specific reasons.
Naturally, Zhu Houji's path was the former, purely so. Beyond the Divine Tao, he also pursued the skills of the Human Race Common Master and the practices of the Spirit Refining Path.
…
Furthermore, as the lord of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, he is now wholly bound to it. The prosperity of the Great Ming supports his power, and if it declines or perishes, even if Zhu Houji has mastered the Laws, he would be unable to save himself and would only perish alongside the Divine Dynasty.
Therefore, even though he is aware of the threats of the Divine Tao and the flaws of the Divine Dynasty, Zhu Houji has no choice, no way out—and for him, he does not need choices or a way back.
Perhaps Zhu Houji, who is single-minded in seeking longevity, may not be the best emperor, but he is not lacking in decisive firmness that lies deep within. To him, should the Divine Dynasty fall and there's no salvaging it, he has the courage and determination to perish alongside it—a responsibility he carries as the lord of the Divine Dynasty and the ruler of the people.
"As Heaven and Earth undergo Ascension, many changes will occur. Therefore, we must hasten to find the location of the Heavenly Court Prototype Cave Heaven left by the Human Race Common Master," Zhu Houji's eyes revealed a sense of urgency.
He had obtained the news about the Heavenly Court Prototype Cave Heaven opened by the Ancient Human Race Common Master while practicing the skills of the Human Race Common Master. After communicating with Pei Xuanjing, Zhu Houji had been sending people to collect and search for the location of the original Cave Heaven.
Unfortunately, despite spending countless resources and manpower over the years, Zhu Houji still had no findings, not even stumbling upon any remnants of Cave Heavens from the Ancient Era. The Cave Heaven as described in the skill remains elusive.
Zhu Houji's time is running short. After the Ascension of Heaven and Earth, the structure of this world will undergo significant changes. If he can't find it promptly, the information he holds will become even more useless.
"With the Ascension of Heaven and Earth, the authority I possess is also growing stronger. Perhaps after the Ascension of Heaven and Earth, as long as I can fully control this divine body, I will have the combat strength of the Strongest Realm," Qingxu Taoist, now Monarch Qingxu, felt the changes of Heaven and Earth Ascension and thought to himself.
Back then, the Zhenwu Sect paid a great price to cultivate an Innate God who turned malignant. Unable to protect the Zhenwu Sect and posing a potential threat to Heaven and Earth, they had no choice but to ask Pei Xuanjing to obliterate the spirit of this malignant god. In doing so, I sacrificed my physical body and fused into this divine body to become a deity.
"Brother, how much longer do you need to master this divine body?" Qingyang Zi's voice echoed in Qingxu Daoist's ears.
Although Qingyang Zi is now the vice-dean of the Taoist Academy and holds a high position with the support of the Supreme Strong Pei Xuanjing, even if his personal strength is insufficient, cultivators at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm and prodigies from top forces do not take him lightly. But at the end of the day, Qingyang Zi is from Zhenwu Sect, and he has not forgotten his origins.
If the Zhenwu Sect did not require his help before, now that such an incident had occurred, he needed to return to see if there was a place where he was needed, both morally and emotionally.
After returning to the Zhenwu Sect from the Taoist Academy and listening in detail to the elders of the Zhenwu Sect describe what had happened, Qingyang Zi did not wait long to see his Sect Leader Brother, currently sealed within the center of the Zhenwu Array, unable to leave.
According to what the elders and the Sect Leader Brother within the Sect had said, that malignant god was incredibly powerful. As an Innate God born from countless powers of Incense Faith and so many Divine Powers, it possessed tremendous strength from birth. The Spirit Realm Eightfold Peak was enough to contend with the presence of a Supreme Strong for a short time. Although it seemed easily subdued by Pei Xuanjing, it was not a being the entire Zhenwu Sect could subdue.
Even after Pei Xuanjing took significant risks to erase its spirit, the remaining instincts of the divine body were not something Qingxu Taoist could control easily.
He needed time, a period to Refining the spirit within the divine body and fully merge it to become a deity.
"Given my current situation, I might need decades, and during this period, I cannot leave the Zhenwu Array, or I'm at risk of backlashes," True Monarch Qingxu revealed everything to his junior brother without any concealment.
Replacing a god with a Mortal was a defiance of nature. His strength was weaker than that of the malignant god, and the essence of life as a Mortal Cultivator was also lower in quality compared to such Innate Gods. Even if the opponent was an incomplete Innate God born from the power of Incense Faith, it was not easy to Refine.
Within this Great Zhenwu Formation, the instincts of the divine body can be suppressed, and only then can the task of a snake swallowing an elephant, transforming from Mortal to God, be completed. Otherwise, even if the spirit of the malignant god was erased, a great horror might still occur.