Chapter 326: "The Land of Eternity"

Chapter 326: "The Land of Eternity"

There was no time to waste, as the number of Immortal Opportunities was limited, and they would be snatched up quickly. If they hesitated, even a warm meal would be hard to come by.

In just a short while, Chen Qiu had devoured nearly half of the Spirit Fruits, leaving only a few on the table. There were various Immortal Opportunities at the banquet, not just this type of fruit. Seeing Chen Qiu's preference for the Spirit Fruits, Ba Dan and the others avoided them, leaving them for their senior.

The Mock Heaven Sect members, of course, would not touch those fruits either.

Even Jiang Taiping didn't dare to take the fruits. In fact, he not only avoided the Spirit Fruits but also showed no interest in the other opportunities. He casually found a seat and chatted idly with the Bai Family's young lady beside him.

Indeed.

For Jiang Taiping, none of the opportunities here were as important as his own body.

If he could regain his body, these opportunities would become insignificant.

And if he couldn't get his body back, these opportunities would matter even less.

However, Jiang Taiping hadn't decided whether he wanted to reclaim his body or what identity he should use to face the great war a thousand years later.

"If..."

Jiang Taiping suddenly had a thought and turned his head towards the people outside the thin membrane, speaking softly, "You said it would be nice if we could have multiple choices in life, or if we could rewind time. That way, when we make a wrong decision, we could immediately correct it."

"Is that so?" The young lady from the Bai Family replied calmly, "Do you think you'd be happier with that ability? Perhaps it would bring even more pain."

"Heh."

Jiang Taiping chuckled lightly, "It seems like you're not afraid of me anymore."

"I'm just an ordinary woman from a Third Rank Continent, with mediocre cultivation. I once suffered from Immortal Cancer. Being among you great figures, I have no choice but to accept my fate. What other options do I have?"

"No, you're not ordinary. You're the only one I've met who isn't an immortal but still contracted Immortal Cancer. You must have something special about you, but that specialty is probably not good news for you."

"At least it's better than dying directly."

"There are many things in this world that are more painful than death."

"Like what?"

"Like..." Jiang Taiping laughed again, "For example, being burned by countless Immortal-Slaying Talismans for thousands of years. You wouldn't want to experience that kind of pain, or watching your former friends and family die one by one. Or..." He paused, "Or loving someone who doesn't love you back."

"Like you loving Chen Qiu, but Chen Qiu having no feelings for you at all, right?"

"That was before."

The young lady from the Bai Family shook her head, "I used to love him, but I thought it was love. In reality, it wasn't. It was just an instinctive longing for the strong as my life approached its end."

"I gradually realized that what I felt for him wasn't love. It was admiration."

"He has admirers in the billions. He doesn't need me. If I weren't the young lady of the Bai Family, he wouldn't even spare me a glance. There's nothing strange about it."

"As for love..."

"He will never experience love in this lifetime."

"How so?"

"People can only feel love in the midst of daily struggles. In other words, only when one is in a low position can they be qualified to possess love. Now that he's in a high position, his status makes it difficult for him to have a love. Have you ever seen someone with high cultivation suddenly fall in love with a woman?"

"Hmm." Jiang Taiping pondered for a moment and shook his head, "No, you're right. Hearing you say that, Chen Qiu does seem a bit pitiful."

"Perhaps, but love is a seasoning for the poor. With Chen Qiu's status, power, and potential, he doesn't need such seasoning. He's also not the type to seek solace in a woman."

"Hmm."

Jiang Taiping didn't respond but nodded thoughtfully, as if he had suddenly realized something about the Heavenly Dao.

For many years, he had been pondering a question.

What kind of species was the Heavenly Dao that could live for so long and even modify a world to heal its injuries? It had spent so much effort to cultivate beings with high enough cultivation to consume them and restore its health over a period of three million years. How severe must its injuries be to go to such lengths?

And for such a powerful being, Jiang Taiping couldn't fathom any weaknesses. But the young lady's words had given him some inspiration. Perhaps the only way to defeat such a formidable enemy was to make them commit suicide.

What could drive them to suicide? Maybe it was love. If the Heavenly Dao had a shred of humanity and emotions.

But soon, Jiang Taiping shook his head in frustration, dismissing the bizarre thought from his mind. It was too far-fetched to expect the Heavenly Dao to die for love. It would be like hoping that it would suddenly attain enlightenment and punch itself to death.

Although Ba Dan and the others didn't compete with Chen Qiu for the Spirit Fruit opportunity, the banquet hall was now filled with several teams. These teams, seeing Chen Qiu quickly collecting the Spirit Fruits, subconsciously joined the fray.

After all, people always desired the things that were most sought after.

But soon, they realized that the Spirit Fruit opportunity was quite ordinary. There were better opportunities at the banquet, so they quickly changed targets and went after the more valuable ones.

Time passed, and Chen Qiu burped. After scanning the table and seeing no more Spirit Fruits, he tossed the last one into his mouth, licked his lips with lingering satisfaction, and said, "I'm full."

He was genuinely full.

Chen Qiu couldn't remember how many Spirit Fruits he had eaten, but he felt like he was about to throw up. For a long time, he didn't want to see another Spirit Fruit.

At this moment, the banquet hall was packed with people. All the teams had entered, and the place was bustling with activity.

Chen Qiu took a deep breath, patted his stomach, feeling satisfied. Then, he looked at his cultivation panel.

-

"Cultivation": Tribulation Crossing Peak (820.5%).

Yes.

820%.

This was the first time he saw a percentage exceeding 100 on his cultivation panel, but he assumed others hadn't seen it much either. He couldn't say for sure if he was the first, but it probably wasn't a common occurrence.

After consuming countless Spirit Fruits, his cultivation progress had already reached the peak of Tribulation Crossing. He had thought that after devouring the fruits, his cultivation would advance to the Immortal Human stage.

But it didn't.

It merely increased to 120%.

Soon, he guessed the reason. It was highly likely that the transition from the peak of Tribulation Crossing to the initial stage of Earth Immortal required crossing the Ascension Tribulation, and since it was impossible to do so in the Void, his cultivation was stuck here.

But the Spirit Fruits had indeed entered his stomach.

And so, this was the result.

Once he left this Secret Realm and broke through the Ascension Tribulation, his cultivation would directly advance to the eighth layer of Immortal Human.

"This is much faster."

Chen Qiu looked at his cultivation panel and muttered to himself. He felt a bit regretful; if he were at the True Immortal stage right now, this Immortal Opportunity that increased cultivation progress based on percentage would undoubtedly be more effective with higher cultivation.

After all, the higher the cultivation, the more significant the percentage increase in cultivation.

But one couldn't have everything, and it was already good enough. Thinking about these things now was pointless.

Just then—

Fat Dragon, his mouth greasy from eating, sauntered over. He had been continuously belching, having noticed that Fat Dragon was in the same situation as him, ignoring all other Immortal Opportunities and focusing solely on the grilled meat. At least half of the meat at the banquet had ended up in Fat Dragon's stomach.

Moreover, no one seemed to compete with Fat Dragon for the grilled meat, allowing him to eat his fill.

"What kind of opportunity is that grilled meat?"

Chen Qiu asked curiously. To save time, he hadn't bothered to check what opportunities were available, choosing instead to focus on the Spirit Fruits. If there were other opportunities that could also increase his cultivation progress, he would accept that.

At least, at that moment, he believed that eating only the Spirit Fruits was the best choice.

After all, the Spirit Fruits were tangible, and checking out other opportunities would waste his time. Those hungry cultivators could rush into the banquet and compete with him at any moment.

"Hey."

Fat Dragon took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the oil stains from the corners of his mouth. Smiling broadly, he said, "It can enhance the cultivation progress obtained through special means."

"For example, some Dan Cultivators can increase their cultivation through pill refinement, and some Artifact Cultivators can do so through weapon forging. These are all considered special ways of obtaining cultivation progress."

"So, it can increase the cultivation progress I gain from dual cultivation."

"I understand."

Chen Qiu nodded thoughtfully. He had been busy with various matters lately and had forgotten about Fat Dragon. He wondered if there was any powerful female cultivator who might take an interest in Fat Dragon and bring him back as a Furnace Immortal.

The banquet had come to an end.

After all the opportunities were claimed, the banquet naturally concluded.

About three out of ten people wore satisfied expressions, constantly smiling, unable to contain their joy. The opportunities they obtained at the banquet had clearly exceeded their expectations.

The rest, however, wore less pleasant expressions.

They hadn't acquired opportunities to their satisfaction. Perhaps they had gained decent opportunities, but seeing others with major opportunities while they had minor ones dampened their happiness.

The satisfied ones were mostly those who had entered the banquet first.

Among them, the disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect and Ba Dan's group were the happiest.

They were truly.

well-fed!

Especially Ba Dan, whose smile stretched almost to his ears as he stood there, laughing foolishly. He had clearly obtained a major opportunity, showcasing the allure of the annual Ascension Assembly.

Those born in this era and fortunate enough to attend the Ascension Assembly were truly lucky.

Even a minor opportunity at the assembly could be a major one in other Secret Realms.

For example, the Spirit Fruits Chen Qiu ate at the banquet would be considered a major opportunity in other Secret Realms, if not the climax. It was unimaginable to have so many, allowing Chen Qiu's cultivation to leap from the seventh layer of Tribulation Crossing to the eighth layer of Immortal Human.

This was like riding a rocket; his cultivation shouldn't have advanced so quickly!

It's too absurd!

At this speed, it's unimaginable in any Secret Realm. Even in the Mock Heaven Palace, with its abundant resources, he only... Oh, it seems the Mock Heaven Palace was even more impressive, as he directly skipped the Great Vehicle stage, essentially crossing a whole cultivation realm.

But this situation is different and can't be calculated the same way. That was because, in the Mock Heaven Palace, the Heavenly Dao couldn't sense him, so he directly skipped a stage.

After the banquet.

A long wait ensued. There were no more opportunities, and they had to wait, right there, for ten hours before the second day's "Peach Banquet."

Although he didn't know the specifics of the second day's event, the name suggested it likely involved Spirit Fruits.

Later.

Many Immortal Mansions appeared on the Greenstone Square, and many cultivators summoned their own mansions to reside in. Most of these mansions were standard, default ones, all looking the same.

If one didn't possess a special mansion, they would get the default one, identical to everyone else's.

On the top of these mansions, there was a blank space with a mark indicating the mansion's grade.

Some had grades of seven, nine, thirteen, or even fifteen.

Many also had special mansions, which stood out among the ordinary ones, clearly showcasing their superior status.

Ba Dan's mansion was also special.

Named "Giant's House," it was quite practical. Ba Dan's mansion was also the largest among all the others, standing dozens of zhang tall, though this height couldn't accommodate Ba Dan's massive physique.

According to Ba Dan, the interior of his mansion was much larger, capable of accommodating multiple Maan Clan members of his size, allowing them to move freely.

Its grade was "Sixteen."

It was already beyond the top grade. Initially, it was ten, but after obtaining six Mansion Upgrade Cards, it became sixteen. He had just obtained another six Mansion Upgrade Cards at the banquet, so after the Ascension Assembly, it would become twenty-two.

"Mansion Upgrade Cards" are limited to a maximum of twelve per person.

Chen Qiu didn't ask further questions. Instead, he took out a recliner from his storage ring and lay down, gazing at the countless peach blossoms above him, each emitting a dazzling array of colors. He suddenly felt that the void was truly wondrous, capable of brewing countless things.

It could create many scenes that one would only see in dreams.

Like these peach blossoms, for instance.

However, he was well aware that these peach blossoms were most likely not formed by the void itself but were products of the Heavenly Dao. Thinking of it this way, the sense of wonderment was significantly diminished.

Just then—

A commotion broke out not far away. Chen Qiu turned his head and saw two groups of people arguing noisily. As they were not allowed to fight, they merely rolled up their sleeves and continued their quarrel. With so many people and voices, it was hard to make out what the argument was about, even after listening for a long time.

At that moment—

Bear Gao, wearing a hat, somehow squeezed out of the crowd and ran up to Chen Qiu's side. He whispered, "Master, two factions over there are arguing. It started because the young masters of these two factions were comparing the grades of their immortal mansions, and neither would back down. The argument escalated, and the commotion grew louder and louder."

Upon hearing this, Chen Qiu couldn't help but chuckle silently. He had thought it might be an opportunity, but it turned out to be just about this. He didn't see what was worth comparing; even if they did, it would only be a dozen or so grades. No matter how impressive, it would only be thirty or forty grades.

After the Ascension Assembly ended and he had passed his ascension tribulation, he would directly reach over two hundred grades.

What was there to compare?

No matter how much they compared, they couldn't surpass him.

Moreover, if he wished, he could simply move his thoughts, and the Cao Tian Palace would fly here. Not to mention these immortal mansions, but even the entire Greenstone Square combined couldn't match the size of his Cao Tian Palace. What was there to compare? Could they even compare?

At this moment, he felt like an adult watching children fight, chuckling silently.

He shook his head and stopped talking, instead lying down again and closing his eyes to rest. As long as it didn't involve him, he was too lazy to say more.

Fortunately,

The two groups soon stopped their argument, apparently realizing that continuing would only make them a laughingstock in front of so many people, and it would be a loss of face. No one dared to come and mock him either.

The following time was quite pleasant for Chen Qiu. He had eaten a bit too much, so he took a short rest to digest.

Time passed quickly.

Soon—

Ten hours were about to pass, and the second day's activity, the "Peach Feast," was about to begin.

At this moment, in the Great Xia Kingdom,

A place that had long been untouched by humans, located at the southernmost tip of the Boundless Ice Plain, was the entrance to a secret realm—one of the nine great inheritances.

It had been a long time since anyone had come here.

Since Chen Qiu and the others left over a decade ago, no one could obtain the remaining inheritances. Moreover, with the temperature of the Boundless Ice Plain dropping lower and lower, it had become completely unsuitable for human habitation, turning it into a no-man's land.

But today,

A rare visitor arrived.

If ordinary people witnessed this scene, they would surely be dumbfounded, even to the point of dropping their jaws in shock. This was because the temperature of the Boundless Ice Plain had dropped to the point where one's breath would freeze into frost, water would instantly turn to ice, and even the spirit qi had formed crystals in the air. Even Nascent Soul stage cultivators would rapidly deplete their spirit qi here, and if they didn't leave before it was exhausted, death would be the only outcome.

Yet, this silver-haired elder was dressed in a thin cloth robe, without even a hint of bodyguard spirit qi.

Wearing shorts and standing barefoot in the snow, he stood out like a sore thumb.

At this moment, the ground of the Boundless Ice Plain was piled with medium-grade spirit stones, with more stones in areas of lower temperature. These spirit stones were formed from spirit qi in the extreme cold, and no one could claim such a vast fortune. As time passed, the number of spirit stones would only increase.

If the timeline were extended far enough, by the time the temperature of the Boundless Ice Plain warmed up, these spirit stones would be buried underground, forming a natural spirit stone mine.

However,

Such a massive fortune lay beneath this elder's feet, and he could collect a large number of medium-grade spirit stones whenever he wished, allowing him to live as a wealthy man in the Great Xia Kingdom.

But the elder completely ignored these spirit stones. Instead, he stood calmly in place, his face serene as he stopped at the entrance to this secret realm, gazing into the depths of the Boundless Ice Plain. His cloudy eyes revealed weariness and a life of hardships.

After a long while, he muttered,

"A thousand years left."

Although his age was unknown, his body looked like decaying wood, giving the impression that he wouldn't live much longer.

After speaking,

The elder remained silent, standing in place and facing the cold wind as he gazed into the distance. After a while, he took large strides and entered the secret realm before him, the land of the nine great inheritances.

Everyone in the Great Xia Kingdom knew that inheritances could be obtained here.

But only a select few knew

That this was also a land of immortality.

As long as one stayed here, they could achieve longevity, a form of immortality, even if it meant being confined to this place.

My name is Liu Changqing.

I like my name, Changqing, like the evergreen tree, symbolizing longevity.

Perhaps this name is unfamiliar, but my other identity is well-known to all.

The former patriarch of the Mock Heaven Sect.

I lived in the Celestial Prison for thirty thousand years. During the first ten thousand years, I was in eternal sleep. After a full ten thousand years of slumber, I awakened, or perhaps I should say, I was resurrected.

I was delighted.

This meant that my fourth plan, the "Reincarnation Plan," had succeeded. I had successfully resurrected, but it seemed not without challenges. Something unexpected had happened, and my subordinates did not resurrect with me; they fell into eternal sleep.

What excited me even more was

That my third plan, the "Reincarnation Plan," had also succeeded.

The Celestial Prison was perfectly created, and once I leave this place, I will no longer be under the control of the Heavenly Dao. I can directly confront the might of the Heavenly Dao!

For the next twenty thousand years, I kept falling into eternal sleep, occasionally waking up to observe the development of the Celestial Prison. I didn't interfere, allowing it to develop naturally.

I have always believed that nature is the best.

My lifespan is limited, a drawback of my resurrection, and I have no choice but to prolong my life through constant Eternal Sleep. After several attempts, I realized my failure.

The plan succeeded.

But I failed.

Is this body the product of a successful resurrection?

I can no longer control enough power, and I can't even escape from Celestial Prison. Even when I initiated the third plan, the Reincarnation Plan, I had already minimized the difficulty of leaving Celestial Prison.

Yet, I still couldn't leave Celestial Prison.

As my lifespan was about to run out, I had to face reality, despite my reluctance.

I set up the Nine Great Inheritance Sites, a backup plan I had laid out long ago, never expecting to use it. When this backup plan was activated, it meant I had completely withdrawn from the stage, becoming merely a spectator.

Here lies a place known to all.

"Eternity Land."

Staying here grants eternal life.

When I realized that I couldn't leave Celestial Prison with this decaying body, I didn't despair. Long ago, I had made many contingency plans, anticipating this situation.

I began searching for a successor.

Since I couldn't leave, I decided to find someone to inherit the will of the Mock Heaven Sect, leave Celestial Prison, and accomplish what the sect couldn't do for thirty thousand years.

I searched for a long time but couldn't find a suitable candidate.

Until one day, I discovered an interesting little guy named Chen Qiu.

I liked his name; like a prisoner, trapped in Celestial Prison.

At that time, the Great Xia Kingdom didn't exist yet; it was a time when sects and aristocratic families stood tall. I quietly observed this little guy, who had a "Self-Destruction and Rebirth" Entry, allowing him to reincarnate and live another life after death, but without the memories of his previous life.

I silently observed him for five lifetimes.

To be honest,

As a fellow transmigrator, I must say I'm not as good as him.

He has more perseverance than me, and no matter how difficult his starting point is, he always manages to reach a sufficiently high level.

Perhaps this is where he surpasses me. Many say I'm stronger, but in reality, it's because I have too many resources at my disposal. Even when I first transmigrated, I had my own golden finger, and my rise was smooth.

This little guy, despite starting with the worst Entry each time, always manages to reach a pretty decent level.

His perseverance and resilience in the face of difficulties, his determination to play a bad hand well, inspired me. I like people with this kind of positive energy.

I even thought several times that if he could achieve so much with a bad hand, what heights could he reach with a good hand?

So,

In his sixth life, I couldn't help but lend him a hand. I helped him find a Ling Fruit, restoring all his memories from his previous life, and led him to the grand opportunity of the Mock Heaven Sect's ruins.

He was even more outstanding than I imagined.

He didn't become the sect master of the Mock Heaven Sect. By then, his goal was to defeat that Yuan Ying Sword Puppet and leave Celestial Prison.

The Great Xia Kingdom had already been established, and he took up the position of the hidden State Teacher, choosing an emperor he approved of to ascend the throne.

From then on, I quietly observed him while subtly providing him with opportunities.

I didn't temper him.

Firstly, I believe that truly exceptional geniuses aren't created through tempering, but are naturally selected from the very beginning.

Secondly, I personally detest the act of tempering and testing.

I believe that we will meet one day, and I don't want him to think that I'm testing him or that I'm the one granting him these opportunities, making him feel a sense of defeat. So, I decided to keep these thoughts to myself and not tell anyone.

Until his eighth life.

I confirmed that he was the one I was looking for.

Coincidentally, his initial white Entry in this life was "Sword Heart Insight"!

I was thrilled.

The Mock Heaven Sect was renowned for its sword cultivation and possessed many sword cultivation legacies. I could nurture him into a formidable sword cultivator, but this kid's mother seemed to have been drugged!

After he had become the top sword cultivator in the Great Xia Kingdom through his own strength and reached the sixth level of the Golden Core, he went to challenge the Yuan Ying Sword Puppet in the Boundless Snow Mountain. Upon realizing he had no chance of victory, he resolutely chose to reincarnate and start anew, which almost drove me crazy!

I had already prepared numerous sword cultivation opportunities for him, and I had been worrying about this for some time. As long as he broke through to the late Golden Core stage, he could start seizing these opportunities. But in the time I didn't check on him, he reincarnated!

Damn it!

This fool actually believed that because the Sword Puppet was too adept at dealing with sword cultivators, sword cultivation couldn't get him out of here.

At that moment, I almost couldn't help but jump out and shout hundreds of curses at him! But,

In the end, I held back, as it was already too late to say anything since he had reincarnated.

In his ninth life, I couldn't be bothered to watch him anymore and fell into a deep sleep, feeling somewhat disheartened.

But I didn't sleep for long before waking up.

I was at a loss, as I discovered that he had somehow left Celestial Prison without my knowledge. All I could hear were the legends he left behind in Celestial Prison.

That kid became an Artificer Cultivator.

Moreover, a powerful one.

It's true...

Sword cultivation was invincible, so why did he have to switch to Artificer Cultivation?

It seemed to have a decent effect, but if the news got out that the sect master of the Mock Heaven Sect had become an Artificer Cultivator, those old friends from back then would probably laugh their teeth out.

Oh, I almost forgot.

There were no old friends left; they were all dead.

Well, it's fine then. Artificer Cultivation is also good, just a bit different from the process we envisioned.

He remembered his initial cultivation path, which wasn't in this direction.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end