Chapter 284: Two Thousand Leisurely Years

[The Void Whale Master had yet to react.]

[Your Mountain and Sea Realm had already enveloped it.]

[Compared to the Mountain and Sea Realm you used against the Void Whale Master in the sixth simulation, the current Mountain and Sea Realm was significantly stronger in both suppressive power and area of effect.]

[The Void Whale Master wanted to flee, but under your soul attack and the suppression of the Yin-Yang Pagoda, it entirely lost the ability to resist.]

[In truth... although the Void Whale Master was only at the Fifth Tier Early Stage, it possessed a True Spirit Bloodline. If it put its life on the line and went all out, it could display combat strength approaching the Deity Transformation Middle Stage.]

[Even if it could not defeat you, it could have at least held on for a while, and with good luck, it might have even escaped.]

[However, you understood it far too well. During the last simulation, you had searched this fifth-tier Void Whale's memories, learning all of its methods and life-saving escape arts.]

[A calculated strike against an unprepared target, coupled with a sneak attack, resulted in a complete crushing advantage in both information and sheer strength.]

[The Void Whale Master's fate was essentially sealed.]

[After storing away the massive corpse of this fifth-tier Void Whale and suppressing its soul, you looked toward the spatial rift at the center of the giant island.]

[Right now, this spatial rift was rapidly expanding. Evidently, the Purgatory Demon Sovereign on the other side had realized something was wrong and wanted to pierce through the passage in the shortest time possible.]

[You directly made your move. Your primordial spirit magic power permeated the air, forming layers of sealing force to seal this spatial rift once again.]

[Although this still could not prevent the spatial rift from being completely pierced through eventually, with your current strength and the experience from the sixth simulation, re-sealing it was not difficult. In fact, under your improvements, the time it would take for the Purgatory Demon Sovereign to finally break through would be delayed by anywhere from a century to several hundred years.]

["Taken care of."]

[You looked at the spatial rift before you, feeling quite regretful.]

[Originally, according to your plan, as long as the Demon Abyss Realm did not make a move, or if they waited until the next Heavenly Monarch fell before nurturing a new one, you would not have been forced to take action like this.]

[The longer the Demon Abyss Realm delayed, the more advantageous it was for you, giving you more time to spend on cultivation and comprehending your arts.]

[Unfortunately, that Purgatory Demon Sovereign likely did not want to wait anymore. After deducing that the Human Realm's worldly status might have slipped, he felt his certainty of conquering it had greatly increased, prompting him to invade early.]

["It shouldn't be a major problem."]

[You calculated for a moment. It would not take any less time for the Purgatory Demon Sovereign to reopen the spatial rift than it did in the last simulation; he would still need one or two thousand years. You only needed to continue replicating your past actions, stalling the Purgatory Demon Sovereign to increase his sunk costs, and you could definitely drag things out.]

[Just as you were observing the spatial rift...]

[...the other Heavenly Monarchs of the Human Realm were incomparably shocked.]

["Over there... Did that Whale Master make a move? Who is it fighting? Also, why has the Whale Master's aura vanished completely?"]

[Heavenly Monarch Qingcang could not believe it. He knew the Void Whale Master's strength very well. It was close to Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword's, making it the second-highest combat power in the Human Realm.]

[But now? It had only lasted a little over a dozen breaths, yet the Void Whale Master's aura had completely vanished?]

[Even if it was just defeated and forced to flee, in merely a dozen breaths? Not even Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword could achieve that, right?]

Furthermore, Heavenly Monarch Qingcang clearly sensed that neither Heavenly Monarch Miduo nor Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword was in the Deep Sea. So, just who was the entity that had attacked the Void Whale Master?

[Heavenly Monarch Qingcang felt a chill in his heart. Since becoming a Heavenly Monarch and overlooking the Human Realm, this was the first time a sense of terror welled up inside him.]

[In the Western Desert, Heavenly Monarch Miduo's heart was also roiling with storm waves. If he had not noticed the lack of change in the world's natural qi, he would have assumed the Demon Abyss Realm had invaded, and some Fifth Tier Late Stage Demon Sovereign had attacked the Void Whale Master.]

["It's fellow Daoist Qingyuan making a move..."]

[Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword was much calmer. For one, he knew of your existence; for another, he was well aware of your terrifying strength.]

[Even as powerful as he was—a Sword Cultivator Heavenly Monarch wielding the Heavenly Sword's foundation—he could only manage to preserve his own life in front of you.]

[It was perfectly normal for the Void Whale Master to end up like this.]

[Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword gazed toward the end of the Deep Sea for a moment, considering whether he should also make a trip there, when your figure appeared right beside him.]

["Fellow Daoist Qingyuan."]

[Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword immediately greeted you.]

["Mhm. Have Qingcang and Miduo come see me."]

[You spoke in an impassive tone. Now that you had temporarily sealed the spatial rift, there was no need to hide yourself anymore. Following the progression of the last simulation, you would mobilize the power of the entire Human Realm to establish multiple defensive lines in the Deep Sea.]

["Alright."]

[Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword nodded.]

[Outside Heavenly Sword Peak.]

[Heavenly Monarch Qingcang and Heavenly Monarch Miduo stood there.]

[Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword's figure also walked out.]

["Extreme Sword, are you saying the entity who just acted in the Deep Sea is a Heavenly Monarch from your Heavenly Sword Peak? And even you have to follow his orders?"]

[Heavenly Monarch Qingcang could not help but ask.]

[The Human Realm was hiding a Heavenly Monarch none of them knew about? How unbelievable was this? When did he break through? Advancing from Nascent Soul to Deity Transformation required undergoing a heavenly tribulation; it was impossible for the other Heavenly Monarchs of the current era to remain completely oblivious.]

[Moreover, for even a Sword Cultivator Heavenly Monarch of Heavenly Sword Peak like Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword to obey his commands? It was simply inconceivable.]

[Heavenly Sword Peak was the legacy left behind by the Sword Lord. Which Heavenly Monarch in the Human Realm could make Heavenly Sword Peak bow its head?]

["Come with me."]

[Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword looked at the two Heavenly Monarchs. "Later, you just need to follow orders. If you dare show any disobedience, I won't even mention the consequences."]

[Heavenly Monarch Qingcang and Heavenly Monarch Miduo felt a tremor in their hearts. Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword alone already pressured the other Heavenly Monarchs of this era so much they could barely breathe, and now there was another mysterious Heavenly Monarch?]

[Given the strength this mysterious Heavenly Monarch had displayed, he was likely even above Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword.]

["Come in."]

[Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword led Heavenly Monarch Qingcang and Heavenly Monarch Miduo into Heavenly Sword Peak, finally entering a grand hall.]

[Inside the grand hall, upon a high platform, a figure wearing cyan robes stood with his back facing them.]

['Is that the mysterious Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword mentioned?' Heavenly Monarch Qingcang and Heavenly Monarch Miduo observed secretly. The other party did not emit the slightest aura. If they had not seen him with their own eyes, they would not have even been sure anyone was standing there.]

["Fellow Daoist Qingyuan..." Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword cupped his hands toward you. "I have brought them."]

["Greetings, fellow Daoist." Heavenly Monarch Qingcang and Heavenly Monarch Miduo also hurriedly cupped their hands in salute.]

[Only then did you turn around. Clad in cyan robes, you looked down at the remaining three Heavenly Monarchs of the Human Realm and spoke in a calm tone. "The Void Whale Master defected to the Demon Abyss Realm and has been executed. At the end of the Deep Sea lies a spatial rift. It has currently been re-sealed, but that cannot stop the Demon Abyss Realm's invasion. You are to rally the major factions of the Human Realm and establish defensive lines in the Deep Sea."]

["Executed? The Void Whale Master was executed?"]

[Heavenly Monarch Qingcang was deeply shocked. He had only sensed the Void Whale Master's aura disappear and assumed it had merely fled. After all, the complete death of a Heavenly Monarch would trigger anomalies in the world.]

[But from the looks of it now, not only did the Void Whale Master fail to escape, it had actually been captured alive and suppressed by you. That was the only way to explain the current situation.]

["A spatial rift at the end of the Deep Sea? An invasion from the Demon Abyss Realm?"]

[Heavenly Monarch Miduo's heart jolted in alarm, and at the same time, he realized that your reason for taking action was to stop the Demon Abyss Realm.]

[Realizing this, Heavenly Monarch Miduo breathed a massive sigh of relief. At the very least, you were standing on the Human Realm's side.]

["Do you understand?" you asked, looking toward Heavenly Monarch Miduo and Heavenly Monarch Qingcang.]

["We understand."]

[Heavenly Monarch Qingcang and Heavenly Monarch Miduo replied immediately.]

[Even if you had not spoken, for the survival of the Human Realm and the legacy of their own factions, they would still go all out to resist the Demon Abyss Realm.]

["Go back."]

[After saying that, your figure vanished from the spot.]

[This left only Heavenly Monarch Qingcang and Heavenly Monarch Miduo. They exchanged a glance, but despite the myriad of thoughts swirling in their hearts, they did not dare discuss them here and immediately withdrew from Heavenly Sword Peak.]

[Year 600. You were 617 years old.]

[Following the summons of the three current Heavenly Monarchs—Extreme Sword, Miduo, and Qingcang—the defensive lines in the Deep Sea were swiftly established.]

[You used the fifth-tier art of Divination to deduce whether there were any omissions. After patching them, you spent all of your time on cultivation.]

["Yan'er, Xiu'er, Dachun..."]

[You did not kill the Void Whale Master. Instead, you planned to wait for Li Yan, Li Xiu, and Dachun to continue accumulating their foundations for a few more centuries before killing it. That would free up a Heavenly Monarch spot for them to break through.]

[Year 700. You were 717 years old.]

[With the support of the Void Whale Master's corpse, you finally crafted your first fifth-tier puppet, advancing to become a fifth-tier Puppet Celestial Master.]

[The Void Whale Master's physical body was massive, fully capable of producing seven or eight fifth-tier puppets. Once your Second Primordial Spirit took control of a fifth-tier puppet, it could also display combat strength at the Deity Transformation Middle Stage.]

[The talent "Surpassing Oneself by Half a Move" was equally effective for your Second Primordial Spirit.]

[Year 800. You were 817 years old.]

[Your progress in the Three Thousand Illusion Realms also reached the 252nd layer.]

[The further you went, the more time it took to break through each layer of the illusion realm.]

[Year 900. You were 917 years old.]

[Once you were certain that Li Yan and Dachun had reached their absolute limits in all aspects, you brought out the Void Whale Master's soul and casually obliterated it entirely.]

[In this simulation, the Void Whale Master was completely useless to you. You already knew everything you needed to know from the last simulation, so there was no need for negotiations.]

[With the Void Whale Master completely dead, the Human Realm's heaven and earth underwent a change, becoming able to support one more Heavenly Monarch.]

[You pinched your fingers to calculate, observing the shifts in heavenly secrets from the perspective of a fifth-tier Divination Celestial Master. Ultimately, you determined that the best chance for a breakthrough would be exactly eighty years after the Void Whale Master's complete demise.]

[You had Li Yan break through eighty years later.]

[Year 980. You were 997 years old.]

[Li Yan began her attempt to break through to Deity Transformation.]

[Compared to the previous simulation, where she was stopped at the step of transforming her Nascent Soul into a primordial spirit, this time, Li Yan successfully completed the transformation and immediately went on to pass the Annihilation Tribulation.]

[When facing the final Five Elements Thunder Tribulation, Li Yan's face was deathly pale, and her physical aura surged wildly; clearly, she had utilized some forbidden art or secret technique.]

[Ultimately, Li Yan successfully weathered the final Five Elements Thunder Tribulation and stepped into the Deity Transformation Stage.]

["Master..."]

[Before she had even stabilized her realm, Li Yan walked out of her cave abode and threw herself into your arms.]

[A smile also surfaced on your face.]

[You could tell that her passage through the Five Elements Thunder Tribulation just now had been extremely perilous; the slightest misstep would have resulted in failure.]

["Rest and recover properly."]

[You patted Li Yan's head.]

[Having this possessor of the Primordial Yin Treasure Physique step into the Deity Transformation Stage meant that your subsequent cultivation would be a good deal easier.]

[Whether it was her first strand of Primordial Yin Qi or her daily Primordial Yin Qi, now that you and Li Yan were at the same realm, even the latter would provide you with no small amount of assistance.]

['After several simulations, I've finally nurtured a Deity Transformation Stage cultivator...']

[You sighed inwardly.]

[Li Yan's ability to reach the Deity Transformation Stage relied entirely on the accumulation from your previous simulations.]

[Whether it was the numerous insights and comprehensions from the fourth, fifth, and sixth simulations, or the "rebirther" memories in this current simulation, all of it allowed Li Yan to reach a brand-new height in her personal foundation.]

[That was the only reason a Deity Transformation Stage Primordial Yin Treasure Physique existed now.]

["Dachun, go into a deep slumber for a period of time next."]

[You looked at Dachun. Since Li Yan had stepped into the Deity Transformation Stage, the Human Realm's quota for Deity Transformation cultivators was full. If Dachun wanted to break through, he could only wait for Heavenly Monarch Qingcang to pass away in meditation.]

[During this time, Dachun needed to slumber to slow the flow of his lifespan, thereby waiting out the time until Heavenly Monarch Qingcang's death.]

[You knew exactly which day Heavenly Monarch Qingcang's lifespan would reach its limit, which was why you had the confidence to let Dachun slumber. Other Late Stage Great Cultivators had no idea when the next Heavenly Monarch would pass away in meditation, so slumbering would hold little meaning for them.]

[Even through slumber, a Late Stage Great Cultivator could at most extend their lifespan by a few centuries.]

[Moreover, the consumption of resources during this slumber was terrifyingly immense. Even top-tier factions might not necessarily be able to bear it.]

[Therefore, it was incredibly rare for a Late Nascent Soul Stage Great Cultivator to try to outlast a Heavenly Monarch by slumbering until they passed away in meditation. Even top-tier factions overseen by Heavenly Monarchs were unwilling to do this.]

[Year 1,100. You were 1,117 years old.]

[Li Yan stabilized her Deity Transformation Stage realm. You did not immediately harvest her first strand of Primordial Yin Qi; instead, you planned to let her continue to nurture it.]

[The longer a Primordial Yin Treasure Physique's Primordial Yin Qi was nurtured, the stronger its effects would be.]

[Year 1,200. You were 1,217 years old.]

[Li Xiu finally cultivated to the Late Nascent Soul Stage Peak.]

[Year 1,500. You were 1,517 years old.]

[Heavenly Monarch Qingcang passed away in meditation.]

[You used the art of Divination to determine that the optimal time to attempt a breakthrough to Deity Transformation would be sixty-three years later.]

[Year 1,563. You were 1,580 years old.]

[You had Li Xiu attempt to break through to Deity Transformation.]

[Two months later, Li Xiu failed her breakthrough to Deity Transformation; her body died and the Dao perished.]

[You sighed softly, though you were not too surprised.]

[Compared to the foundation Li Yan had accumulated over several simulations, Li Xiu's foundation was ultimately too shallow.]

[However, you did not give up. Since you were able to nurture Li Yan to the Deity Transformation Stage, you could do the same for Li Xiu. It was merely a matter of how many simulations it would take.]

[You stored away the memory jade slip Li Xiu left behind in her final moments.]

[You awakened Dachun and had him break through.]

[Several months later, Dachun failed his breakthrough; his body died and the Dao perished.]

[You sighed, summarized the lessons from Dachun's failed breakthrough, and similarly stored away the memory jade slip he left behind.]

[You would try again in the next simulation.]

[Year 1,800. You were 1,817 years old.]

[Because of your actions, the seal on the spatial rift remained relatively stable even now. You estimated that the Purgatory Demon Sovereign would still need several centuries to break through the seal.]

[Year 2,000. You were 2,017 years old.]

[Without realizing it, you had already passed two thousand years of time in this simulation.]