"The merging of the two Realms is imminent, Bai Xiaosheng, what brings you here at this time?" Pei Xuanjing's gaze fixed on Bai Xiaosheng.
Given the information in Bai Xiaosheng's hands, it was impossible for him not to be aware of the current situation, and his timing suggested a definite purpose.
Pei Xuanjing had been keeping an eye on many things in Heaven and Earth, and although he had gained quite a bit of news through various forces and avatars traveling between Heaven and Earth, he was still unclear about some of the more secretive matters. After all, apart from his own considerable power, his time in cultivation, as well as his network of friends, were quite limited, lacking certain channels of information.
But Bai Xiaosheng was different; the intelligence system he operated was incredibly powerful. With his character, he must have certainly infiltrated all sorts of powers over the years. Moreover, despite being less powerful, he had an extraordinary talent in divining the Heavenly Mysteries due to his cultivation of the Heavenly Mystery Dao.
Bai Xiaosheng smiled and said, "I am here precisely because of the matter of the merging of the two Realms."
The initiative of merging the two Realms was initially driven by the people of the Sky Wasteland, but in the Great Ming World, the earliest propaganda was spread by Bai Xiaosheng's own agents. Otherwise, even with continuous news coming from Sky Wasteland, there would have been a time lag, and the spread would not have been so rapid.
Indeed, Bai Xiaosheng could be considered one of the masterminds behind this plan. Of course, Pei Xuanjing was aware of this, so with Bai Xiaosheng behind the pushing of this very matter now at its critical stage, why would he come to seek Pei Xuanjing?
Could it be that there was a hidden secret unknown to him, something significant that he had overlooked? Pei Xuanjing contemplated in his heart.
Even the wisest might overlook something, and Pei Xuanjing was certainly not one of those unparalleled strategists, merely an ordinary man. Even the wisest have their oversights; it was only natural that he, too, could not cover every aspect in dealing with many matters.
Therefore, when Bai Xiaosheng mentioned this issue, Pei Xuanjing naturally assumed he had missed something important, and he was not surprised by it.
Seeing Pei Xuanjing's look, Bai Xiaosheng remained composed. He said, "This time, the merging of the two Realms is driven by many Supreme Strong beings. The core reason is that they believe the lack of a True Immortal for all these thousands of years is due to Heaven and Earth's bindings, hindering the birth of True Immortals. So, they intend to elevate the World to break these restraints and thereafter give birth to True Immortals."
"Indeed, I am quite certain of this; perhaps I wasn't clear before, but rest assured, once I've broken through, I will have no doubts," Pei Xuanjing nodded.
If at the beginning, on Shenxiao Mountain, Pei Xuanjing could not be sure because his battle power was augmented by external support and his Realm was only at the Eighth Level of the Spiritual Realm, then after his current life simulation is complete and he makes a breakthrough to the Nine Layers Realm, he would truly be assured. Regardless of other factors, one thing he could confirm was that Heaven and Earth did indeed bind those at the pinnacle of the Ninth Realm of Spirit.
Just as he and Wu Shijiu had said before, those at the very peak of the Ninth Realm of Spirit had reached a state as high as Heaven itself, bound by Heaven and Earth. Only a few overlord powerhouses among those were able to temporarily break through these bindings and deploy greater power.
"I am, of course, certain of this as well. With the National Preceptor having ascended to being one of the strongest, there should be no problem with his affirmation," Bai Xiaosheng said, his feelings quite complex. Initially, when Pei Xuanjing had not yet risen, Bai Xiaosheng saw him as a junior.
However, Pei Xuanjing's rapid ascendancy later made him equal in standing, and even surpassing them. Back then, Bai Xiaosheng still deemed himself capable of catching up, but now Pei Xuanjing had reached the pinnacle of his Spiritual Realm cultivation, starting to peer into the legendary undying Realm of the True Immortal, a height Bai Xiaosheng could not hope to reach.
Even now, as Bai Xiaosheng had stepped into the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm through cultivating the Path of Heavenly Secrets, he was not overly confident about his future cultivation steps. He knew that at the Eighth Level, he would have to confront Master Tianji—a formidable figure in the Path of Heavenly Secrets. This was the most crucial step in his cultivation: success would lead to a meteoric rise, while failure could mean death and the dissipation of his Tao.
These thoughts flashed through Bai Xiaosheng's mind momentarily. No matter how threatening the path ahead might be, he needed to face it. At the moment, he at least had to strengthen himself, otherwise he wouldn't even have the qualifications to face Master Tianji directly.
Suppressing his thoughts, he looked at Pei Xuanjing and asked, "According to those Supreme Strong ones, do they intend to seek the means to break through to the True Immortal only after Heaven and Earth have ascended?"
"Yes, indeed. Shallow waters cannot raise a True Dragon. Only after the ascension of Heaven and Earth will there be a chance for a breakthrough to True Immortal," Pei Xuanjing nodded. There was no doubt in his words; without the ascension of the World, the birth of a True Immortal was difficult.
"But what if someone wants to take advantage of Heaven and Earth's ascension to achieve a breakthrough to True Immortal?" Bai Xiaosheng's words, light as they were, sounded like thunder in Pei Xuanjing's ears.
Pei Xuanjing, previously looking quite relaxed, lost his smile and furrowed his brows tightly. "Bai Brother, is this true or false? Do you understand what this represents?"
To think that someone wanted to attempt a breakthrough to True Immortal during Heaven and Earth's ascension was nothing short of madness.
Pei Xuanjing was also aware that even after Heaven and Earth's ascension, although the opportunity to ascend to True Immortal might appear, it wasn't certain who would succeed or fail. Furthermore, it was unclear how many True Immortals the ascended World could accommodate. But all those discussions should have taken place after the actual ascension, not before.
But Pei Xuanjing never expected that someone would be so bold as to contemplate ascension alongside Heaven and Earth.
Though Heaven and Earth would be elevated if they did ascend, it was still uncertain whether success in becoming a True Immortal could be achieved. A premature attempt, if unsuccessful, could exact a tremendous toll.
"I am, of course, aware of this," Bai Xiaosheng said solemnly. "I also understand the enormous risks involved, but there are equally vast rewards. The first True Immortal in thousands of years, what a title that is, and countless Qi Yun added on top. And for those with great ambition, it is not impossible to use this chance to unify Heaven and Earth."
Indeed, such a breakthrough at this moment carried great risks, but it also promised substantial rewards. If successful, the gains would be enormous. Not to mention the fame and Qi Luck of being the first True Immortal of the World, and once someone becomes a unique True Immortal, an ambitious individual could suppress their rivals and reign supreme over Heaven and Earth.
Bai Xiaosheng's face showed a hint of pensiveness as he said, "There are indeed quite a few supreme strong individuals like the Sect Leader in this world, but not all of them , like the Sect Leader, have just had a breakthrough and possess a long life ahead. As far as I know, many among these top forces are at the brink of their lifespans. They have only managed to extend their lives using some secret methods. If it weren't for the merging plan of the two worlds, they would have chosen to risk their lives in the Chaos like their predecessors."
The strongest of the Spiritual Realm Level Nine indeed have prolonged lives, but such long lives are ultimately not eternal, and they do have an end. Therefore, many strong individuals, towards the end of their lives, would opt for secret methods to prolong their life, and then await the growth of the younger generation within their sect before leaving all their concerns behind and venturing into the Chaos to seek that sliver of survival chance. Although the odds are slim, at least those who have made it this far would not just wait for death to claim them.
Originally, in this era, the lifespans of several top forces' strongest individuals were coming to an end, and they were preparing to settle their sect's affairs before entering the Chaos.
However, it was at this time that the Ancestral Land revived, reminding many strong individuals of that old prophecy— with the revival of the Ancestral Land, a Great World descends, and a True Immortal will emerge during this Great World.
Although these individuals were originally skeptical, the rise of the monstrous Pei Xuanjing and the proposal of the two worlds' merging plan caused many to waver in their beliefs, starting to think it might be an opportunity.
Under normal circumstances, after the merging of the two worlds and the completion of Heaven and Earth Ascension, slowly cultivating and then exploring the Path of the True Immortal would be the most prudent approach. Unfortunately, a few supremely strong individuals do not have much time left. They have made it to this day by using secret methods to cling onto life, barely breathing within the Blessed Land and Cave Heaven of their respective sects.
By this time, waiting for the merging of the two worlds had become very difficult. If they really had to wait until the Heaven and Earth Ascension was complete, they might not survive that long. After all, no one knows how long the Heaven and Earth Ascension might take, and surely, no one wants to die at such a time.
Therefore, these strongest individuals desire to make a final deathbed struggle. They don't have many choices left: either they succeed, or they wait for death. The choice is self-evident.
"If everyone quietly waited for the Heaven and Earth Ascension before seeking a breakthrough, it would've been fine, but the key issue is that someone has made a choice, wanting to gamble once," Bai Xiaosheng said, his face bitter.
Pei Xuanjing's expression had eased, and he had also calmed his mood, understanding the cause, "If everyone waits, a balance can be maintained. But since someone has decided to gamble, others have been forced into a dilemma and can only choose to follow suit because doing nothing and giving the opportunity to others would be the most foolish course."
He now understood that this was due to actions taken by some of the strongest individuals with dwindling lifespans, leading to a series of chain reactions, or in other words, it had spiraled into Internal Competition.
Originally, everyone was waiting, which was fine. But now, someone can't wait and wants to take a risk. Regardless of whether or not the other party has enough assurance, their action has already touched the interests of others.
After all, if the person taking the gamble fails, it's still fine, but if they truly succeed, it would indeed be an interesting turn of events. As the strongest, they are already at the pinnacle, and if someone becomes a True Immortal, it would mean that life and death is no longer in their own hands, a notion difficult to accept.
Another reason is that, although it's said that after Heaven and Earth Ascension, the world will accommodate the ascension of True Immortals, how many True Immortals it could actually support is an uncertainty for everyone. Thus, for the sake of securing their spot, the struggle has fully unfolded, and no one can remain unaffected unless they are willing to give up the opportunity and leave their fate in the hands of others.
"Indeed, precisely because of this. As the saying goes, 'a movement in one part affects the whole', when one person makes a move, the rest can no longer remain passive," said Bai Xiaosheng with a wry smile.
Although plotting sounds good, as if using Heaven and Earth as the chessboard and all beings as chess pieces, those with sufficient power can overturn the chessboard.
And as clever as his calculations appear, if he had the power of Pei Xuanjing, he wouldn't have to worry so much.
The current situation had already surpassed his expectations; if these people all seek to seize the moment of Heaven and Earth Ascension to achieve a breakthrough, a series of chain reactions will likely be triggered, and consecutive Great Wars will erupt.
The relationships between the various forces Between Heaven and Earth are complex. While the strongest among the top forces currently form temporary alliances for the sake of Heaven and Earth Ascension, when the time comes to fight for the fortune and breakthrough to True Immortality, a fierce clash will inevitably occur, fighting to the death.
And if the strongest amongst these top forces are qualified to ascend, and they take drastic measures for the chance of a breakthrough, what about those powerhouses from the first-rate forces who have just broken through recently? Although they may lack sufficient foundations or are not assured of breaking through, they will certainly take action when necessary, choosing to be a drag.
"Heh, when the time comes, various factions will surely form alliances and no one will miss this opportunity," sneered Pei Xuanjing.
Bai Xiaosheng nodded, "Indeed, cultivation is like sailing against the current; if you do not advance, you will fall back. Everyone is at the same point, with some minor variations in strength, which do not make much difference. But now, if others breakthrough to True Immortality, that will be tantamount to one's own regression."
Seeing one's opponent breakthrough is even more difficult to bear than standing still yourself, and many of the strongest in the top forces must be wary. What if an old adversary breaks through and strikes at you?
If the Demon Race breaks through to True Immortal and the human race doesn't, it endangers the human race. If the human race breaks through and the Demon Race doesn't, then the Demon Race is in peril.
And even if both the human race and the Demon Race have True Immortals emerge, considering the numerous top forces within the human race, whether it's the Demonic Way or the Righteous Path… these different possibilities mean more changes.
"Actually, if you think about it carefully, this is nothing more than bringing forward the struggle that would have happened later!" Pei Xuanjing had fully accepted the situation and spoke with a calm demeanor.
Indeed, the birth of a True Immortal represents invincibility, so whether the emergence happens during Heaven and Earth Ascension or after its completion, he saw this battle as inevitable.
Could it really be that if these supreme strong folks die of old age and after Heaven and Earth have completed their Ascension, the remaining ones break through without causing any ripples?
Such a thought is laughable; anyone who thinks so is a fool!
In the midst of the Chaos, endless Gang winds brutally ravaged, shredding divine souls and scattering flesh; their formidable force annihilated anything that obstructed them. Waves of Chaos surged like tides, as if Chaos itself were a living being, breathing in and out vast amounts of Primordial Qi. Even a wisp of Chaos Qi was enough to overwhelm cultivators at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm.
Pei Xuanjing wore a Taoist crown on his head and a profound Daoist robe on his body, arranged according to the Four Seasons and Five Orders, with lightning coursing uncertainly around him. In his eyes swirled a mysterious light, while the Sanbao Jade Ruyi in his hand radiated an ancient glow.
He stood firm within the outer Chaos, with Chaos Qi around him vanishing and reforming, each cycle akin to the birth and destruction of worlds, a terrifying power that even he, Pei Xuanjing, found disconcerting.
He had come here to prepare for the fusion of two worlds. According to the original plan, after the Sky Wasteland realm initiated the formation technique, a force would burst into the Chaos. Pei Xuanjing's task was to anchor the coordinates in the Chaos, draw in that force's origin, and pull it into the Great Ming World, fully connecting the two worlds.
Indeed, the Chaos was terrifying; even the strands of Gang wind could cause irreparable harm to the souls and bodies of cultivators. Ordinary cultivators couldn't enter it, and only true powerhouses who had stepped into the Nine Realms of Spirit had the qualification to tread within the Chaos. Other cultivators, even those at the seventh or eighth realms with top-level Divine Weapons to protect them, could not linger in it for long.
However, there were no laws within the Chaos, only the eternal Great Tao, different from the Law of Heaven and Earth in ordinary worlds; this was the most fundamental law of Chaos.
Therefore, even for supreme strong ones, if they lacked special means to transform the Chaos Qi into their Primordial Qi and relied solely on their stored Primordial Qi, they would have to exit the Chaos once it was depleted, lest they fall.
It's said that Chaos was the origin of the Worlds of Heavens, birthing the naturally-formed Primordial Demon Gods, leaving behind endless myths, leading to the birth of countless worlds and the appearance of latter-day beings.
"As the novels of my former life say, Chaos birthed three thousand Primordial Demon Gods who inherently wielded the Great Tao and possessed endless might, immortal and indestructible; death for them was but a return to Chaos." Standing amidst this Chaos, Pei Xuanjing recalled some rumors. Unfortunately, in this vast expanse, he could not sense any traces of life or demon gods, either because time had obliterated and buried everything, or because his current realm was insufficient to probe such depths, leaving the Chaos before him merely a void.
"The embryonic membrane of Heaven and Earth blocks out the Chaos Qi, otherwise, if it were to enter freely, all beings would be unable to survive, facing only destruction, even supreme strong ones included," Pei Xuanjing remarked with a sigh.
As beings of the Great Ming World, both Pei Xuanjing and others naturally received the protection of Heaven and Earth. This was the mercy of Heaven and Earth, the compassion for all living beings.
"Chaos nurtures worlds while the embryonic membrane of Heaven and Earth shields living beings from Chaos's threat, yet the worlds themselves constantly draw in Chaos Qi, transforming it into Primordial Qi, fuelling the source of the world and promoting the ascension of Heaven and Earth," Pei Xuanjing observed, as he witnessed the mingling of Chaos and the embryonic membrane, experiencing a revelation.
At that moment, thoughts arose in his heart, wondering if by tempering his physical body within this Chaos, he could absorb and strengthen it, accelerating the transformation of his own body.
"Church Master, I have heard that during this ascension of Heaven and Earth, there are powerhouses who wish to break through to become True Immortals?" Wu Shijiu's voice surfaced beside Pei Xuanjing, interrupting his musings.
As one of the few supreme strong ones in the current Great Ming World, Wu Shijiu, after mending his own foundations, had followed Pei Xuanjing into the Chaos, ready to assist him in completing the task of connecting the two realms.
Apart from Wu Shijiu, there were also several other Supreme Strong from the Demon Race, as well as those dispatched by the top forces of the Sky Wasteland Realm.
The might of Heaven and Earth is so vast that, even with Pei Xuanjing's power, capable of destroying the heavens and the earth, it isn't easy to perfectly channel the power of the Sky Wasteland Realm into the Great Ming World. He, too, needed assistance.
Of course, even if Pei Xuanjing could do it alone, those top forces, as well as the Demon Race, would inevitably dispatch some Supreme Strong to arrive in the Great Ming World to help Pei Xuanjing. The implications of this were self-evident.
Pei Xuanjing did not refuse nor reject the arrival of these people, and as for their represented meaning, he did not care. With their help, he could save a great deal of effort and address more matters, such as what Wu Shijiu was now asking.
Hearing Wu Shijiu's words, Pei Xuanjing's gaze settled on the unpredictable Chaos, and he replied via telepathy, "Indeed, there is such a matter."
There are no absolute secrets Between Heaven and Earth; as soon as more than two people know something, it generally means more will find out.
Even if Wu Shijiu wasn't in the Sky Wasteland Realm while in the Great Ming World, now that he had ascended to the Strongest Realm, he was qualified to know some things. Not to mention the news sent to him and Pei Xuanjing by the messengers dispatched by the Witch God Sect Leader; after Bai Xiaosheng's arrival, he would surely be informed as part of stirring up the situation.
"So, Taoist Friend also wishes to use this opportunity for ascension?" Pei Xuanjing asked.
"Haha, the National Advisor jokes. I, who took a shortcut to breakthrough, am lucky enough to have mended my foundation—how could I harbor hopes for such a thing at this time?" Wu Shijiu said with a bitter smile, his heart filled with a few more sighs.
He had indeed ascended to the Strongest Realm. Pei Xuanjing once said to seize the moment and breakthrough before Heaven and Earth Ascension so that when the fortune descended afterward, even if there was a gap between him and those veteran Supreme Strongs, it wouldn't be too large, and he'd still have the chance to catch up.
But nobody expected how unpredictable life could be, and how quickly things could change. These veteran Supreme Strongs did not give any chance for the newcomers to catch up, attempting to breakthrough at this very moment, to reach the sky in one step.
This made Wu Shijiu feel incredibly complicated. His ascension to Supreme Strong had already consumed a considerable amount of his foundation before he took advantage of a loophole to reach this step, barely managing to fully restore his foundation after the breakthrough.
Now, as a newly ascended Supreme Strong, at best, he could use the opportunity of Heaven and Earth Ascension to advance a bit further, but as for breaking through to True Immortal, he was not even qualified to attempt it. It was simply impossible.
"What I mean is, with the National Advisor's power and foundation, is there really no preparation?" Wu Shijiu's gaze turned towards Pei Xuanjing.