"In such a Great World, cultivators bearing Qi Luck shouldn't be antagonized until their Qi Luck has fully dissipated to avoid backlash," Daoist Xuántiān said to the surrounding powerhouses of the Mystiq Sky Sect.
Their Mystiq Sky Sect, too, had endured for tens of thousands of years, surviving countless calamities. That they had their current status was natural, as they had witnessed countless cultivators with great Qi Luck rise rapidly. It could even be said that the founder of their sect was such a person, otherwise there would be no Mystiq Sky Sect reigning as the foremost leader of the Righteous Path today.
And precisely because of this, the Master of Mystiq Sky was clear that those burdened with great Qi Luck were almost invincible until it faded. They could seem not all-powerful, but in the face of danger, somehow they always miraculously averted catastrophe.
Hence, even if they could not win over such a person, they would not choose to actively provoke and make an enemy of them at this time, especially since Pei Xuanjing's strength was certainly amongst the absolute top level. Before any breakthrough, he was already able to suppress the Supreme Strong of the Nine Realms of Spirit. Now, with his power advanced even further, his terrifying strength was as expected.
"In this era of great strife, what we truly need to pay attention to are the old ancients in the other factions. As for that Monarch Changshen, as long as he does not oppose us, we don't need to concern ourselves too much," Daoist Xuántiān clarified their stance.
At the time of Heavenly and Earthly Promotion, many powerhouses go into seclusion to adjust their condition and wait for the breakthrough opportunity. Especially those ancient elders whose lives were nearing their ends, nobody knew how much foundation they had accumulated, or whether they could break through at this time. This was the concern they needed to focus on.
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After all, even if the number of True Immortals is limited, it wouldn't matter much to have one more Supreme Strong like Pei Xuanjing around. On the contrary, not making an enemy of someone with Qi Luck and favored by the Will of the Heaven and Earth from the Ancestral Land would be for the best.
Of course, all of this was based on the premise that Pei Xuanjing was willing to live in peace with them. If Pei Xuanjing were to rely on his own formidable strength to oppose the Mystiq Sky Sect, they would not retreat in the slightest.
"As for that Immortal Lord Longevity, don't bother with him. Our opponent is the Mystiq Sky Sect, and no matter what, we must ensure that a True Immortal from our Sword Sect ascends to secure the future status of the Sword Sect," said the many Supreme Strong of the Sword Sect.
For the Sword Sect, their current conflict with the Mystiq Sky Sect had reached a point of no return. Over the years, the Mystiq Sky Sect's oppression of the Sword Sect was blatant, seeing them as the biggest threat to their leadership position in the Righteous Path. The two sides had truly come to blows.
If this time the Mystiq Sky Sect produced a True Immortal and they did not, the Sword Sect would be at a complete disadvantage. Would the Mystiq Sky Sect stop suppressing them then? The Sword Sect held no such hope and based on their pride alone, they firmly believed in the swords in their hands and would not put their hopes on outsiders.
"As long as I, the Ancestor, ascend to True Immortality, then the Demonic Way will surely prosper. If no other Demonic Way leader ascends successfully, I could even lead the Demonic Way and become the rightful supreme of the Demonic Way," Blood Fiend Ancestor harbored wild ambition in his heart.
As a powerhouse of the Demonic Cult and the pioneer of the Blood Fiend Sect, although Blood Fiend Ancestor was formidable, he was not revered to such a high degree, since compared to some ancient demons, he was considered junior.
However, in the Demonic Way, which emphasizes the naked law of the jungle and survival of the fittest, as long as he could ascend to True Immortality, he would become the supreme of the Demonic Way, command the Demonic Cult, and hold an unrivaled position within the Demonic Way.
"Amitabha, this Heavenly and Earthly Promotion is a great opportunity and a great calamity. Whether the Demon Race or Demonic Way has more True Immortals ascend than the Righteous Path, it's a situation where the demons rise and the Buddha declines. Our Buddha Way should also produce one who attains the Arhat Fruition to benefit the world and protect the peace of Heaven and Earth," expressed one of the Buddha Way's sages, his face showing a look of sorrowful compassion. The Arhat Fruition he referred to was actually the True Immortal Realm, simply a different name within the Buddha Way.
In the world of the human race and Demon Race, there are the Righteous Path and Demonic Way within the human race. Not to mention the Demonic Way, even within the Righteous Path, there are different factions. As one of the major branches of the Righteous Path, the Buddha Way is naturally a powerful force.
As one of the top forces in the world, the plan to merge the two realms also had the backing of the Buddha Way. Now, they no longer had much choice in the matter. Once the competition escalates, any force that isn't willing to admit inferiority to others can only grit their teeth and keep up.
Just like now, regardless of their reasons, when the factions of Righteous Path, Demonic Way, and Demon Race are all pushing for True Immortal Leaders during Heavenly and Earthly Promotion, the Buddha Way has no way out but to follow. It's not just for the reason the Buddha Way leader stated regarding good and evil, but also about maintaining the Buddha Way's status.
For a simple reason, if the Righteous Path, Demonic Way, and Demon Race all ended up with their own True Immortals, not only would that pose a great threat, but it would also be a loss of face and would affect the Buddha Way's ability to recruit disciples and attract believers in the future.
When recruiting disciples and promoting the Buddha Way, if someone asks why the Righteous Path and Demonic Way have True Immortals and the Buddha Way doesn't, wouldn't that indicate the Buddha Way is inferior, a second-rate existence? How could they have the face to recruit people then? They might as well quit!
So, the Buddha Way must follow, even if it means selling their pots and pans. If they don't, they'd be damned fools.
Xuan Du Guan…
Taisu Sect…
And so on, the top forces in the world all began to make preparations, or to say, they had long been prepared, making final arrangements, just waiting for the time of Heavenly and Earthly Promotion to enable their Supreme Strong to break through.
Yes, True Immortality is hard to achieve, even for these top forces, who can't guarantee that every powerhouse will succeed after Heavenly and Earthly Promotion. To maximize the chance of success, they chose the one most likely to break through and supported them with the countless foundations their force had accumulated.
Many times, a lot of things come down to having or not having, which are two completely different concepts. Take the current pattern between Heaven and Earth, as long as there are Supreme Strong, that's a top force, whether one or many. Even if there are differences in strength, at the very least they exist on the same level.
Next, whether a top force can maintain its status will come down to whether it has True Immortal Leaders. Only by having True Immortal Leaders can they maintain their standing. Otherwise, after Heavenly and Earthly Promotion, they will lose their current position and be demoted.
Before the Heaven and Earth Ascension, when the attention of all top-tier forces was drawn to the plans of merging realms, they relaxed their suppression on those first-rate forces, thus allowing many powerhouses from those first-rate forces to seize the opportunity to break through and ascend to the realm of the Supreme Strong.
Originally, as Pei Xuanjing told Wu Shijiu, there was a different concept between breaking through to the Supreme Strong before the Heaven and Earth Ascension and after. Those who managed before had a chance to catch up, while those after would completely lose the qualification.
Including Wu Shijiu, many powerhouses at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm took the risk to break through, but no one expected that they had been fooled, or rather, it wasn't about being fooled but that the preparations of these top-tier forces went far beyond this.
They weren't trying to force these first-rate force powerhouses to ascend to the Supreme Strong; they simply didn't care, because they had already made new plans, ready to promote the ascension of their own True Immortal Leaders within such a short span of time.
"We don't care about your ascension to the Supreme Strong because even after your ascension, you're still a layer behind the very pinnacle among Heaven and Earth, unable to catch up with us."
This was the pride and confidence of those top-tier forces. They believed that with True Immortals existing after the Heaven and Earth Ascension, Supreme Strong would no longer stand at the pinnacle, so they didn't care about the emergence of new Supreme Strong, for these people would still be suppressed beneath them.
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It could be said that those like Wu Shijiu, who took risks to break through, hoping to go even further with the aid of the Energy of Creation after Heaven and Earth Ascension, were still a step behind. They themselves were not too greatly affected, but they still couldn't stand at the peak position.
At Dragon Tiger Mountain, although there was still a lineage of Dragon Tiger Mountain within the Great Ming Divine Dynasty, comparatively, the Dragon Tiger Mountain within the present Great Ming Divine Dynasty's territory couldn't accommodate so many powerhouses from the Sky Wasteland Dragon Tiger Mountain.
Compared to other top-tier forces which still had to select individuals to attempt True Immortal ascension, there was no contention whatsoever on Dragon Tiger Mountain; the Ancestor Celestial Master was the natural choice. Not to mention that the remaining Supreme Strong of Dragon Tiger Mountain had no right to compete, even the other Supreme Strong, who were his younger generations and disciples, had no chance to fight for this opportunity with the Ancestor Celestial Master.
Everyone was clear that the True Immortal Ascension this time wasn't easy at all, fraught with immense risks and difficulties. Although the Ancestor Celestial Master was not young, he also had ample time to consolidate his cultivation, yet he couldn't help but be caught up in the internal competition.
"Father." The Second Generation Celestial Master arrived at the place where the Ancestor Celestial Master was in seclusion.
Clad in Taoist robes and with long hair cascading down his back, the Ancestor Celestial Master looked at the Second Generation Celestial Master, his gaze filled with inquiry.
"There's news about elder brother." The Second Generation Celestial Master said nervously to the Ancestor Celestial Master.
Ordinarily, at this time, he shouldn't disrupt his father's cultivation, but with the appearance of his brother, who had been missing for countless years, especially at this crucial juncture, he had to be present here.
"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, the Ancestor Celestial Master's expression remained calm, but a complex look flashed through his profound eyes.
"Not long ago, elder brother appeared in the Demon Domain, summoning Heavenly Thunder that fell, slaying tens of thousands from the Demon Race, defeating a Supreme Strong of the Demon Race guarding the Sky Wasteland." The Second Generation Celestial Master relayed the news he had received.
At the same time, his heart was also shaken. His elder brother was indeed formidable, slaying a Supreme Strong of the same realm. Even though the Supreme Strong of the Demon Race guarding the Sky Wasteland was newly advanced, the fact that he could defeat the opponent revealed the terrifying strength of his elder brother, showing how far he had come over the years.
Speaking of his elder brother, his name is Bai Qicang, who was once the disciple taken by his father before he had achieved Tao. Blessed with excellent talent, he ascended to the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm in just a few hundred years, mastering divine powers, skill in Talismans, and was considered a top-tier prodigy.
However, after an incident occurred, he fell out with their father and left Dragon Tiger Mountain, wandering the world alone. His strength then surged, and during the Tang Dynasty, he ascended to the Strongest Realm.
Later, striding through Heaven and Earth within the Sky Wasteland Domain, he still had not established any force, merely wandering the lands. Then, a thousand years ago, he suddenly disappeared without leaving any trace.
Regarding this disciple who had departed, although a thousand years had passed without his return, the Ancestor Celestial Master did not remove his name, and Bai Qicang did not say he was leaving Dragon Tiger Mountain. Still, both of them deliberately avoided each other and did not meet.
However, Bai Qicang's sudden disappearance later drew the close attention of the Ancestor Celestial Master, who sent people to search for any trace of him. Unexpectedly, the search lasted a thousand years, and only now had they received news.
"Hmm, as long as he's alive, that's fine," the Ancestor Celestial Master scoffed, and although his tone was mocking, the Second Generation Celestial Master knew his father was being insincere; otherwise, he wouldn't have kept such a close watch on him.
"Father, should we invite senior brother to return?" the Second Generation Celestial Master ventured to ask.
As a Second Generation Celestial Master, he was also a Supreme Strong, and while the father and son duo remaining Supreme Strongs was admirable, the Second Generation Celestial Master's talent had reached the Strongest Realm only because the Ancestor Celestial Master had paid a huge price to help him ascend. After thousands of years of cultivation, he was still quite far from breaking through to True Immortal.
At this critical juncture, if his father could have another Supreme Strong to protect the law, then during the time of being the Supreme Strong of this life, he would have a better response and avoid many dangers.
Never did he expect the Ancestor Celestial Master to sneer, "Why have him return? No need to bother with him, just let it be."
With that, the Ancestor Celestial Master immediately dismissed the proposal of his Second Generation Celestial Master son, showing no intention of inviting the disciple—absent for thousands of years and never again seen—to return to the mountain.
"Yes!" the Second Generation Celestial Master said helplessly, nodding in agreement.
The words of the Ancestor Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain were a mandate, which all others were obliged to follow without dissent.
Even as a Supreme Strong and a direct descendant of the Ancestor Celestial Master, the Second Generation Celestial Master had no right to go against his father's decisions.
After watching the Second Generation Celestial Master silently depart, the Ancestor Celestial Master did not return to his quiet meditation but instead cast his gaze into the distance, his profound eyes twinkling like stars, his joy or anger inscrutable.
"Thousands of years, and you have yet to let go…" the Ancestor Celestial Master mused to himself, then with a self-mocking expression, he added, "You have not let go, but what about me?"
Over thousands of years, the Ancestor Celestial Master roamed Heaven and Earth, slaying countless demons and spreading the prestige of the Zhengyi Alliance far and wide, admired by many as a powerful being with vast divine abilities. But even such a powerhouse was not truly omnipotent; he too had regrets and unfulfilled desires he felt deeply.
His most esteemed disciple had left the sect to travel to a distant land. Originally, it was supposed to be for merely decades or at most, a century, but unexpectedly, over thousands of years, both had entered the Strongest Realm, yet neither had put aside their obsessions.
However, hearing the news of his disciple's reappearance, regardless of anything, meant that the Ancestor Celestial Master had fewer worries and distractions, allowing him to pursue his upcoming breakthrough with a more undisturbed mind.
Of course, what the Ancestor Celestial Master did not anticipate was the extreme importance of this breakthrough, bearing significant consequences. Thus, even though he had commanded not to search for Bai Qicang, his son, who always obeyed him, was about to defy his will this time.
As the Ancestor Celestial Master once more entered seclusion, a powerhouse from Dragon Tiger Mountain carrying the Second Generation Celestial Master's private instructions quietly departed. The purpose of this powerhouse from Dragon Tiger Mountain was clear—to invite Bai Qicang to return and act as the protector for the Ancestor Celestial Master.
The Great World was about to dawn, dragons and snakes emerging from their lairs, and powers from all directions began their plotting and scheming to seize the advantage in this great era. They aimed not just to maintain their current status but also to rise another level through this opportunity.
"The human race, how favored they are by Heaven and Earth. Our demon race, equally born of Heaven and Earth, yet when compared with the human race, the favor we receive is immeasurably less," the Lion Emperor gazed into the sky, wistfully expressing his thoughts.
Supreme Strong of the Nine Realms of Spirit had reached the pinnacle of mortal cultivation. Normally, such powerhouses would possess incredibly strong and resolute hearts, believing only in their own power, having the courage to stand against Heaven and Earth itself.
Especially for a Sovereign of the Demon Race like the Lion Emperor, who might be considered the strongest among them, possessing unimaginable power and extensive divine abilities, seeming to find no match between Heaven and Earth—how could he harbor such wistful thoughts?
However, sometimes, even an unparalleled powerhouse like the Lion Emperor could not help but feel resentful when confronted with certain situations that seemed to defy the destiny decreed by Heaven.
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As a Sovereign of the demon race, revered and worshiped by countless demonic beings and provided for by them, he naturally aimed to lead the demon race to prosperity, to protect the weaker ones for survival, and to let the demon race live without worries in this world.
Regrettably, over the years, despite the demon race's seemingly overwhelming strength, their territories had been continuously encroached upon by the human race, and countless demons were captured and killed for pill refining and medicine each year.
It's said that the Heavenly Dao is supremely just, impartial to all creatures and spirits, without favor or bias. Yet, in the Lion Emperor's eyes, this was a complete joke—why should the demon race be exposed to hunting and killing by the human race from birth?
It is said that demons are naturally powerful, and once their cultivation is achieved, they become the powerhouses of their realms. But it must be understood that, though there are many demonic beasts, the demon race members capable of Awakening and Transforming to set foot on the path of cultivation are less than one in ten thousand.
While humans may be inherently weak, they are born with intelligence and, compared to the demon race, whose Awakening and Transforming takes decades, human youths can start cultivation at the age of six, with some prodigies even beginning at three. In just a few decades or a century, they could possess the power that many demons take hundreds or thousands of years to acquire; such is the disparity.
"The Ancestral Land is reviving, and one strong human after another emerges. Yet for our demon race, after so many years, even among the best, some are benefiting from the Revival of Heaven and Earth with Bloodline Revert Ancestry, but their highest realm is merely the Spirit Realm Sixth Level—almost a world apart compared to human powerhouses," the Lion Emperor lamented inwardly.
The Revival of Heaven and Earth brought great fortune and was incredibly beneficial to the native beings of the Ancestral Land. Countless members of the demon race took this opportunity to awaken their spirits for cultivation and ultimately stepped onto the path, and some even returned to their ancient bloodlines, becoming Exotic Demon Race.
However, after such an extended period of Revival of Heaven and Earth, the strongest of the demon race's new generation had only reached the Eight-Layer Spirit Realm, and that was with the training provided by the Demon Court; otherwise, they might not even achieve such a level.
An Exotic Demon Race at the Spirit Realm Sixth Level, after their bloodlines revived, indeed had formidable strength, sweeping through their own realm and contending against Monks of the Eightfold Spirit Realm.
But what if they were compared with the human race?
After the Revival of Heaven and Earth, countless Monks of the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm were born just from the human Ancestral Land, not to mention those at the Spirit Realm Eightfold, and most importantly, there was Pei Xuanjing of Immortal Lord Longevity who seemed to carry a great Heavenly Mandate.
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Let alone Immortal Lord Longevity, when looking at the Exotic Demon Race compared to these cultivators, they possess no advantage, neither in individual power nor in numbers. This suffices to prove the predicament the Demon Race currently faces.
"That Immortal Lord Longevity has the qualifications to contend for the status of a True Immortal, capable of traveling alone tens of millions of miles deep into the Chaos Void." Speaking of Immortal Lord Longevity Pei Xuanjing, the Lion Emperor recalled the message conveyed by the Sky Wolf King, and a profound sense of wariness rose in his heart.
If the Lion Emperor had felt only a slight apprehension about the fact that Pei Xuanjing had once suppressed the strongest of the Nine Realms of Spirit while he was still at the Eight-Layer Spirit Realm, his sentiment had now transformed into one of not daring to underestimate Pei Xuanjing at all. With the news that the Sky Wolf King could penetrate millions of miles deep into the Chaos Void as a Supreme Strong, if what the Sky Wolf King said was true, then Pei Xuanjing's current power likely no longer paled in comparison to his own. He would be a formidable enemy the Lion Emperor might face in the future.
"How unfair Heaven and Earth are! Since the Ancestral Land has revived, why have powerful human beings with enormous Qi Luck risen up, while Our demon race has yet to see the birth of such a prodigy?" A look of dissatisfaction surfaced in the Lion Emperor's eyes.
The more powerful humans there are, the more dangerous it is for the Demon Race. In the Sky Wasteland, it is only because the human powerhouses are in disagreement and cannot really come together that the Demon Race has been able to hold its ground against them. What if the gap between the two sides becomes wide enough one day, will the Demon Race still maintain its current status?
"This time, we cannot sit idly by." A glint of murderous intent flashed in the Lion Emperor's eyes.
This time, during the Heaven and Earth Ascension, both humans and demons will try to ascend to True Immortal. However, without certainty in such an unknown situation, neither the Demon Race nor the various forces of the human race have a sure chance of success.
Therefore, while going all out to promote their own strong to ascend, dispatching powerhouses to obstruct the opponents' ascension is undoubtedly a good strategy. As long as they can hinder another's ascension, even if their side unfortunately fails, it will not affect the overall situation.
Thinking this, the Lion Emperor immediately sent messages, urging all the Supreme Strong of the Demon Race within the Ancestral Land to come for a council.
"Strife is about to begin; Heaven and Earth will descend into chaos!"
Pei Xuanjing on Shenxiao Mountain was unaware of the Lion Emperor's plans. However, even without detailed information, he knew well that barriers would inevitably arise during the crucial moment of the breakthrough and ascension.
Not just Pei Xuanjing, but all of the Supreme Strong between Heaven and Earth eligible and choosing to ascend during this period would face obstructions. This was, in Pei Xuanjing's view, arguably a part of the True Immortal Tribulation.
In fact, since he had finished consolidating his foundation, Pei Xuanjing was not too worried about his own ascension. He was more concerned about other matters, such as which top powers in the world would select someone to pursue the Way of Enlightenment and which method they would choose to do so.
For Pei Xuanjing at this moment, he was quite curious and eager to know the pathways towards the Heavenly Dao these individuals would take. Regardless of whether these people succeeded or failed, the paths that merited their full commitment must certainly offer valuable lessons.
If he could assimilate these insights, it would undoubtedly be of great assistance to Pei Xuanjing.