212 – The Immortal Gate! Temporal Essence!

【When you were cultivating in seclusion at Chrysanthemum Village, many major events also happened in the outside world. The Ji family has been concealing information for years, searching everywhere for your whereabouts, but to no avail, they have grown increasingly anxious.】

【Fortunately, the Ji family invited someone to perform a divination and found that you had not perished, just that your exact location couldn’t be determined. This at least provided an explanation to Taiyi Emperor Palace. Even if Taiyi Emperor Palace knows that you disappeared from the secret realm, they will not blame the Ji family too much.】

【Besides this, over the past century, the Central Immortal Continent has also experienced numerous significant events. Many unparalleled geniuses who had been sealed for countless years have emerged one after another, causing immense upheaval throughout the Central Immortal Continent.】

【Among these unparalleled geniuses, some can rival Yu Daohong, or are even more formidable. The most terrifying among them is named Lei Wanjian, who possesses the Great Thunder Immortal Physique, incredibly domineering. The Immortal Physique, how terrifying it is, surpassing many constitutions and bloodlines, its bestowed talents are beyond the reach of ordinary prodigies.】

【Therefore, upon Lei Wanjian’s emergence, he immediately challenged the second-ranked Shi Yuyan on the Saint King List. This battle was extremely terrifying, the combat strength of the two made many Great Saints fall silent, only feeling that they’ve grown old, as this new generation of unparalleled geniuses stands above them.】

【In the end, the result of this battle was Lei Wanjian’s overwhelming defeat of Shi Yuyan, who was second on the Saint King List, replacing her.】

【After defeating Shi Yuyan, Lei Wanjian, with his Great Thunder Immortal Physique, challenged Gu Xuan, who was ranked first on the Saint King List. Gu Xuan, the top-ranked on the Saint King List, is from the Eternal Life Gu family. It is rumored that the Eternal Life Gu family’s origins are extremely mysterious, passing down through countless eras.】

【In the recorded history of the Upper Realm, the Gu family has always been present. An Emperor once mentioned that the Upper Realm might have experienced a true apocalypse before, with all beings fading away, and that the cultivation world born before the apocalyptic era was all buried in the dust of history without a trace as if it never existed.】

【But, only the Gu family seems to have survived that extremely ancient apocalyptic era, existing since the previous epoch as an eternal family.】

【However, few people from the Gu family roam the Central Immortal Continent, and no one knows the exact situation of the Gu family—even Emperors find them quite mysterious.】

【But, whether they are Emperors, quasi-Emperors, or Supremes, those who can touch some hidden powerhouses all know one thing. That is, if a descendant of the Gu family appears and roams outside, it must be an extremely unparalleled existence and also signifies the arrival of a terrifying great era.】

【And now, this descendant of the Gu family, Gu Xuan, since his debut, has never encountered a rival. No one knows how strong he really is. Even Shi Yuyan, the second on the Saint King List back then, couldn’t withstand a few moves from him. He is acknowledged as the strongest among the younger generation on the entire Central Immortal Continent.】

【Now, with Lei Wanjian, possessing the Great Thunder Immortal Physique, wanting to challenge Gu Xuan, who is first on the Saint King List, it naturally drew the attention of many cultivators on the Central Immortal Continent. Not to mention the unparalleled geniuses of the same generation, even those Supremes, quasi-Emperors, and even Emperors were very interested in the battle between the two.】

【In the end, Gu Xuan, the top-ranked on the Saint King List and from the Eternal Life Gu family, appeared before the world in a white robe and fought Lei Wanjian, who possessed the Great Thunder Immortal Physique. The result of this battle shook everyone.】

【The two engaged in a fierce battle; initially, it seemed evenly matched, but by the end, Lei Wanjian fully activated his Great Thunder Immortal Physique, exerting all his strength, but Gu Xuan still maintained a calm demeanor and easily subdued him.】

【In the end, Lei Wanjian was defeated, and Gu Xuan continued to firmly hold the top position on the Saint King List, unshakable by anyone. From this day onwards, a saying began to spread across the Central Immortal Continent: ‘Among the world’s geniuses, Gu Xuan stands alone at the top, while the remaining geniuses contend for second place.】

‘The classic omniscient perspective is here. This Golden Era is indeed becoming more thrilling. All sorts of monsters are emerging.’

Wang Ping read the simulated contents, sighing inwardly.

Now, even someone like Yu Daohong, who could easily defeat him and whose strength is unfathomable, might not be able to maintain a position in the top ten of the Saint King List…

As for Wang Ping in this simulation, it is highly likely that he won’t be able to keep his 17th position, though it’s uncertain to what rank he has fallen…

‘However, having geniuses is good. If I can figure out the identities and backgrounds of these geniuses on the Saint King List, I might be able to seize some opportunities. Moreover, once I become stronger, receiving them as disciples would be delightful.’

Subsequently, a slight smile appeared on Wang Ping’s lips as he started envisioning the future.

Anyway, he had already done this more than once.

Whether it was Ye Chen or Lin Qinghe, at first, he was merely a peer to them, not even their equal…

In the end, he became stronger in a short time with the Life Simulator, and then he took them as disciples.

With the Life Simulator, he was, at most, just on par with this group for a period. As his cultivation advanced, they could only be his juniors and disciples…

Even if he was younger than this group, it was the same…

As this thought flashed through Wang Ping’s mind, he felt significantly elated, and he continued to stare at the screen.

When the entire Central Immortal Continent was in turmoil, some matters arose on your end as well. Huang Qing and Huang Yin could no longer restrain their impatience and started whining to the elders of Chrysanthemum Village, hoping to be allowed outside.

The One-eyed Elder and other quasi-emperors hesitated. Ideally, they wished for Huang Qing and Huang Yin to cultivate in the village until they reached the Supreme level. However, as notorious quasi-emperors, they knew that isolating them would waste their talents, limiting their future achievements.

Thus, the two had to venture out if they wished to grow stronger. Only then could they hope to one day attain the Dao and become emperors, or even seek celestial fate.

In the end, after much deliberation, the old monsters decided to let Huang Qing and Huang Yin go. But then they thought of your presence and frowned. Having stayed in Chrysanthemum Village for so long, you knew too much about the place. If you were simply let go, many of the village’s secrets could be exposed.

In their minds, the best way to ensure this did not happen was to eliminate you, solving the problem once and for all.

Yet, recalling your conduct over the years, particularly how you amused Huang Qing and Huang Yin, making their lives easier, they chose not to kill you and decided on another form of dealing with you.

Of course, the main reason they didn’t kill you wasn’t just because of what you did or the slight good impression you left. The most important reason was that Huang Qing and Huang Yin saw you as a friend and they didn’t want to sadden them.

After discussing, these old monsters summoned you and warned that if you dared reveal anything about Chrysanthemum Village, the consequences would be dire.

You were helpless and could only promise to keep their secrets. The old monsters, however, smirked and didn’t trust your word, choosing to plant numerous secret techniques on you.

You were speechless but didn’t say much.

In the end, you were instructed by the old monsters that even in the outside world, you must protect Huang Yin and Huang Qing. Although extraordinarily talented, they were too naive, despite the many lessons taught over the years. They were still easy to deceive, as the old monsters knew best how treacherous human nature could be.

Hearing this, you pounded your chest in assurance, then jokingly asked the seniors for Supreme Artifacts, forbidden artifacts, or at least quasi-emperor artifacts to fend off strong enemies.

Hearing your request, the old monsters turned black-faced, as if you had asked for cabbage. They promptly threw you out. You pouted, inwardly despising them for being stingy.

Next, you, Huang Qing, and Huang Yin left Chrysanthemum Village and ventured into the outside world. You finally learned the village’s location.

Central Immortal Continent is dotted with various forbidden and mysterious lands. Chrysanthemum Village was located in one such place, the White Mist Forbidden Zone, which even quasi-emperors found life-threatening.

You marveled at the One-eyed Elder and the quasi-emperors for living in such a perilous place. Yet, you felt they might not be reclusive but hiding from something.

After all, their notorious reputations were horrific, not from peaceful cultivation. While it’s normal for a quasi-emperor to leave mountains of corpses behind, theirs were particularly vicious. For them to retreat into seclusion seemed unlikely.

They must have offended formidable enemies and retreated to the White Mist Forbidden Zone to escape, possibly seeking mutual protection.

As for the possibility of them abducting Huang Qing and Huang Yin, you now found that unlikely. If that were the case, they wouldn’t have let the two leave.

Although you had many speculations, much still needed investigating, so you didn’t dwell further, concentrating on exploring Central Immortal Continent with Huang Qing and Huang Yin.

You asked Huang Qing and Huang Yin about their plans. They said they wanted to wander aimlessly first, then challenge various prodigies to see how strong the acclaimed geniuses were outside.

Hearing this, you smiled, assuring them they wouldn’t be disappointed. At the same time, a strong fighting spirit surged within you. Your strength had increased significantly; although you hadn’t reached the Great Saint level, you should be able to climb higher on the Saint King List.

However, upon learning of the many events in the past century, and discovering that even Yu Daohong had been defeated several times, his ranking dropping to fifteenth, you fell silent. Gu Xuan, Lei Wanqian, and Shi Yuyan were overwhelmingly powerful. Especially Gu Xuan, who seemed almost ridiculously overpowered.

Compared to these prodigies, you were still somewhat lacking. Originally aiming for a higher rank, you now wondered if you could even reclaim your former rank of thirty-fifth, given that your current position was seventieth.

In contrast to your silence, Huang Qing and Huang Yin grew excited. So many prodigies in the outside world were a feast for their eyes. They felt their grandparents in Chrysanthemum Village hadn’t lied, and they planned to challenge each one.

Huang Qing and Huang Yin were surprised to learn you ranked seventieth on the Saint King List. While in Chrysanthemum Village, your cultivation had been sealed, and they didn’t know how strong you were. Seeing your name on the list naturally surprised them, and they couldn’t help but get ready for a fight with you.

You rolled your eyes, patting their heads, saying they should reach half-step Great Saint first if they wanted to fight you.

Remarkably talented, with strong bloodlines and incredible comprehension, few could match Huang Qing and Huang Yin. Yet, they were still at the Great Perfection of the Saint King level, a realm below you, making it difficult for them to surpass you.

Hearing this, Huang Qing and Huang Yin were unconvinced, insisting on a match. Unable to persuade them otherwise, you sighed and agreed to the battle.

Ultimately, both Huang Qing and Huang Yin were soundly trounced by you. However, their performance was shocking; true-blooded phoenixes are truly terrifying. Their physiques were far stronger than you imagined, rivaling the powerful bloodlines of the complete Spacetime Dao Body. You almost got defeated by them, surpassing your level.

After losing to you, both Huang Qing and Huang Yin were somewhat depressed but resolved to break through to the half-step Great Saint level before challenging you again. They then plan to capture a spot on the Saint King List.

This filled you with a sense of urgency, feeling that you must quickly break through to the Great Saint level. Otherwise, when these two girls reach the half-step Great Saint level, you fear they might actually defeat you, something you don’t want to see.

After all, after living together for so long, you already consider them your sisters. Being beaten by your own sisters would be quite humiliating.

As your mind was racing with various thoughts, a grand Dao sound suddenly echoed throughout the Upper Realm, shaking many cultivators, including yourself.

Its content was in the form of several couplet poems: ‘Heavenly Mechanism Fortune, Turbulent Times Approaching, the Immortal Gate Will Appear, the Immortal Palace Will Reopen Its Gates, Enrolling Prodigies, Nurturing Immortal Seeds, Subduing Chaos, and Opening the Immortal Gate.’

“Immortal Palace?”

Wang Ping looked at the content simulated by the text and was quite astonished.

With the knowledge gained from previous simulations, he naturally understood what kind of force the Immortal Palace was.

The Immortal Palace in the Upper Realm is an extremely mysterious power; no one knows who established it.

There are rumors that the Immortal Palace was not created by any Great Emperor but by an existence surpassing that level.

However, many people do not particularly believe this rumor.

After all, the Great Emperor is the most powerful existence in this world. An existence stronger than a Great Emperor can only be a legendary Immortal.

However, there are no Immortals in this world, which is already a conclusion.

No matter how many astonishingly talented Great Emperors, they could not become Immortals and achieve true immortality. As a result, they could only venture into the Source of Darkness, surviving there and achieving an alternative form of longevity.

Though Wang Ping also did not believe that the founder of the Immortal Palace was a legendary Immortal, the Immortal Palace was indeed extremely mysterious and powerful.

Inside the Immortal Palace, only quasi-Emperors could become instructors, and even Supreme Beings were not qualified.

The purpose of founding the Immortal Palace was very pure, which was to achieve Immortal Destiny and cultivate a real Immortal.

It is rumored that the region where the Immortal Palace is located has an Immortal Gate. When the Immortal Gate opens, it will reveal Immortal Destiny.

However, the opening of the Immortal Gate and the emergence of Immortal Destiny will also bring about cataclysms.

No one knows what this cataclysm is. According to the Taiyi Emperor Palace’s records, many apocalyptic events in the Upper Realm were closely related to the opening of the Immortal Gate.

The disasters caused by the Source of Darkness are much smaller than those brought by the opening of the Immortal Gate.

Of course, Wang Ping knew very well that the Source of Darkness was just a tendril that extended into this world by a terrifying anomaly boss, which had not truly erupted.

Otherwise, the calamities brought on by the opening of the Immortal Gate would definitely not compare to the Source of Darkness.

The so-called dark chaos is just the Source of Darkness messing around. Whether it was initiated by the Source of Darkness is still a question.

“The appearance of the Golden Era also signifies that calamities are approaching; it has always been this way. That mysterious Gu family will have descendants emerging, heralding the great era… The ancients did not deceive me.”

Wang Ping couldn’t help but sigh and continued to gaze at the screen.

With the Dao sound from the Immortal Palace, the entire Upper Realm was in an uproar. Whether ordinary cultivators or prodigies, even ancient monsters who have grown to Supremes and quasi-Emperors, were all moved.

Even from within the Source of Darkness, there was movement. Many dark Great Emperors and powerful beings were awakened, gazing in the direction of the Immortal Palace.

And you, too, were stirred, planning to head for the Immortal Mansion. Although you didn’t think you could win the immortal fate in this life, as long as you could gather information, it would still be a good thing…

However, before that, you have many matters to handle and aren’t in a hurry. When the Immortal Mansion reopens its gates, regardless of which faction’s prodigy you are, or if you’re a lone cultivator with great fortune, as long as you meet the conditions, you can enter.

But before the Immortal Mansion’s gate-opening time is confirmed, no one can enter it. So, going now would be pointless.

Next, after Huang Qing and Huang Yin had calmed their excitement, you brought them to the Ji family. Since it wasn’t far, paying a visit wasn’t a big deal. Soon, you met Ji Bingyan and the others.

With your arrival, the Ji family members sighed in relief. Meanwhile, the Ji family’s old monsters were astonished to see Huang Qing and Huang Yin, recognizing their pure-blooded phoenix identities. They couldn’t help but marvel at your good fortune to be so intimately acquainted with two pure-blooded phoenixes.

At the same time, they were also amazed that pure-blooded phoenixes had appeared, and two at that. This golden era was indeed getting more lively, with the quality and number of emerging prodigies far surpassing previous golden eras.

One must know, this trend hasn’t really peaked yet. Surely, many prodigies in the Nine Minor Universes must also exist, and it’s only natural for a few abnormal geniuses to appear. Now, with the Immortal Mansion opening and the Immortal Gate appearing, these people will surely come to the Central Immortal Continent.

Perhaps, this era will see many anomalies proving themselves as Emperors, and it wouldn’t be impossible for a true immortal to emerge.

As for Ji Bingyan, she didn’t have as many thoughts as the Ji family’s old monsters. Seeing you so close with Huang Qing and Huang Yin, she felt conflicted, but she didn’t say much.

Next, after bidding farewell to Ji Bingyan, you planned to return to the Taiyi Emperor Palace. As for breaking through to the Great Saint realm by accepting disciples, you could only leave it to fate. After all, you couldn’t accept Huang Yin and Huang Qing as disciples. Though you tried to exploit loopholes by acting as a spiritual mentor, all attempts failed.

Apparently, for the seven-colored talent: Growing Stronger by Accepting Disciples, only true disciple acceptance, with the disciple genuinely recognizing you as their master on the path of cultivation, can trigger its effect.

Soon after, you set off with Huang Qing and Huang Yin for the Taiyi Emperor Palace. However, during the journey, Huang Qing and Huang Yin were not at all well-behaved, challenging various faction’s Prince Emperors and even prodigies at the lower ranks of the Saint King List.

Each of their battles was a resounding victory, quickly boosting their fame and causing quite a stir, creating no small amount of trouble. Even you were forced into a hard-fought battle with a newly emerged prodigy on the Saint King List, narrowly winning.

Eventually, you advanced to the 60th position on the Saint King List. However, you weren’t too pleased. You discovered a serious matter: before heading to Chrysanthemum Village, your half-step Great Saint cultivation earned you the 17th spot on the Saint King List. After your rank slipped, you noticed that prodigies who hadn’t reached the half-step Great Saint realm a hundred years ago had now broken through.

These people’s breakthroughs showcased their physical and bloodline advantages anew, becoming extremely formidable. Without your talent and the near-peak mastery of Space Laws and Great Perfection in the laws of fire, you would’ve been hard-pressed to defeat them.

After all, among the top hundred on the current Saint King List, your incomplete version of the Spacetime Dao Body was the weakest constitution, truly making it a weak point.

This intensified your desire for a complete Spacetime Dao Body, urgently wanting to remedy this weakness.

Yet, before you could return to the Taiyi Emperor Palace, you, Huang Qing, and Huang Yin were ambushed. Under the sudden attack of a quasi-emperor, you couldn’t react at all, not even having the chance to use your golden talent: Teleportation or golden talent: Damage Nullification, before being mercilessly suppressed, entering a revival state.

After killing you, the mysterious quasi-emperor turned his greedy gaze towards Huang Qing and Huang Yin, intending to attack them.

Just when the quasi-emperor was about to strike, their protective charms activated. The One-eyed Elder’s avatar appeared, with killing intent surging, engaging the mysterious quasi-emperor in a world-shaking battle.

Indeed, the One-eyed Elder was formidable. Even just an avatar was enough to suppress the mysterious quasi-emperor, ensuring Huang Qing and Huang Yin’s safety. Eventually, the mysterious quasi-emperor fled in disgrace and disappeared.

To this, the One-eyed Elder’s avatar coldly snorted, remarking that the people from Slaughter Paradise were becoming increasingly audacious, daring to even target their disciples.

“Damn…”

Wang Ping looked at the simulation’s content and was genuinely speechless.

Slaughter Paradise, after lying low for so long, has finally resurfaced.

And their first act was to have a quasi-emperor ambush him, a half-step Great Saint, utterly shameless.

“It seems, after all this time, Slaughter Paradise has confirmed my identity again. Even at the risk of retaliation from the Taiyi Emperor Palace, they still want me dead.”

After venting, Wang Ping frowned, feeling a headache. He wondered how Slaughter Paradise had identified him.

After all, with his golden talent: Heavenly Secret Concealment and the Nine Star Pavilion’s Secret Technique, he shouldn’t be easy to catch.

“It seems I’ve somewhat overestimated the golden talent: Concealment of Heavenly Secrets…”

Ultimately, Wang Ping shook his head, feeling that a golden talent is still just a golden talent. It might be useful against a Supreme, making it difficult even for them to trace him, and most heavenly techniques could not find him either.

However, in today’s golden era, with the gates of immortality about to open and even quasi-emperors and emperors emerging, breaking through the effects of the golden talent: Concealment of Heavenly Secrets wouldn’t be too challenging for them.

Moreover, Slaughter Paradise, being a force of the myriad realms, had even more methods at their disposal.

Previously, they hadn’t targeted him, perhaps because it wasn’t necessary.

Although he had exposed himself as a third-generation chat group member and killed a Saint from Slaughter Paradise a hundred thousand years ago.

However, a Saint, to Slaughter Paradise, wasn’t much—they were merely low-level personnel.

Now, having joined Taiyi Emperor Palace and showcased exceptional talent and combat power, it was different. He had become a target that must be eliminated.

Therefore, it was normal for a quasi-emperor to personally act, aiming to annihilate him completely.

“But One-eyed Elder, aren’t you too treacherous, waiting until after I’m dead to act… That’s just too heartless…”

After figuring out many things, Wang Ping couldn’t help but curse.

After he finished cursing, Wang Ping continued to gaze at the screen.

【At the moment of your revival, Huang Qing and Huang Yin were very saddened by your death. As for the One-eyed Elder, he sighed, not expecting you to fall so abruptly. Maybe he shouldn’t have let you go out from the start.】

【As for leaving an incarnation on you to appear in times of danger, they hadn’t considered it and wouldn’t do such a thing. Being a member of Taiyi Emperor Palace, if they left an incarnation on you, the old monsters of Taiyi Emperor Palace would discover it upon your return.】

【In the end, under the orders of the One-eyed Elder, Huang Qing and Huang Yin erected a tombstone for you and left the place.】

【An hour later, you came back to life, not even having the mood or time to assess the current situation. You immediately used your golden talent: Teleportation.】

【With the usage of your golden talent: Teleportation, you arrived at a very familiar place. This place was the depths of the cold pond within the secret realm jointly owned by the Ji family and Wang family.】

【You once again saw the Heavenly Frost Ice. You never expected yourself to be so ‘lucky’ to return to this place. You even doubted whether the golden talent: Teleportation was a grand teleportation technique or a grand fortune technique.】

【After all, every time you used the golden talent: Teleportation, it would teleport you to some strange places or in front of some terrifying beings. Although each teleportation was accompanied by danger and opportunities, experiencing it every time was unbearable for you.】

【As you pondered over many thoughts, you planned to rush out of the cold pond to save your life. Otherwise, if attacked by the Heavenly Frost Ice, you wouldn’t be able to use the golden talent: Teleportation to save yourself this time.】

【Just as you tried to rush upward, the Heavenly Frost Ice undoubtedly discovered you again, recognizing you as the human cultivator who had previously attempted to forcibly subdue it. Angered, the Heavenly Frost Ice unleashed terrifying cold air at you.】

【You felt an immense sense of danger, unable to perform spatial movements within the cold pond. Coupled with the terror of the Heavenly Frost Ice, escape was impossible.】

【Many thoughts flashed through your mind, finally gritting your teeth and deciding to resist the cold air with all your strength while moving deeper into the cold pond.】

【Since there was a high probability of dying here, you decided to uncover the secrets of the cold pond’s depths. This way, it would be more advantageous for the next simulation to grasp this opportunity.】

【Soon, you couldn’t withstand the cold anymore and had to use the golden talent: Damage Nullification to negate the cold. You then fiercely burned your lifeforce, continuing to dive deeper into the cold pond.】

【Finally, you saw what lay at the bottom of the cold pond. It was a mass of liquid emitting a crystalline glow. When you saw this liquid, it felt as if you were seeing the past and the future simultaneously. It was very mystical, causing your mind to wander.】

【You quickly snapped back to reality, your body having a strong desire for this liquid. At the same time, you guessed what this liquid was.】

【This was the essence of time, incredibly pure essence of time, a treasure considered priceless even in the entire Upper Realm. For you, it was a heavenly opportunity, something you desperately needed.】

【If you obtained this temporal essence and refined it, you could complete your incomplete Spacetime Dao Body, making it whole. At that time, your talent and combat power would surge significantly.】