Ji Yunxi: The Mask of Xu Tianran

After becoming an inner sect disciple, Xu Tianran immediately entered seclusion for nine years. During these nine years, Xu Tianran remained under the sect's scrutiny. After the ninth year, they stopped scanning him altogether. Their logic was simple — if he were a spy, he would have contacted someone or shown suspicious activity by now. But Xu Tianran had stayed in complete seclusion for nine straight years, giving them no reason to continue monitoring him.

After these nine years, another eleven years passed. By then, the elders had completely forgotten about his existence and the space rift incident, their attention fully occupied with various sect matters. With a 20-year gap since his arrival, Xu Tianran knew it was finally safe to act. During the last five years, he began gathering information about the sect and the outside world through his hidden clones, which traveled undetected through the world veins using his System's Heavenly Concealment Function, rendering them invisible even to the strongest spiritual senses.

Through this method, he discovered that the Star Sword Sect was located in the central region of the No. 8 Immortal Great Dao World and was one of the top ten sects in the world, boasting eight Primordial Immortal Realm cultivators. Outside the sect, he also uncovered the existence of the Origin Dao Emperor level Treasure Tower known as Myriad Dao Ascension Tower — a legendary treasure no one dared to steal. The reason was simple — the tower's artificial spirit possessed power equal to a Dao Lord, a realm above Primordial Immortal, making it practically untouchable. However, the tower's greatest reward was Origin Law Points, which could be exchanged for Origin Law Stones, a priceless treasure that could greatly accelerate a cultivator's comprehension of laws, making them treasures of immeasurable value.

Not only that, after 20 years of cultivation, Xu Tianran had already reached the 8th level of the Earth Immortal Realm — progressing nearly 50 times faster than the so-called geniuses of the sect. This speed was due to his terrifying talent, supreme physique, unmatched cultivation technique, and most importantly, his unused cultivation points. With these points, the System directly provided him with pure chaos energy whenever needed. All Xu Tianran had to do was focus on comprehending laws, while the System supplied the perfect energy foundation. Even after reaching the 8th level of Earth Immortal Realm, he still had a massive reserve of unused points left.

"System, show my status."

A translucent screen appeared before him.

System Status Window

Name: Xu Tianran

Age: 54

Body: Eternal Chaos Thunder Body (Peak Primordial Level)

Talent: Chaos Origin Supreme Spiritual Root (Peak Primordial Level)

True Cultivation: 8th Earth Immortal Realm

Disguised Cultivation: 3rd Human Immortal Realm

Combat Power: Equivalent to 4th Golden Immortal Realm

Sea of Consciousness: 800 Billion km³

Spiritual Sense: 800 Trillion km³

Cultivation Technique:

Eternal Abyss Star Devouring Codex (Low Primordial Level - Perfection)

Martial Skills:

Star Severing Sword Technique (Peak Immortal Level - Perfection)

Star Destroying Fist Technique (Peak Immortal Level - Perfection)

Starpiercer Voidshift: Eternal Astral Transcendence (Peak Primordial Level - Perfection)

Sword Intent: 100%

Fist Intent: 100%

Auxiliary Techniques:

Primordial Morphogenesis Sovereign Art (Peak Primordial Level - Perfection)

Voidshroud Earthflow: Divine Abyss Escape (Peak Primordial Level - Perfection)

Phantom Veil Art (Peak Immortal Level - Perfection)

Silent Death Sutra (Peak Immortal Level - Perfection)

Heavenly Mirage Steps (Peak Immortal Level - Perfection)

Karmic Shadow Concealment (Peak Immortal Level - Perfection)

Soul Severing Whisper (Peak Immortal Level - Perfection)

Blood Resonance Absorption (Peak Immortal Level - Perfection)

Void Shadow Clone Technique (Peak Immortal Level - Perfection)

Soul Reaving Insight (Peak Immortal Level - Perfection)

Heavenly Formation Mastery (Peak Immortal Level - Perfection)

Laws Comprehended:

Technology: 100%

Chaos: 45%

Thunder: 40%

Space: 25%

Time: 10%

Reincarnation: 10%

Karma: 15%

Life: 10%

Death: 10%

Devour: 25%

Conceal: 25%

Clone: 25%

Morphing: 25%

Escape: 25%

Five Elements: 6%

Devouring Points:

Talent: 5 Billion

Cultivation: 40 Billion

Skill: 0

Law: 0

System Functions Activated:

1. Devouring System 2.0

2. Relationship Function

3. Identification Function

4. Storage Space 2.0

5. Brainstorming 2.0

6. Ultimate Threat Detection

7. Heavenly Concealment

8. World Transverser 2.0

9. Eternal Clone Nexus

Inactivated System Function:

1. Primal Severance

Other Functions (Locked)

After seeing his status, Xu Tianran was delighted. Not only had his cultivation reached the 8th level of Earth Immortal Realm, but during his breakthrough from Human Immortal Realm to Earth Immortal Realm, he unlocked one powerful new system function and upgraded two existing system functions.

Unlocked System Function:

Eternal Clone Nexus

Upgraded System Functions:

Brainstorming 2.0

Storage Space 2.0

Eternal Clone Nexus:

This function established a permanent energy link between Xu Tianran's main body and all his clones. Through this link, the system continuously supplied each clone with pure chaos energy, keeping them operational indefinitely — even if they were scattered across realms, dimensions, or chaotic voids. Distance and spatial interference no longer mattered.

Brainstorming Upgrade 2.0 — Parallel Mind:

The upgrade added the Parallel Mind feature, allowing Xu Tianran to split his consciousness into hundreds of independent thought streams. Each stream could independently control one clone, processing its senses, memories, and actions in real time without affecting his primary consciousness.

Even better, all these parallel minds could cross-share insights instantly. If one clone comprehended even a sliver of a law, all other clones — and Xu Tianran himself — would gain that comprehension simultaneously. This function directly amplified his cultivation speed, combat awareness, and information-gathering to terrifying levels.

System Storage Space Upgrade 2.0:

The System storage space is also now fully connected to all of Xu Tianran's clones, allowing him to instantly transfer items between his main body and any clone — regardless of distance, realm, or dimensional barriers.

With the combined power of these abilities, Xu Tianran's comprehension of Escape and Morphing laws skyrocketed, thanks to his mastery over his two Peak Primordial level auxiliary techniques.

He also increased his comprehension over Space Law through his Perfection level mastery of Starpiercer Voidshift: Eternal Astral Transcendence Technique.

Furthermore, over the past 20 years, he had also gradually grasped the foundations of other crucial laws — Devour, Conceal, and Clone by comprehending system functions.

Xu Tianran also made minor progress in laws like Life, Death, and Five Elements — slowly building his foundation for future breakthroughs.

With his power rising so rapidly, Xu Tianran knew he needed a weapon capable of matching his current level — something lethal, concealed, and absolutely devastating. Thus, he successfully upgraded his previous Soundless Chaos Destruction Star Bomb into a terrifying new weapon:

Weapon Name: Calamity Starfall

Grade: Equivalent to 4th Golden Immortal Realm Combat Power (matching his current peak combat level)

Core Functions:

1. Timely Detonation:

Set a precise detonation time, even if Xu Tianran is in a different world.

2. Triggered Detonation:

Xu Tianran can trigger the explosion manually from anywhere, across realms, using his System Link.

3. Silent Spatial Travel:

The bomb travels soundlessly through normal space and spatial cracks, completely undetectable.

4. Target Lock Detonation:

Once deployed, the bomb can lock onto a target. It will actively pursue the target, adapting to spatial shifts, teleportation, and even spatial folding until contact is made.

After reviewing his status and abilities, Xu Tianran decided to send one of his clones to the Myriad Dao Ascension Tower.

As for the tower itself — the Myriad Dao Ascension Tower was only at the Origin Dao Emperor Treasure level, while his System functions originated from a Universe Level Treasure. That difference alone meant the tower's detection capabilities were fundamentally inferior. It wouldn't be able to sense whether the one entering was his clone or his main body.

Using the System's Heavenly Concealment and his Morphing Technique, he disguised the clone as a female cultivator. To avoid suspicion and any connection to his true identity, he gave the clone the name Ji Yunxi.

After all, the tower had an official ranking system, and cultivators entering often used aliases to protect themselves. In fact, some brain-dead cultivators would do something as lazy as changing "Lin Fan" to "Fan Lin" — and that alone was enough to throw off suspicion. Compared to that level of disguise, his plan was flawless. Even if someone from his own sect came across "Ji Yunxi," they wouldn't be able to link her to Xu Tianran at all.

Using his system function Eternal Clone Nexus, Xu Tianran could continuously provide endless energy to his clone, Ji Yunxi. On top of that, he could directly transfer the Calamity Starfall into her system storage space through System Storage Space Function 2.0 — a transfer that could be done instantly from anywhere, across any realm.

Once Ji Yunxi entered the tower, Xu Tianran could continuously supply her with infinite energy using the Eternal Clone Nexus link. With this energy, Ji Yunxi could create her own clones using her techniques. However, no matter how much energy he provided, Xu Tianran's current power level only allowed him to control up to 250 clones at once — each possessing combat strength equal to his peak combat power level. Every single clone would receive endless energy directly from the system link, ensuring none of them would weaken or fade, no matter how long they existed.

This overwhelming ability was only possible due to his cultivation technique — the Eternal Abyss Star Devouring Codex. It allowed him to draw pure Chaos Energy directly from a Singularity Point within the Abyss Realm itself, granting him essentially instant energy recovery. With such a terrifying foundation, even a prolonged war of attrition would mean nothing to him.