Chapter 83: I Really Didn’t Mean to Break Through
"Again."
Li Changsheng didn't hide his intentions. To obtain the legacy, he needed to reach the peak of the Return to Void stage, and he was still far from it.
[Spending 10 million spirit stones, simulation begins.]
[At twenty-nine, you consumed a bottle of True Essence Liquid in the palace, enhancing your aptitude. Half a month later, you used a teleportation array in the palace to arrive in the Southern Li Dynasty.]
[You secluded yourself in the Cloud-White Sect, devoting yourself to cultivation.]
[...]
[At two hundred and forty, you successfully reached the mid Return to Void stage.]
[...]
[At five hundred and ten, you successfully reached the late Return to Void stage.]
The late Return to Void stage had been achieved!
The old man in the Daoist robe looked surprised.
He hailed from the Immortal Realm and had countless True Immortals and Mystic Immortals among his disciples and descendants. Yet, this was the first time he had encountered someone as peculiar as Li Changsheng.
Li Changsheng's aptitude was mediocre at best. Not only was he incomparable to the old man's disciples and descendants, but he was also vastly inferior to the young girl beside him.
Yet, in just a few breaths, Li Changsheng had not only broken through an entire major realm but also managed to advance two minor stages.
And from the look in the young man's eyes, it seemed he intended to keep going.
Was he aiming for the legacy?
Su Qingyu noticed the old man's surprise and couldn't help but smile.
She remembered how, when she first met Li Changsheng, he had casually broken through a minor stage right in front of her, leaving her stunned for a long time.
Now, someone else was experiencing the same shock!
Finally, the late Return to Void stage!
It wasn't easy!
Li Changsheng sighed inwardly. He hadn't intended to break through so quickly, but thankfully, he was only at the Return to Void stage, where each simulation cost ten million spirit stones—something he could still afford.
If he reached the Unity stage, each simulation would cost one hundred million spirit stones. Even with the support of the entire Tiannan Region, he'd only be able to simulate a few times a year.
'First, let's reach the peak of the Return to Void stage,' Li Changsheng thought.
[Simulation begins.]
[...You secluded yourself in the Cloud-White Sect, devoting yourself to cultivation.]
[...At four hundred and thirty, you successfully reached the peak of the Return to Void stage.]
[At five hundred and thirty, demons invaded, and you died!]
The peak of the Return to Void stage had been achieved!
The old man in the Daoist robe was stunned.
He was a top-tier powerhouse who had dominated the Immortal Realm for hundreds of thousands of years, with countless disciples under his tutelage. Yet, this was the first time he had witnessed such a phenomenon. Even the descendants of powerful immortals didn't break through so effortlessly.
How on earth had this kid done it?
Li Changsheng stood up and looked at the old man, smiling as he asked, "Senior, does this qualify me for the legacy?"
"Yes," Gu Cangqiong nodded.
He was merely a wisp of his true self's consciousness. The rules set by his true self stipulated that those who reached the Deity Transformation stage before thirty would receive a bottle of True Essence Liquid, while those who reached the peak of the Return to Void stage before thirty would receive the true legacy.
Since this young man had met the condition, he was entitled to the legacy.
Having lived for so long, he had seen many people with great opportunities. In the world of cultivation, sometimes opportunities mattered more than innate talent.
He had seen someone with inferior five-element spiritual roots ascend to the True Immortal stage through sheer luck, while renowned geniuses had been stuck at the Immortal stage, unable to progress further.
"Little girl, you stay here and cultivate," the old man said to Su Qingyu.
Then, he looked at Li Changsheng and said in a low voice, "You, follow me."
"Yes," Li Changsheng replied, following the old man.
The palace was much larger than Li Changsheng had imagined. The area they had been in earlier resembled a lecture hall, but the place the old man was leading him to now was a grand, majestic hall. Above the door hung a plaque made of an unknown material.
The inscription read: "Cangqiong" (苍穹).
Wisps of chaotic energy swirled around the plaque.
"How should I address you, Senior?" Li Changsheng asked in a low voice.
"I'm just a remnant soul. You can call me Elder Gu," the old man said indifferently.
"Yes, Elder Gu," Li Changsheng replied, following the old man into the Cangqiong Hall.
Inside, he saw a translucent orb floating in the center of the hall.
"Go ahead, touch it with your hand," Elder Gu said calmly.
Without hesitation, Li Changsheng placed his palm on the orb.
"Ah!"
Countless pieces of information flooded into Li Changsheng's mind. Although he had experienced countless memory infusions from the system, none had been as direct and brutal as this one.
It wasn't until half a day later that Li Changsheng opened his eyes.
Two legacies now resided in his mind. One was a cultivation technique called the "Cangqiong Sword Sutra," which could be cultivated up to the Immortal King stage.
The other was a body refinement technique called the "Cangqiong Divine Body." At its peak, it allowed the practitioner to pluck the moon with one hand and crush a planet with a single finger.
However, these two techniques were vast and complex. At his current level, he could only master the basics.
The Cangqiong Divine Body's enhancement of physical strength far surpassed the Nine Revolutions Divine Demon Art. Still, with his current cultivation level, he could only train the first layer. To progress further, he would need to reach the Golden Immortal stage.
Seeing Li Changsheng open his eyes, Elder Gu smiled.
"If you have any questions, go ahead and ask."
Li Changsheng sat cross-legged and asked,
"Elder Gu, is this legacy left behind by your true self? What was your cultivation level before? And how are the stages beyond the Immortal Realm divided?"
These two techniques were simply too astonishing. Although he didn't have a deep understanding of the realms beyond the Immortal stage, he knew that anyone who could call themselves an Immortal King was extraordinary.
"My true self was indeed at the Immortal King stage," Elder Gu said, shaking his head. "After mortals transcend the Heavenly Tribulation and convert their true essence into immortal essence, they ascend to the Immortal Realm. The Immortal Realm is divided into Mortal Immortal, Earth Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, True Immortal, Mystic Immortal, Golden Immortal, and Great Profound Golden Immortal."
"As for the stages beyond, you'll naturally learn about them when you reach the Golden Immortal stage."
"For now, knowing too much isn't beneficial for you."
As if remembering something, Elder Gu looked at Li Changsheng and warned:
"Two hundred thousand years ago, something went wrong in the Immortal Realm. My true self, even as an Immortal King, was ambushed and severely injured, forcing him to flee to the mortal world."
"I'm just a remnant soul, and many of my memories are missing. But it seems my true self wanted me to pass on a message to his successor: many of the powerful figures in the Immortal Realm are no longer human. Unless absolutely necessary, do not ascend to the Immortal Realm."
Li Changsheng felt a chill run down his spine. What on earth had happened in the Immortal Realm?
Even an Immortal King had issued such a warning?
It seemed he had been drawn into an extraordinary plot.
"But if we can't ascend to the Immortal Realm, how can we continue cultivating after reaching the Immortal stage?" Li Changsheng asked in a low voice.
"There are two ways."
Elder Gu replied softly, "First, in some major worlds in the mortal realm, the world's origin is dense enough to support cultivation up to the Golden Immortal stage. Beyond that, you must ascend to the Immortal Realm."
"Second, find a blessed land. Within a blessed land, you can also cultivate up to the Golden Immortal stage."
After speaking, Elder Gu waved his sleeve, and two jade bottles appeared before Li Changsheng.
"One of these bottles contains True Essence Liquid, which can enhance your aptitude."
"The other contains a drop of Creation Essence Liquid, which has miraculous effects on body refinement techniques. It was originally intended to help the legacy inheritor build a foundation for the Cangqiong Divine Body, but it can only be consumed once. The Nine Revolutions Divine Demon Art you're practicing is a decent foundational body refinement technique even in the Immortal Realm. You can cultivate the Nine Revolutions Divine Demon Art to its peak first and then switch to the Cangqiong Divine Body. You'll find it has unexpected effects."
"Thank you, Elder Gu."
Li Changsheng bowed slightly to the old man.
"Hmm."
Elder Gu nodded slightly.
Li Changsheng sat cross-legged.
First, he drank the True Essence Liquid in one gulp.
Boom!
A terrifying energy erupted from his dantian, forcefully altering his body's aptitude.
The effect of the True Essence Liquid was far stronger than any marrow-cleansing pill he had ever refined before.
Even with Li Changsheng's robust physique, he felt a slight stinging sensation.
Half a day later, Li Changsheng opened his eyes and silently examined the changes within his body.
His entire body felt lighter, and his aptitude had improved to a level comparable to a dual-element spiritual root.
"If the True Essence Liquid is this incredible, the Creation Essence Liquid must be even more amazing, right?"
With that thought, Li Changsheng poured the entire bottle of Creation Essence Liquid into his mouth.
Rumble!
A gentle energy entered Li Changsheng's body, and his flesh, like a man who hadn't touched water in years, greedily absorbed this energy.
Crack!
A bottleneck seemed to shatter.
The Nine Revolutions Divine Demon Art had reached the late sixth revolution stage!
But less than one-tenth of the gentle energy had been absorbed!
Half a month later, Li Changsheng emerged from his meditative state.
Feeling the surge in his physical strength, a smile spread across his face. However, it quickly disappeared.
While his physical body had broken through, his cultivation level had also advanced to the Unity stage!
He hadn't intended to break through at all!
This was frustrating!
Each simulation now cost one hundred million spirit stones. Just thinking about it made him feel overwhelmed.