The peak of Shenxiao Mountain has dramatically transformed, bearing entirely no resemblance to its previous state.
It can be said that on top of Shenxiao Mountain, Pei Xuanjing, according to his own understanding and with the combination of the magical domain, the power of heaven and earth's will, and the experience of pioneering the Small Thousand World, created a magical domain on the mountain, which can be deemed as a blessed and forbidden place.
However, the blessed and forbidden place created by Pei Xuanjing is utterly different than the ones created by other powerful beings. He created a Heavenly World according to his own understanding of heaven.
Whether it's the myths from Pei Xuanjing's past life or the current Great Ming World in which he resides, there are many descriptions of the Heavenly World. Almost every religious sect or every dynasty has their own understanding and interpretation of the Heavenly Court, and these interpretations often come with numerous conflicts and paradoxes. Thus, Pei Xuanjing could only create his Heavenly World according to his understanding.
According to Shenxiao Sect's understanding, heaven has nine layers, often referred to as the nine heavens. This concept is derived from the "Scripture of Immeasurable Spiritual Treasure", which is further interpreted by the sect. In essence, Shenxiao refers to the highest Immortal Realm inhabited by the Taoist immortals. Therefore, Shenxiao Taoist named their sect after it, implying the idea of loftiness and nobility.
Pei Xuanjing agreed with this concept. If he followed this idea to create a blessed and forbidden land, which would serve as a prototype of the future Heavenly World, it could prove the orthodoxy of the Shenxiao Sect.
However, Pei Xuanjing's ambition goes further. Even though he was born into the Shenxiao Sect, he wants to establish a Heavenly World that encompasses not only the Shenxiao Sect but also includes the orthodoxy of all forces, making these forces a part of his Heavenly World in the future. Therefore, his prototype could not be too narrow.
After a long consideration, Pei Xuanjing decided to build a prototype that mimics the thirty-six heavens of Taoist legends. Since the Divine Position he refined into the Jade Purity True Monarch would eventually be promoted to the Emperor of the South Pole Eternal Life, the ultimate Divinity in the four Imperial Positions.
Of course, with Pei Xuanjing's current strength, he could not create the entirety of the Heavenly World. Therefore, he only created the Shenxiao House of Jade Purity, where the Emperor of the South Pole Eternal Life held his court.
The Emperor of the South Pole Eternal Life commands all spirits, controls the weather of the Four Seasons, can summon the wind and rain, command the Thunder and Lightning Gods and Demons, and also control the fate of all things. Such immense power could not be borne by the Jade Purity True Monarch's Divine Position that Pei Xuanjing currently possessed. Hence, even with the support of the Small Thousand World's power and the will of the Great Ming world, he could only create one layer of heaven, far from the thirty-two heavens and eight regions governed by the Emperor of the South Pole Eternal Life.
Nevertheless, the one layer of the Heavenly World created by Pei Xuanjing held tremendous power, especially after infusing the power of the Jade Purity True Monarch's Divine Position into it. It is as if this layer of the Heavenly World is his own magical domain, or perhaps a Small Thousand World. It not only poses significant suppressive power against outsiders but also brings great amplification to Pei Xuanjing himself.
This layer of the Heavenly World does not reside within the Great Ming World but belongs to it, residing between the Great Ming World and the Chaotic world. It stays hidden and unfathomable, accessible only through a specific entrance. Otherwise, one can't simply step into this layer of heaven unless one's strength surpasses Pei Xuanjing's by several times, capable of resisting the pressure of the Great Ming World.
As of now, without considering the resistance from the Great Ming World and the Small Thousand World, it's already hard to find someone significantly stronger than Pei Xuanjing in this world, as he stands on the pinnacle of heaven and earth.
Pei Xuanjing began to mold this layer of the Heavenly World according to his will, creating an entrance on Shenxiao Mountain.
After the cultivators from the Sky Wasteland ascended at the peak of Shenxiao Mountain and were led into this layer of the Heavenly World, they saw a beautiful sight filled with smoke, colors, the shining moon and the sun. Old trees with thousands of stems covered the mountain; bamboo shoots looking austere beneath the foggy path. Outside the gate, extraordinary flowers blossomed like brocades, and beside the bridge, jade hued grass filled the air with fragrance. On the ridge, the peaches shone red like brocade, and the grass was green with long threads everywhere.
Sometimes they could hear the cry of the celestial crane, and at times see the auspicious phoenix taking flight. When the celestial crane cried, its calls vibrated through the nine galaxies of the Milky Way; when the auspicious phoenix flew, its feathers produced a five-colored cloud. White deer and cosmic apes intermittently appeared, while green lions and white elephants roamed at will.
As they moved forward, they saw a continuous string of pavilions shining brightly with a majestic charm.
"Such a creative place seems even better than the Forbidden and Blessed Land of our Da Xue ancient country?" muttered a powerful being from the Da Xue ancient country. "Could it be that the Shenxiao Sect is also an ancient sect with a longstanding heritage, but it fell into decline due to some reasons, and it's only now, under the rise of Grandmaster Pei, that they are flourishing in the world again?"
This powerful being from the Da Xue ancient country had doubts in his heart. He knew that to nurture a blessed and forbidden land after its creation, extensive resources and time are needed.
The appearance of this place doesn't seem like it was just created, which led to his speculations.
"Hehe, how foolish," scoffed a cultivator from the Da Jiang ancient country.
"We both have heritages dating back to the Heavenly Zhou era; how could either of us not know about the major forces in this world? If the Shenxiao Sect truly existed in that way, how could we not know?"
The two ancient nations had long been at odds with each other, often causing friction. Seeing the other party make such a naive and laughable question, the cultivator from the Da Jiang ancient country naturally wouldn't miss an opportunity to mock them.
Having the same heritage from the Heavenly Zhou era, they know very well about every significant power that appeared in this world. If the Shenxiao Sect indeed had such a legacy, they would undoubtedly know about it.
"You…"
"Stupid!"
The cultivators from the two ancient nations glared at each other. Nevertheless, they both knew this was not the place to start a fight. The cultivator from the Da Xue ancient country had to suppress the rage within him, turned away and said no more.
"No unnecessary trouble should be started here," Prince Yuan of the Da Jiang ancient country told his followers.
Being a powerful being of the Da Jiang ancient country who came to the ancestral land, he naturally couldn't miss this grand discussion on Shenxiao Mountain.
Having personally witnessed Pei Xuanjing suppress the Taixu Venerable, he naturally held great respect for Pei Xuanjing. Moreover, his understanding of the Forbidden and Blessed Land of the Da Jiang ancient country allowed him to judge that the place they were currently in was by no means inferior. In fact, it seemed superior.
All of these events had been observed by Pei Xuanjing.
Indeed, everything unfolded as King Yuan has speculated, and their every action was clearly captured in the eyes of Pei Xuanjing.
After all, he had established this Heavenly World, akin to his Magical Domain and his Divine Kingdom. So long as he wished it, everything that occurred within it could be perceived by him.
At such a special and sensitive time, Pei Xuanjing would undoubtedly keep an eye on every event here, preparing accordingly. At the very least, he couldn't let a brawl disrupt the Dao Debating Conference before it even started, turning it into a joke.
"You need not worry. The feud between the Great Xue Ancient Country and the Great River Ancient Country has persisted for thousands of years. However, there's no need for excessive concerns. King Yuan is rather sensible; he will not stir trouble at this juncture," the Witch God Sect Leader said, chuckling lightly.
At this moment, many of the strongest cultivators from the Nine Realms of Spirit had already arrived. They were seated in a spacious hall. Smack in the center of the hall, Pei Xuanjing activated a projection from a Daoist mirror, clearly displaying everything happening outside.
This was one of the abilities of the Taixu Mirror that Pei Xuanjing had come to understand after refining a part of it. Although he hadn't completely refined the Taixu Mirror for his own use at this moment, he could still temporarily draw upon its powers.
The many arriving strong cultivators each took their seats, waiting for the arrival of others, while casting looks at the cultivators in the projected image of the Daoist mirror.
However, unless someone held the title of Sect Leader, they, often like Pei Xuanjing, would dismiss their responsibilities as sect leaders and pay no attention to many worldly matters, immersing themselves in cultivation instead.
Let alone outsiders, they hardly knew even the young members of their own forces.
Therefore, this was an excellent opportunity to get to know some of the talented and capable juniors from all over the world.
After all, now that Heaven and Earth were reviving and the Great World was about to rise, if they truly integrated the Sky Wasteland into the Ancestral Land, they would inevitably encounter even more strong cultivators, who would become their peers.
So it'd be better to take this opportunity to get to know these people to avoid any embarrassing situations due to unfamiliarity in the future.
In Heaven and Earth, under the circumstances where the strongest cultivators in the Nine Realms of Spirit hadn't emerged, the actual rulers of this world were countless cultivators of the Spirit Realm Eightfold.
Among these cultivators of the Spirit Realm Eightfold, there were some unofficial classifications. For example, recently promoted cultivators of Spirit Realm Eightfold, without any exceptional divine abilities or Divine Weapon Treasures, would be considered the weakest among all, the stepping-stone of the rest.
Another category was those who had reached the Spirit Realm Eightfold for a certain period, fully stabilized their realm, and had a few unique abilities and Divine Weapon Treasures. They could be considered strong figures within the Spirit Realm Eightfold.
The third category was like King Yuan, who possessed strong abilities and had been promoted quite some time ago. They were young and energetic and had top-tier Divine Weapon Treasures and divine abilities. They were first-class existences among cultivators of the Spirit Realm Eightfold.
The fourth group included the founders of various ancient kingdoms, the pioneers of top-tier forces, Wu Shijiu, and the High Ancestor of Canglang Palace. They had spent countless years immersing themselves in the Spirit Realm Eightfold, reaching its boundaries. They were adept at all sorts of divine abilities, possessed top-tier Divine Weapon Treasures, and could even pose a challenge to the strongest cultivators of the Nine Realms of Spirit.
Of course, these were the original classifications. After Pei Xuanjing, at the Spirit Realm Eightfold, suppressed Taixu Venerable, a fifth category emerged among the cultivators of Spirit Realm Eightfold—an existence that could suppress the strongest cultivators of the Nine Realms of Spirit while at the Spirit Realm Eightfold.
However, currently, Pei Xuanjing was the only cultivator in the fifth category in the entire world, without any predecessors or successors.
The emergence of Pei Xuanjing shattered the longstanding records of the world, ushering in a new era. He proved that the chasm between the Spirit Realm Eightfold and the strongest cultivators of the Nine Realms of Spirit wasn't insurmountable—it could entirely be broken.
Without a doubt, this served as a ray of hope for many cultivators who believed that they had already reached the pinnacle of Spirit Realm Eightfold but always failed to step into the highest realm of the Nine Realms of Spirit. It particularly inspired those cultivators, like the founding monarchs of the ancient kingdoms, who were stuck in the fourth level of the Spirit Realm Eightfold. After all, even if they were trapped by their own limitations and couldn't break through the Heavenly barrier to the Nine Realms of Spirits, they could still constantly improve their strength and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those top-tier cultivators.
As such, the founding monarchs of many ancient kingdoms decided to join the forthcoming Dao Debating Conference on Shenxiao Mountain, which was hosted by Pei Xuanjing.
When the founding monarch of the Great River Ancient Kingdom entrusted a message to Pei Xuanjing, he intended to resolve their previous grudges and learn more about the secrets behind Pei Xuanjing's enhancement in strength and seek his guidance.
People from all walks of life, without exception, are driven by benefits.
These old timers who had lived for thousands of years and survived the initial cataclysm while getting better and better weren't simple fellows. Especially the founders of the ancient kingdoms and the creators of top-tier forces were absolutely not people who would get up early without profitable affairs.
"Since you all wish for it, I certainly won't refuse," Pei Xuanjing thought, laughing inwardly. "If I were to hide things now, it would not only be against my character, but it might incite discontent and provoke an alliance to resist me."
As for what these people were thinking and planning, Pei Xuanjing was well aware. He knew that the cultivators who had contacted him were driven by such thoughts. However, Pei Xuanjing didn't mind their intentions.
For him, he wasn't concerned about these issues. As per his actual intentions, he wished for more and more strong cultivators in this world. Only with the emergence of countless new cultivators and the interweaving of various Taoist skills could they gain more insights, which would be of great benefit to their cultivation. So, Pei Xuanjing didn't mind it at all.
With the help of a simulator, Pei Xuanjing believed that he will not fall behind anyone. He was not afraid that others might surpass him after learning his Taoist skills. On the contrary, he looked forward to people comprehending his Taoist rituals and developing different paths from them, which would give him more insights.
While Pei Xuanjing was considering these issues, the voice of the Witch God Sect Leader sounded in his ears, "Sire Xuanjing might not be familiar with these powerhouses, would Sire like me to introduce them to you?"
The Witch God Sect Leader kindly offered while gazing at the arriving powerhouses.
Upon hearing this, Pei Xuanjing gave a slight nod, "If that's the case, then I thank you for your kind offer, Sect Leader."
The Witch God Sect Leader was correct. While Pei Xuanjing had some understanding of the many top forces in the Sky Wasteland, he wasn't entirely familiar with these extremely formidable beings.
After all, the height at which those in the Ninth Level of the Spirit Realm stood was the highest peak between Heaven and Earth. Ordinary cultivators had no chance, or rather, they had no qualifications to contact them. As for information about these powerful beings, Pei Xuanjing could not easily obtain it from other sources.
Even for a power like the Great River Ancient Country, they wanted to make in-roads with Pei Xuanjing, but he didn't understand much about these powerful beings. For them, he knew mostly just their names without much other understanding.
Now that the Witch God Sect Leader was willing to speak on his behalf, Pei Xuanjing naturally would not refuse.
Their gazes calmly swept around the surroundings where many powerful beings were gathered. The Witch God Sect Leader spoke softly to Pei Xuanjing.
"In this world, all the top forces must have the most potent beings defending them. Apart from the Taixu Sect, which is a newly emerging top force presided over by the Taixu Venerable whom you suppressed, all other top forces have at least two mighty beings holding their fort."
Pei Xuanjing nodded, indicating his understanding. If he didn't know this, he wouldn't have chosen to target the Taixu Venerable directly to establish his majesty. After all, if there was a second Ninth Level Spirit Realm being in the Taixu Sect, he would have been unable to confront two Ninth Level Spirit Realm beings.
The Witch God Sect Leader continued, "In fact, there aren't many powerful beings in this world. Apart from some independents, the rest of the powerful beings mostly originate from top forces, such as the nine major sects of the Righteous Path, the five holy lands of the Buddha Way, the six great demonic sects of the Demonic Cult, and forces like our Witch God Sect which do not belong to either the Righteous Path or the Demonic Way. These forces, together with the independent powerful cultivators, total less than a hundred…"
The Ninth Level of the Spirit Realm – one step and you ascend to heaven. It's not a joke. Cultivation becomes increasingly difficult.
Don't think that Pei Xuanjing has encountered many cultivators at the Seventh or Eighth Level of the Spirit Realm, or even the powerful beings of the Ninth Level of the Spirit Realm. It's only because of his strength.
For most ordinary cultivators, each step in their cultivation is not easy. There are no shortcuts to progress.
Even in the Sky Wasteland, where the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi is abundant and makes breaking through the Spirit Realm very easy, the subsequent climb to the peak of cultivation is extremely difficult, or should be said, as challenging as ascending to heaven.
The leap from the Third Level of the Spirit Realm to the Fourth Level forms a hurdle, blocking the path of countless cultivators.
Similarly, stepping from the Sixth Level of the Spirit Realm into the Seventh Level requires comprehension and refining of one's Taoist Foundation. This too has blocked the path of countless cultivators.
Even after entering the Seventh Level of the Spirit Realm, one can ascend to Heaven. But, in reality, every step of advancement is extremely difficult. Without talent or great perseverance and great opportunities, there is no chance at all.
Despite all this, when Pei Xuanjing heard this number, he felt a sense of kinship. Simply considering the number of cultivators in the Sky Wasteland, let alone the Daming World, and further understanding that many of these powerful beings were old monsters who existed during the great wars of the Tang Dynasty, one can imagine how rare these beings from the Ninth Level of the Spirit Realm really are.
"Among the world's top forces, Xuantian Sect from the Righteous Path has at least two Ninth-Level Spirit Realm beings besides its Sect Master. Rumor has it that a fourth Ninth-Level Spirit Realm being exists within Xuantian Sect, but whether it's true or false, even I don't know," the Witch God Sect Leader said, communicating with Pei Xuanjing.
As he heard the Witch God Sect Leader's words, Pei Xuanjing cast a glance from the corners of his eyes at the unremarkable middle-aged man seated on the platform to his upper left, and became curious.
The middle-aged man sitting on the platform to the upper left was the Sect Master of Xuantian Sect.
Pei Xuanjing, who had long been familiar with the Sky Wasteland, knew that Xuantian Sect was currently recognized as the number one force in the Sky Wasteland. The seemingly unremarkable middle-aged man had power comparable to the Witch God Sect Leader, and belonged to the Overlords of the Spirit Realm Ninth Level.
Xuantian Sect, with three Ninth-Level Spirit Realm beings to suppress the world, was the main force of the human race against the Demon Race. However, Pei Xuanjing was surprised to hear the Witch God Sect Leader reveal such a secret today. There might still be a fourth powerful being within the Xuantian Sect, which was truly horrifying!
The Witch God Sect Leader waited for Pei Xuanjing to process this information. When he first heard this news, he was also shocked and became even more wary of Xuantian Sect.
After all, sometimes there can be no smoke without fire. At their level, if news reached their ears, it wouldn't be groundless. Hence, before confirming it, the Witch God Sect Leader also adopted the belief of better to believe it than not.
Using the opportunity when the Witch God Sect Leader let out the information, he said, "Following this, the second powerful force among the Righteous Path, the State Master should be very familiar with, as he also has close relations with their descendants in the ancestral land."
"Dragon Tiger Mountain?" Pei Xuanjing immediately asked back.
In Sky Wasteland, having inheritance and also belonging to the top forces, and being an acquaintance of his, it seemed that except for Dragon Tiger Mountain, there were no other forces.
"Correct!" The Witch God Sect Leader affirmed.
Pei Xuanjing asked doubtfully, "But from what I've heard, apart from the Ancestor Celestial Master, Dragon Tiger Mountain only has another Ninth Level Spirit Realm being. Many other forces have three Ninth Level Spirit Realm beings, so why is Dragon Tiger Mountain second?"
The Witch God Sect Leader laughed lightly, "Of course it's all because of the existence of the Ancestor Celestial Master. He is an antique from the Divine Han era. He wields the Yin-Yang Evil-Slaying Treasure Sword, as well as the Yangping Zhidu Seal – the two top-grade divine magical treasures. He has killed powerful demon beings of the Ninth Level Spirit Realm. Who dares to underestimate a figure with such an achievement? If it wasn't for Dragon Tiger Mountain only having two powerful beings, the position of the world's top sect would have belonged to Dragon Tiger Mountain."
Even the Witch God Sect Leader held no contempt for the Dragon Tiger Mountain's Ancestor Celestial Master. He was an antique who had risen to power in the Divine Han era, initiated the Orthodox Zhengyi Doctrine, established a teaching sect, defeated the Six Heavenly Ghosts, and suppressed innumerable beings. Only those who had personally witnessed him in action could know how terrifying he was.
If it hadn't been for the Dragon Tiger Mountain's lack of successors, with just the power of the Ancestor Celestial Master, if there was one more powerful figure, the position of the world's top sect would have surely belonged to the Dragon Tiger Mountain.