Within Qingzhu Village in Ziyang County, an expanse of lush green met the eye, making it appear as an uninhabited forest at first glance.
However, beyond the ring of forest, a circle of bamboo, and within the bamboo, signs of habitation emerged, with grand mansions and courtyards standing tall.
Lights shone brightly.
Adjacent to it was the Qingyun Sect, a minor sect.
Who could have imagined that in such a remote place devoid of resources, a mighty being at the Tribulation Crossing stage would be residing?
In this life, Chen Jiuyang had long ago set up formations and altered river courses. In his previous life, people from the Immortal Alliance had discovered the spiritual veins and springs in the vicinity, intending to seize them. Some had even found the Pure Yang遗迹 cave dwelling beneath the riverbed.
In this life, none of that happened; it all became Chen Jiuyang's advantage.
After Chen Jiuyang reached the Tribulation Crossing stage, he truly went nowhere except his home and the bookstore, focusing his efforts on crossing his internal tribulations.
What are internal tribulations? Heart demon tribulations, physical tribulations, five decay tribulations, internal wind tribulations, internal fire tribulations, and other calamities that originated from within Chen Jiuyang.
If one followed the martial path, with a powerful physique, integrating the internal and external, and following the path of the enlightened, there would be no such internal tribulations.
Ping An Bookstore.
Chen Jiuyang sat at the counter, quietly reading.
Since the Heavenly Court of the Immortal Realm descended upon the Mortal Realm with its vast army, the commotion was so terrifying that even ordinary people sensed something amiss.
The major forbidden grounds and the Heavenly Holy Land were drawing a clear line between them.
While open warfare had not yet erupted on the surface, undercurrents were surging.
Both factions had Immortal Kings emerge to preach to those with lower cultivation levels.
Among them, the Garrison Commander felt immense pressure; Yan Fengyun feared being erased between these two major powers.
He intensified his cultivation of the martial path.
The Garrison Commander also recruited more soldiers and bought more horses.
And 'Shile' was unlucky; the Heavenly Court's Immortal Emperor personally went to the Meteor Immortal Cliff to reinforce the seal.
Chen Jiuyang, on the other hand, was content to watch the spectacle. Thus, another half year passed.
Of Chen Jiuyang's eighty-one tribulations, nine had been overcome.
At this rate, it would take several more years to completely pass all eighty-one tribulations.
But Chen Jiuyang was not worried, because with the various preachings and the absorption of prodigies by both sides, they clearly intended to foster a Human Emperor, and then, by combining with the Heavenly Heart Imprint of this realm, annihilate the opposing force.
And in the interim, there would not be large-scale conflict.
How difficult was it to foster a Human Emperor?
In his previous life, Chen Jiuyang was already a top-tier prodigy of the human race, constantly encountering opportunities and fortuitous encounters. In a thousand years, he had only managed to cultivate to the Great Sage level, not yet reaching the Quasi-Emperor stage.
And in seven thousand years, he only entered the Quasi-Emperor cultivation, which included the Emperor scriptures left by the alternative enlightened beings from the remnant old village for reference, before reaching that stage.
The Human Emperor of his previous life was Emperor Fu Zhao, the imperial son of the Fu clan imperial family from the Lesser Immortal Realm.
And now, the golden age had arrived, with most prodigies still on the path of the Human King, fighting and training in the thirteen cities of the Human King's path.
After all, the names of the top-tier prodigies from the Lesser Immortal Realm had not yet appeared on the Jixia Academy rankings; they had not yet set foot on the Great Emperor's ancient path.
Chen Jiuyang felt he could remain hidden for many more years.
One day, Liansheng approached Chen Jiuyang with a list, saying, "I've obtained the list of the five great holy lands and the one behind them."
Chen Jiuyang took the list and exclaimed, "Good heavens, over a hundred and sixty people..."
"Adding the more than eighty from the major forbidden grounds, that makes over two hundred..."
Chen Jiuyang's mouth twitched, "No... I'll have to lower the price for the assassination package, otherwise my lifespan won't withstand the consumption."
"I need to plan this carefully..."
Liansheng looked at Chen Jiuyang and asked, "What are you going to do with this list?"
The names on this list could not be uttered aloud; once spoken, they would be perceived by Immortal Kings, whose gazes would instantly descend upon the speaker, causing great trouble.
Chen Jiuyang looked at her meaningfully and said faintly, "You just wait and watch the show, but don't ask too many questions."
Liansheng found Chen Jiuyang unfathomable, "I don't know what exactly you are plotting."
...
After the Heavenly Court descended, an Immortal King employed supreme means to relocate the blessed lands of the Forbidden City, Baiyujing, Penglai, and Shushan to the Kunlun region, thus separating them from the powers of the major forbidden grounds.
Currently, the five great holy lands and the Heavenly Court were all concentrated in Kunlun, occupying the western side.
In Kunlun, how many cultivators and martial artists had gathered, numbering in the millions?
In the sky, immortal light shimmered, immortal energy surged, and a sacred, terrifying, and unfathomable aura pervaded.
The Heavenly Court had descended to the mortal world, all because the major forbidden grounds had simultaneously revived. After such a long period, the major forbidden grounds had never been like this.
And now, in this golden age, they had all revived. The Heavenly Court speculated that it was highly likely that the major forbidden grounds had discovered the whereabouts of the Book of Life and intended to force them to use their stakes to initiate the ninth and final chess game.
And the Heavenly Court possessed the Book of Death.
Within the resplendent Immortal Palace hall, many Immortal Kings were seated.
"To defeat the major forbidden grounds, and even to control the Myriad Manifestation Realm, we must cultivate our own Human Emperor, and then, with the help of the Human Emperor, sweep across the universe and establish order!"
This was the reason why many Immortal Kings began preaching immediately after descending to the Mortal Realm.
This was an unprecedented grand strategy, calculating heaven, earth, and the universe.
However, at this moment, the expressions of many Immortal Kings changed simultaneously:
"This is..."
"Someone is using the authority of the Book of Life to attack us!"
"Perform a deduction to see who possesses the Book of Life, and we will all strike together to behead them!"
"Cannot deduce... The Book of Life is an object that transcends the Yin and Yang of the universe; how can it be calculated?"
"To expend lifespan in such a manner to obliterate us... No, this is a warning and a declaration of war against us!"
"The major forbidden grounds are declaring to us that they have mastered the Book of Life!"
"We must cultivate our own Human Emperor as soon as possible. If the one who possesses the Book of Life cultivates to the Immortal King realm, we will all be annihilated by the Book of Life!"
"Pour all resources into cultivating them with all our might!"
The Immortal Kings spoke one after another, setting the future trend.
...
The major forbidden grounds.
"It's happening again!"
"Since the Heavenly Court of the Immortal Realm descended, with the five great holy lands holding the Book of Life, they are truly emboldened!"
"Insulting us!"
"A battle should be fought to test their strength and deter the Heavenly Court, so they know that after surviving for such a long time, we are not to be trifled with!"
"This is quite good."
"To cultivate a Human Emperor, it is a struggle for destiny. We must fight and kill, and suppress and annihilate the prodigies under them."
"Excellent..."
"Then, inform the other major forbidden grounds, and let us make our move."
...
And the instigator of all this, in Ping An Street on Fengcheng's old street, stretched lazily, a relaxed expression on his face, "Comfortable..."
"Giving you all something to do."
"From now on, it will still be ten years of lifespan per person per day."