Chapter 434 – Two Thousand Eight Hundred Years of Simulation, the Heavenly Secrets Domain in Imminent Danger!

Chapter 434 – Two Thousand Eight Hundred Years of Simulation, the Heavenly Secrets Domain in Imminent Danger!

“As expected, after my strength increased again, this Shadow Deity is no longer a match for me…”

Su Xing nodded slightly, unsurprised by this outcome.

The Five Elements Dao had entered the sixth realm—the True Realm of the Dao!

This was Su Xing’s most powerful offensive capability to date!

Combined with breakthroughs in both his Qi Refinement and Body Tempering cultivation, Su Xing’s overall strength had increased by at least fifty percent!

This also meant that Su Xing’s power had truly entered the level of the top two on the Earth Ranking!

Su Xing recalled Tang Yiyi’s combat performance in his mind.

After a moment, Su Xing slowly opened his eyes and said:

“Currently, my strength and Tang Yiyi’s are indeed on par with each other…”

“But Tang Yiyi is still ranked second on the Earth Ranking… I wonder how large the gap between her and Fairy Ziling still is?”

Su Xing had only witnessed one exchange between Fairy Ziling and Blood Three, and could tell that Fairy Ziling possessed strength approaching that of a Supreme Unity Golden Immortal.

But Su Xing’s cultivation had been shallow at the time, so he couldn’t discern many details.

“It seems I need to find an opportunity to spar with Fairy Ziling… Then I’ll see how large the gap between us really is!”

“As long as I can defeat Fairy Ziling, I can truly claim the first place on the Earth Ranking!”

At this thought, Su Xing’s heart burned with eagerness.

First place on the Earth Ranking would grant him an audience with the Celestial Secrets Pavilion Master.

Su Xing had missed one opportunity before, and this time he absolutely could not let it slip away again!

“But there’s no rush for now. For the time being, I should continue improving my strength!”

“However, with the Shadow Deity’s level of power… I wonder if it can still trigger my Heart of the Strong talent!”

Su Xing frowned slightly.

If Su Xing activated his One More Shot talent, he could absolutely slay the Shadow Deity!

This meant that Su Xing’s strength theoretically surpassed the Shadow Deity’s.

And to be defeated by the Shadow Deity and fall into a state of critical injury and unconsciousness, Su Xing would have to throw the fight.

“I wonder if this kind of ‘match-fixing’ can trigger the Heart of the Strong talent?”

“Well, I might as well try it. There’s nothing to lose anyway…”

With that thought, Su Xing turned his gaze to the simulation panel.

【Your fierce battle with the Shadow Deity continued.】

【In the second year of combat, the Shadow Deity gradually familiarized itself with your attack methods and supernatural arts, and began counterattacking from its defensive position.】

【But your strength was far beyond what it once was, and combined with having previously dealt the Shadow Deity severe injuries, you still held the advantage.】

【You knew that if things continued this way, the Shadow Deity would never be able to help you trigger Heart of the Strong.】

【Therefore, you could only underestimate the Shadow Deity during battle and occasionally leave openings…】

【After multiple instances of “throwing the fight,” you gradually sustained injuries, and the battle reached a stalemate.】

【In the third year of battle… you sensed a familiar aura approaching—it was Tang Yiyi!】

【Seeing reinforcements arriving, you threw the fight even more blatantly.】

【In the end, you were critically wounded by the Shadow Deity and fell unconscious…】

【And Tang Yiyi struck in time, slaying the Shadow Deity!】

【…】

【When you regained consciousness, Tang Yiyi was still by your side, and your injuries had mostly healed.】

【The first thing you did was check the changes in your cultivation…】

【But to your disappointment, your cultivation had not increased in the slightest…】

In the Real World, Su Xing frowned slightly upon seeing this.

“As expected, match-fixing can’t trigger Heart of the Strong after all?”

Su Xing felt a pang of regret, but he was beginning to understand the activation mechanism of Heart of the Strong.

Heart of the Strong—as the name implied—required challenging the strongest opponents without hesitation or regret.

Even if one ultimately fell short, as long as there was the slightest chance of survival, one’s strength would increase!

And what kind of strong person would throw a fight?

“Although the talent description doesn’t explicitly state it, one must go all out without holding back to have any chance of triggering Heart of the Strong. That’s more befitting of a true powerhouse…”

Su Xing murmured.

In his previous simulation, Su Xing hadn’t used his One More Shot talent, yet still triggered Heart of the Strong.

That was because at the time, his strength and the Shadow Deity’s were evenly matched.

But now, with Su Xing’s strength surpassing the Shadow Deity’s, throwing the fight like this… was simply too obvious!

“Sigh, what a pity… I’ll have to find a new target to trigger Heart of the Strong!”

Su Xing said with some regret.

This perfect training dummy had slipped away from him once again.

Going forward, if Su Xing wanted to trigger Heart of the Strong, he would need to face enemies at the Supreme Unity Golden Immortal level!

“Well, since I can’t trigger Heart of the Strong… I’ll just continue cultivating!”

…

【Heart of the Strong did not trigger. You felt somewhat disappointed, but quickly adjusted your mindset and continued cultivating.】

【Over the next several years, you and Tang Yiyi fought against the alien races together, occasionally sparring with each other with mixed results.】

【In the one thousand and tenth year, you bid farewell to Tang Yiyi and entered solitary closed cultivation.】

【This session of closed cultivation lasted nearly three hundred years!】

【By the one thousand three hundredth year, you successfully concluded your closed cultivation.】

【Over two hundred years of arduous training had finally pushed your cultivation to the late stage of Golden Immortal fourth tier!】

【At the same time, the Primordial Energy Tree within your body had grown to two zhang (6.66 m) and three chi (99.9 cm) tall!】

【Your Spirit Domain range had also expanded to twenty-one thousand li (10,500 km)…】

【This year, you became aware that the alien races from the Eighth Heaven would descend upon this realm.】

【Facing the siege of these Supreme Unity Golden Immortal-level alien races, you would be no match…】

【You were unwilling to let this simulation end so easily…】

【Fortunately, you had already devised a method to extend this simulation’s duration!】

In the Real World, Su Xing nodded slightly upon seeing this.

As early as the previous simulation, Su Xing had been preparing to extend the simulation time.

“Since the alien races hold overwhelming power in the Nine Heavens Domain, I’ll transform into my lesser demon disguise… That should definitely extend the simulation’s duration!”

“My lesser demon disguise hasn’t had its strength upgraded in a long time… Even if only a few hundred years remain, I can’t afford to waste them!”

“Additionally, I can use my lesser demon identity to thoroughly investigate the distribution of alien forces across the Nine Heavens Domain…”

With his mind made up, Su Xing turned his gaze to the simulation panel.

【In the one thousand three hundredth year, you chose to assume your lesser demon disguise identity.】

【That same year, the prodigies of the Seventh Heaven encountered a siege by the alien races…】

【In this battle, the human race’s prodigies were nearly wiped out… Only Tang Yiyi’s whereabouts remained unknown—you did not find Tang Yiyi’s body.】

【Soon, you were discovered by other alien races.】

【These alien deities were all shocked upon seeing you.】

【A lesser demon at the second-tier deity level had appeared so abruptly in the Nine Heavens Domain.】

【But quickly, these alien deities considered a possibility…】

【The “Mother Goddess” had bestowed her favor once more, giving birth to a deity-level lesser demon!】

【As long as they continued to find power for the Mother Goddess, even stronger alien races would be born!】

【Because the aura on your body was perfectly authentic, even an alien chief god could not detect any flaws.】

【Although you were merely a second-tier deity, the special nature of the lesser demon identity made these alien deities treat you with great respect.】

【After roughly several years, a mysterious radiance descended upon the Seventh Heaven, and immediately after, a passageway was opened.】

【Including yourself, most of the alien deities proceeded to the Eighth Heaven!】

In the Real World, a sharp glint flashed through Su Xing’s eyes upon seeing this!

“So that’s how I ended up reaching the Eighth Heaven!”

With Su Xing’s current strength, there was no way he could reach the Eighth Heaven in a short time!

But now, under the guidance of the alien deities, he had unexpectedly gained an early opportunity to travel to the Eighth Heaven!

“The Eighth Heaven… That should be the main battlefield between the human race and the alien races… The place where truly top-tier combat forces are gathered!”

“Moreover, if the Seventh Heaven already held so many rare treasures and materials… I wonder just how many precious items the Eighth Heaven might contain!”

Su Xing could hardly wait to see the scenery of the Eighth Heaven.

He turned his gaze to the simulation panel!

【With the support of this great power, you successfully arrived at the Eighth Heaven.】

【The location where you descended was a major stronghold of the alien races!】

【Within this main base, over a hundred first-tier deities had assembled, and there were even three alien chief gods!】

【Upon your first arrival at this Eighth Heaven, you beheld the true mass of powerful alien warriors!】

【The number of powerful aliens in this single base alone was enough to conquer the entire Heavenly Secrets Domain!】

【Yet all these alien deities had gathered together for one sole purpose — to stop a single woman from entering the Ninth Heaven…】

【And that woman was, naturally… the Celestial Secrets Pavilion Master!】

【You were deeply astonished. Even though the Celestial Secrets Pavilion Master was hailed as the most powerful Great Firmament Golden Immortal in history, how could she alone stand against so many aliens?】

【Soon, you learned the answer…】

【The Celestial Secrets Pavilion Master was not a Great Firmament Golden Immortal… but a half-saint!】

【She was not like Qingyunzi — a half-saint who had failed to sever the Three Corpses and lost her sanity. She was a genuine, true half-saint!】

【She was even hailed as the being closest to becoming a Saint!】

【And the Celestial Secrets Pavilion Master’s goal was to reach the Ninth Heaven… and prove her Dao to become a Saint!】

In the Real World, Su Xing’s brows furrowed tightly at this.

“The Celestial Secrets Pavilion Master is actually a half-saint!”

For the human race, this was tremendous news!

After all, the human race finally had a Saint-level combatant!

Even as just a half-saint, the difference between her and a Great Firmament Golden Immortal was immeasurable!

“But the problem is, a lucid half-saint… still isn’t enough to protect the human race?”

Su Xing murmured.

The reason the Celestial Secrets Pavilion Master so desperately sought the path to sainthood—

There was likely only one explanation: a half-saint was not enough to drive out the aliens and defend the cultivation world!

This meant the aliens absolutely possessed Saint-level combat power!

Su Xing had long suspected this, but now he was even more certain.

“Going to the Eighth Heaven really does yield more intelligence…”

“So next, I need to find ways to gather more intelligence on both the aliens and the human race in the Eighth Heaven, to prepare for the future.”

“At the same time, I can push the lesser demon disguise’s cultivation even higher!”

Su Xing’s lesser demon plan was about to unfold, so raising the lesser demon’s cultivation level was essential.

His gaze turned to the simulation panel.

【After arriving at the Eighth Heaven, you began gathering intelligence on the aliens.】

【You quickly learned that the Eighth Heaven alone housed several hundred first-tier alien deities, along with several chief god-level existences.】

【Several vice-commanders of the First Army, as well as the bulk of the 2nd Legion’s fighting force, were all stationed in the Eighth Heaven.】

【Because of your status as a lesser demon deity, you were well-protected and did not directly participate in the great war against the human cultivators.】

【After spending only a few years in the Eighth Heaven and gathering some intelligence, you received an order.】

【Leave the Nine Heavens Domain and head to the Heavenly Secrets Domain to cultivate a lesser demon army, assisting in the conquest of the Heavenly Secrets Domain.】

【Though you regretted not being able to gather more intelligence, you had recorded the races and strengths of many alien deities in the Eighth Heaven.】

【Moreover, the Heavenly Secrets Domain was better suited for you to propagate the lesser demon race.】

【Year 1,310. You returned to the Heavenly Secrets Domain.】

【Your return quickly garnered the attention of the alien armies in the Heavenly Secrets Domain.】

【As before, you became vice-commander of the Third Grand Army.】

【From there, you cultivated Lesser Demon Apostles and followers in the Heavenly Secrets Domain…】

【Thus, nearly five hundred years passed.】

【Year 1,800. You had cultivated enough followers to provide you with a continuous, massive supply of origin energy.】

【But you did not grow complacent, for you knew that the second great war between the Heavenly Secrets Domain and the aliens around Year 2,000 would pose an enormous threat to you.】

【In several previous simulations, you had died at this very juncture.】

【This time, you did not intend to sit and wait for death.】

【You contacted the commander of the Fifth Grand Army. This individual was also an alien chief god, hailing from one of the Ten Emperor Clans — the Talong Clan!】

【The Talong Clan was different from the Six-Wings, the Shadows, or the Red Eye Tribe. Their race possessed fewer demonic characteristics, leaning instead toward “beast-type” traits!】

【Legend had it that the Talong Clan was insatiably gluttonous. Their true forms were as large as planets, capable of devouring billions of living beings in a single gulp to strengthen themselves, and even capable of consuming entire planetary worlds.】

【The Talong Clan held a prominent position among the alien races, ranking within the top eight of the Ten Emperor Clans!】

【The Talong chief god you contacted was none other than the patriarch of the Talong Clan, also known as “Gluttony”!】

【The Talong chief god was delighted by your outreach and quickly dispatched two first-tier deities to personally pilot a black vessel to come receive you.】

【Although the Third Army’s commander, the Shadow Deity, was somewhat displeased by this, he could not afford to offend you.】

【And so, you temporarily left the Third Grand Army and headed to the Fifth Grand Army to seek refuge!】

【The Fifth Grand Army was stationed in the Azure Origin Domain!】

In the Real World, Su Xing felt a surge of joy at this.

“After all those twists and turns, I’ve ended up back in the Azure Origin Domain!”

“Once I’m back in the Azure Origin Domain, I should be able to avoid that great war around Year 2,000, right?”

“Besides, compared to the peril-ridden Heavenly Secrets Domain, the Azure Origin Domain is clearly much safer…”

“Even though being farther from my followers means gathering faith will be slower, at least I can survive longer!”

“As for alien intelligence, there’ll be opportunities to gather that later!”

With that in mind, Su Xing turned his gaze back to the simulation panel.

【Year 1,850. You left the Heavenly Secrets Domain and returned to the Azure Origin Domain.】

【Unlike before, this time you came under your lesser demon disguise identity, serving as a temporary vice-commander of the Fifth Grand Army.】

【Over the next hundred-plus years, you stayed peacefully in the Azure Origin Domain, collecting power of faith.】

【In the blink of an eye, Year 2,000 arrived.】

【Over these one hundred and fifty years, you had collected a considerable amount of power of faith, but it was still not enough to advance to second-tier deity late stage.】

【The good news was that over the past century, you had gained a much more detailed understanding of the Fifth Grand Army’s intelligence.】

【The Fifth Grand Army’s overall strength was roughly eighty percent of the Third Grand Army’s, and the Talong chief god’s raw power was inferior to the Shadow Chief God’s…】

【You had not collected enough power of faith, but fortunately you encountered little danger, so you continued staying at the Fifth Grand Army’s base to develop in peace.】

【In the blink of an eye, another three hundred years passed!】

【Year 2,300. This was the longest any of your simulations had ever lasted.】

【And from the Azure Origin Domain, you finally received intelligence about what had happened in the Heavenly Secrets Domain, where the Third Army was stationed!】

【Three hundred years ago, the second great war between the Heavenly Secrets Domain and the Third Grand Army had erupted!】

【In that battle, the human race’s stratagem turned the tide, buying what could be called a thousand years of fortune for the human race!】

【The White Emperor, by his strength alone, slew three first-tier deities and grievously wounded the Shadow Deity!】

【But in that battle, the human race also suffered severe losses.】

【Two Supreme Unity Golden Immortals had fallen… and among them was someone you knew — Xiao Zhanlong!】

【The White Emperor had also lost his left arm, suffering a massive depletion of his vitality.】

【Fortunately, the Canglang Realm had been defended.】

【In the Heavenly Secrets Domain, the human race still held the greater part of its territory.】

【The battle between the Heavenly Secrets Domain and the aliens remained at a white-hot stage…】

【Upon learning this news, you breathed a slight sigh of relief. It meant the human race’s fortune had not yet been severed.】

【However, your relief was short-lived.】

【Year 2,500. You received word that the Seventh Grand Army had withdrawn the majority of its alien forces from the Southern Barbarian Domain to reinforce the Third Army… in the invasion of the Heavenly Secrets Domain!】

【The battle between the Heavenly Secrets Domain and the aliens had already been at a stalemate. Once the Seventh Grand Army joined the fray… the Heavenly Secrets Domain would inevitably fall into absolute disadvantage!】

【But at this point, there was nothing more you could do…】

【Stationed in the Azure Origin Domain, all you could do was push your cultivation with everything you had.】

【Thus, another two hundred-plus years passed…】

【Year 2,700. This year, you went all-in with the power of faith you had accumulated over more than eight hundred years, pouring it all into advancing your cultivation!】

【Under the infusion of massive power of faith, your divine power surged ever higher…】

【At last, you successfully broke through to second-tier deity late stage!】

In the Real World, Su Xing’s feelings were mixed — joy mingled with worry.

The joy was that he had successfully reached second-tier deity late stage, bringing him ever closer to becoming a first-tier deity.

But the worry was the situation in the Heavenly Secrets Domain… it was truly dire!

“I wonder how things are going on the Celestial Secrets Pavilion Master’s end… Can the White Emperor hold the Heavenly Secrets Domain?”

Su Xing had a premonition that perhaps the human race’s total defeat was not far off.

“I originally thought the human race had at least tens of thousands of years of fortune remaining…”

“But with the Southern Barbarian Domain completely overrun, the other major domains of the human race can no longer hold…”

Su Xing murmured, his gaze returning to the simulation panel.

【Year 2,800. You received intelligence that the Canglang Realm in the Heavenly Secrets Domain had been conquered by the aliens.】

【The Celestial Secrets Realm was on the verge of collapse…】