Chapter 123: I, the Eternal Sword Immortal, Display My Might
"Xiao Huangmen is dead!"
In the Crown Prince's residence, the Demon Crown Prince's face was dark as he crushed a small eunuch behind him with a single hand.
The remaining eunuchs in the room trembled in fear, afraid that they would be the next to die.
Several demonic cultivators sitting below the Demon Crown Prince also wore grim expressions. They were pure-blooded demons who had crossed the dimensional rift with the Demon Crown Prince hundreds of years ago to come to the Cangqing Realm.
Everything had been progressing smoothly. Once the Demon Crown Prince ascended to the throne and eliminated the two old fogeys of the imperial family, preventing them from contacting the immortal-level powerhouses behind the South Li Empire, they could sacrifice tens of thousands of cultivators to open a portal to the Demon Realm.
This would allow them to summon demonic powerhouses, demonize the Cangqing Realm, and ultimately offer it as a sacrifice, turning it into a part of the Demon Realm.
Such an act would please the Demon Emperor and earn them rewards, allowing them to step into higher realms of power.
But now, the Hundred Herbs Pavilion had suddenly emerged as a thorn in their side.
Even Xiao Huangmen, who had also come from the Demon Realm, had been killed!
If things continued like this, not only would their mission fail, but even survival would become a luxury.
"Crown Prince, what should we do?" asked a demonic cultivator at the mid-stage Human Immortal level.
"We'll act earlier than planned," the Demon Crown Prince said grimly.
"With my current strength, I can deal with those two old fogeys in the imperial family."
"Once I kill them and retrieve the demon bone sealed in the Immortal Pond, I'll have the power to fight Li Changsheng."
"Moreover, with the demon bone, I can use the trump card given to me by the Demon Lord without paying such a heavy price!"
The Demon Crown Prince's face was filled with unwillingness. He had once been a Celestial Immortal at the peak level, just one step away from becoming a True Immortal. However, to complete the Demon Lord's mission and obtain the demon bone of the Profound Immortal-level demon general sealed in the Immortal Pond by immortal-level powerhouses, he had willingly crippled 80% of his cultivation, reducing himself to the Human Immortal level to cross the rift and come to the Cangqing Realm.
During his journey, he had also suffered severe injuries, and only in recent years had his strength recovered to the peak Human Immortal level.
If he had another two or three hundred years, he could have regained his strength at the peak Earth Immortal level, enough to sweep through the South Li imperial family even with their trump cards. But now, he had no choice but to take the risk.
In the Hundred Herbs Pavilion.
Inside Li Changsheng's cave abode.
The disciples of the Hundred Herbs Pavilion had already tallied up the storage bags obtained from the battle. The number of spirit stones was incalculable, and the other precious materials were too numerous to count.
Half of Li Changsheng's cave abode was filled with storage bags. For now, Li Changsheng ignored the bags and turned his attention to the jade slips in front of him.
These were the spoils of the battle.
Among them, two jade slips contained inheritances that could lead to the Human Immortal level. He tossed these into a storage bag without a second thought.
The other six or seven jade slips contained inheritances for artifact forging, alchemy, talisman crafting, and formations. Among them, the inheritances for formations and alchemy could lead to the peak of the ninth tier.
The inheritances for talisman crafting and artifact forging only went up to the peak of the eighth tier.
"Killing people and looting is still the fastest way."
Li Changsheng muttered as he looked at the jade slips.
In his previous simulations, he had searched everywhere for high-tier inheritances in the four arts of cultivation, but most major sects would never allow a newcomer to access their core inheritances. Only those genius disciples who had been groomed from childhood and came from clean backgrounds had the chance to learn them.
But now, a single battle had yielded him so many inheritances that he didn't even know which storage bag they had come from.
There were simply too many storage bags.
"First, I'll improve my skills in the four arts of cultivation, then I'll focus on the Divine Demon Nine Transformations."
Li Changsheng murmured.
His cultivation had already reached the peak of the half-step Human Immortal level. In his last simulation, when he reached the ninth stage of the Divine Demon Nine Transformations, the feedback from his physical body to his dantian nearly forced him into the Human Immortal level. If he hadn't suppressed it with all his might, he would have broken through. Based on his estimates, even if he suppressed it fully, once he reached the peak of the ninth stage, his cultivation would inevitably advance to the Human Immortal level.
Once he entered the Human Immortal level, spirit stones would likely become useless. So, he would first improve his skills in the four arts of cultivation and then push the Divine Demon Nine Transformations to the limit, breaking through to the Human Immortal level in one go.
"Recharge."
Li Changsheng said softly.
[Recharge successful. Current balance: 3.56 trillion coins.]
[Do you wish to use the cultivation simulator immediately? Each use costs 10 billion coins.]
"Use it!"
[Simulation begins.]
[Age 145: You publicly reveal the Demon Crown Prince's identity in the Cangqing Realm and lead the realm's cultivators to attack the Crown Prince's residence. You severely injure the Demon Crown Prince, but before his death, he summons a powerhouse to deliver a fatal blow, leaving you critically injured.]
[Three days later, you succumb to your injuries and die!]
Directly attacking was clearly not the way. Unless he could kill the Demon Crown Prince in one strike, the latter's final retaliation would always result in mutual destruction.
This wasted one simulation opportunity!
"First, I'll focus on improving my skills in the four arts of cultivation."
[Age 145: You go into seclusion in the Hundred Herbs Pavilion, dedicating yourself to the study of alchemy…]
[Age 540: The demons invade. You lead the Cangqing Realm's cultivators in a battle against the demons, killing millions of them. The Demon Crown Prince emerges, and you engage in a fierce battle with him. Though you ultimately defeat him, you are surrounded by demon powerhouses and die!]
[Simulation ends!]
[Age 330: Your alchemy skills reach the ninth tier.]
[Age 410: Your alchemy skills reach the mid ninth tier.]
[Age 310: Your talisman crafting skills reach the peak of the eighth tier.]
[Age 510: Your artifact forging skills reach the peak of the eighth tier.]
[Age 170: Your mastery of formations reaches the peak of the ninth tier.]
Half a day later.
"Whew!"
Li Changsheng let out a long breath. It had taken him half a day and 231 simulation attempts to push his skills in the four arts of cultivation to the peak of their current inheritances.
Looking at the remaining 125 simulation opportunities, Li Changsheng frowned slightly.
He had thought that nearly 400 simulations would be enough to improve his skills in the four arts and then push the Divine Demon Nine Transformations to the peak of the ninth stage. But now, with only 125 attempts left, it seemed insufficient.
"I'll give it a try."
[Simulation begins.]
[Age 145: You return to your cave abode and dedicate yourself to the cultivation of the Divine Demon Nine Transformations.]
[Age 370: You reach the mid-stage of the ninth transformation in the Divine Demon Nine Transformations.]
[Age 440: You reach the late-stage of the ninth transformation in the Divine Demon Nine Transformations.]
Boom!
Li Changsheng's body was enveloped in golden light as his physical strength surged once more.
"Only eleven attempts left."
Looking at the remaining simulation opportunities, Li Changsheng frowned slightly.
Indeed, it wasn't enough to reach the peak of the ninth transformation.
"But back when I first entered the ninth transformation, I survived the strike of that demon powerhouse for three days before dying. Now that I'm stronger, can I endure longer?"
His current physical body was 30% stronger than when he first entered the ninth transformation.
"I'll try another simulation. This time, I'll prepare more before launching the attack."
[Simulation begins.]
[Age 145: You single-handedly kill five Human Immortals, shaking the Cangqing Realm.]
[You spend time in the Hundred Herbs Pavilion preparing defensive talismans and formation arrays.]
[Six months later, you publicly reveal the Demon Crown Prince's identity, inciting the realm's cultivators to join you in attacking the Crown Prince's residence.]
[In the Crown Prince's residence, you cut through the defenses like a hot knife through butter, killing three demonic Human Immortals.]
[The Demon Crown Prince is infuriated and strikes. In 37 moves, you severely injure him. The Demon Crown Prince summons a demon powerhouse to deliver a fatal blow. You activate seven sets of defensive formation arrays and thousands of high-tier defensive talismans, but you are still critically injured.]
[Thirty years later, you fully recover from your injuries.]
Seeing this, Li Changsheng's face lit up with joy.
This time, it's guaranteed success!
Just thirty years of recovery!
After lying low for so long, it's finally time for me, the Eternal Sword Immortal, to display my might!