All things in the world change, except change itself.
With every moment, Heaven and Earth are in flux, and from the inception of a skill, including the original creator, every cultivator adjusts the skill they practice based on their own cognition and understanding.
It's not that ancient skills are necessarily powerful. Any force or cultivator's skills are in a constant state of evolution and modernization, adapting to the changes and iterations of the environmental context of Heaven and Earth in order to get stronger.
The so-called power of ancient skills might only be certain in one scenario: that is, if Heaven and Earth were in decline. Otherwise, in any world, the ceaseless development of cultivation inevitably results in new methods surpassing the old ones.
If any old skill were to be superior to the new, wouldn't that mean that the development of the vast cultivation world over thousands of years was nonsense?
Another ten years flashed by in the twinkling of an eye, and without concerning himself with the affairs of the world or the power increase of cultivators around him, Pei Xuanjing's attention was entirely focused on his Life Simulator.
...
[Taoyun: 202,937,382 points.]
[Would you like to use the Life Simulator? A single usage will consume 200,000,000 Taoyun points.]
As Pei Xuanjing advanced to the True Immortal Realm, the Taoyun points required for a single simulation had reached two hundred million. Even with the help of the Dao Academy Contribution System and Pei Xuanjing, a True Immortal, spending years accumulating Taoyun points through constant contemplation of the Heavenly Dao, it had still taken him about twenty years to gather enough points.
Now that he finally had enough Taoyun points, Pei Xuanjing calmly concentrated, discarding all distractions, ready to initiate his first simulated life since entering the path of the Immortal Dao and the transformation of the Life Simulator.
After all, Pei Xuanjing was immensely curious about this cycle of reincarnation.
"Yes!"
Chirurg: "Genoeg! Als u pijn in uw heup of knie heeft, schrap dat dan onmiddellijk uit uw dieet..."Open
[Life Simulation—Cycle of Reincarnation Initiated:]
In a mere instant, silence enveloped Pei Xuanjing as if time itself had halted. At this moment, his sea of consciousness was like Chaos, and then, with a loud bang, Heaven and Earth separated. A speck of his True Spirit was swept into it, silently observing the process of Heaven and Earth evolving.
[There are fifty in the Great Tao, but Forty-Nine Heavenly Paths emerge, hiding one away! Thus, all things in the world, each have a sliver of hope!]
The words in his sea of consciousness shattered with a boom, transforming into countless characters, undulating uncertainly in his mind, chaotically fluttering and arranging themselves in what seemed an ordered, yet unordered pattern.
These characters continuously collided, devoured, and evolved. It was unknown how much time passed—perhaps a moment, perhaps ten thousand years.
By the time Pei Xuanjing came back to his senses, he found himself standing on an ancient and vicissitudinous bridge. Beneath the bridge flowed a river, the color of which was indescribable—it was black if you thought it was black, white if you considered it white; all was uncertain, defined by the heart of the observer.
River of Forgetfulness? Helpless Bridge?
An assumption arose in Pei Xuanjing's heart, and his gaze returned to the banks of the River of Forgetfulness,
On both banks was lush vegetation, and the instant Pei Xuanjing saw those plants, a name surfaced in his mind: Other Shore Flower.
The Other Shore Flower, also known as Manjushage, is said to be a divine flower that blooms in the Netherworld. One belief is that the Other Shore Flower blooms on the other shore; it is the flower of sorrowful memories, a guiding blossom that can awaken the memories of the deceased.
Could this place be the Netherworld? A terrifying guess emerged in Pei Xuanjing's heart.
Descriptions of the Other Shore Flower abound in Heaven and Earth. Legends have it that the powerhouse who finds the Other Shore Flower can keep their True Spirit from fading and enter the cycle of reincarnation with their memories to live another life. Alas, for thousands of years, despite countless powerhouses searching everywhere in Heaven and Earth and traversing the Nine Netherworlds and River of Oblivion, no one has ever found the Other Shore Flower.
Pressing down these speculations for the moment, Pei Xuanjing continued forward on what he conjectured might be the Helpless Bridge over the River of Forgetfulness. One step taken, and suddenly the world changed.
In an instant, he saw a vast circular portal before him, evenly divided into six sections, each intricately carved with mysterious murals and texts.
Though Pei Xuanjing did not recognize these mystical characters and paintings, the moment his gaze fell upon them, he instantly understood their meanings.
This was the Six Paths Reincarnation Gate; to push open this gate was to step into the cycle of reincarnation. The different texts and murals on the gate symbolized the different paths of rebirth.
Three Good Paths: Celestial Human Path, Mortal Realm Path, Asura Path; Three Evil Paths: Hell Path, Hungry Ghost Path, Wretch Path.
To step into different paths was to enter different trajectories of rebirth – to become a celestial, a mortal, an asura, to fall into the endless hells, to transform into beings of the ghostly realm, or to be reborn as an animal.
And beyond these various doors, Pei Xuanjing looked far into the distance, as if seeing countless worlds as minute as grains of sand – bright, dim, scorching, freezing, eerie, dignified… an endless variety.
Of course, Pei Xuanjing no longer had the luxury of choice, because he found that the simulator simply did not allow him to choose. The circular gate spun wildly, and at this moment, Pei Xuanjing was swept up by a force, his entire being devoured and plunged into chaos.
Before his True Spirit was engulfed, the only thoughts in Pei Xuanjing's mind were not of anything else but a single realization: reincarnation truly exists!
...
The Great Ming Dynasty, Tiandu, Taixuan Temple.
Taixuan Temple, situated on the mountainside on the outskirts of the city, was said to have been a place where a Taoist immortal from the former dynasty practiced pill refining.
However, with the change of dynasties, the once bustling Taixuan Temple had long since declined, becoming a place where not even crows would visit.
Now, it was nothing more than an ordinary Taoist temple, with a dozen or so rooms front and back, housing no more than a dozen people, appearing very desolate.
Yet, anyone in Tiandu with some status knew that the master currently residing in Taixuan Temple was no ordinary person – he was the Seventh Prince of the current Great Ming Dynasty.
The cold winter had arrived, and snowflakes danced in the sky.
Inside a room in the backyard of Taixuan Temple, several large furnaces were set up, burning bright charcoal, radiating waves of heat, in sharp contrast to the freezing cold outside.
A youthful and handsome young man sat on a stool, meticulously transcribing a copy of the "Tao Te Ching," his expression focused, undisturbed by external distractions.
And judging by the almost human-height stacks of parchments in the room, one could tell that this task of transcribing these books had been going on for quite some time now.
"Without realizing it, another year has passed."
About two hours later, Pei Xuanjing finished transcribing the last character, set down his brush, and looked out at the snow falling like goose feathers, his brows tinged with some emotion.
He had been living in Taixuan Temple for seven years now, and if one added his days in the royal palace, he had been living in this world for a total of eighteen years.
"I did not expect to come to an unprecedented world in this cycle of the life simulator," Pei Xuanjing thought of his understanding of this world, and shook his head slightly, "Unfortunately, True Immortals cannot survive, the restrictions of this world are no less than those after ascending to the Daming World, but still, there are no True Immortals."
Although his True Spirit had descended to this life as part of reincarnation, his essence as a True Immortal would not fade away. His status as a True Immortal would not disappear, and the immortality characteristic of a True Immortal still remained. Therefore, the moment his memory awakened, Pei Xuanjing mastered much knowledge about this world.
It could be said that Pei Xuanjing was a born Longevity Species, whose lifespan, even without cultivation, due to the nature of a True Immortal, was unimaginable to mortals.
This life simulation, according to the description of the Life Simulator at first, was not merely a simulation of the future, but also an experience of the operating trajectory of different lives through the reincarnation of a bit of Pei Xuanjing's True Spirit, maintaining his memory indelibly.
However, no matter what, the essence of Pei Xuanjing's life, even after the cycle of reincarnation, remained unchanged; his characteristic of being an undying and immortal True Immortal still existed.
"To be an Immortal? To follow the Path of Longevity? I never imagined I would have such an opportunity," Pei Xuanjing's currently somewhat youthful face revealed a special smile.
After arriving in this world and understanding his own situation, Pei Xuanjing was quite satisfied with his current circumstances.
Having a long life, without the worry of lifespan, he could cultivate at ease. This was the method of cultivation so many sought after.
To tell the truth, although Pei Xuanjing had walked this path with resolute slaughters that left behind an endless reputation, this was not actually his wish. If he could choose, what Pei Xuanjing would want most was to recite the Huang Ting Sutra in solitude.
...
Therefore, this life simulation experience of Pei Xuanjing's reincarnation to this one-sided world, no matter the final gain, was a precious experience for him.
In this heaven and earth, Pei Xuanjing's identity was that of the Seventh Prince of the Dahong Dynasty. Although he was just a prince born of a concubine, with his mother consort having passed away early, being a prince meant he still didn't lack any necessities, especially since he was not involved in the competition for the throne.
Indeed, within the royal family, a prince born of a concubine without the support of maternal clan forces had no qualifications to participate in the struggle for the throne, but this situation also provided protection. Especially in the eyes of other competitors for the throne, being considered harmless, he would not be targeted.
As for the idea that, due to his early departed mother consort, he suffered targeting by servile servants looking to curry favor, such things did not happen to Pei Xuanjing. After all, he was a prince, and his status was not something that servants could afford to neglect.
In the absence of other princes and consorts' deliberate instigation, no servant would dare to target a prince out of line, and Pei Xuanjing, who posed no threat, was not only not a target, but on the contrary, often received care from other princes. They did so to display a facade of fraternal respect and show off their magnanimity.
Regarding this situation, Pei Xuanjing certainly did not refuse the arrivals. He was heartily living a peaceful life, found a reason to reside in the Taixuan Temple, detached from worldly affairs, daily comprehending and reflecting upon the Tao, and the more he did so, the more frequent the other princes' gestures of goodwill became.
Chirurg: "Genoeg! Als u pijn in uw heup of knie heeft, schrap dat dan onmiddellijk uit uw dieet..."Open
While residing in the Taixuan Temple, watching from afar the many princes contending within the entire Tiandu was like a worldly trial for the heart for Pei Xuanjing. It at least allowed his divinity, which had been increasing as he ascended to True Immortal on the Dao of Spirit Immortals, to be suppressed, adding a bit more of a human touch.
Coming to this world, Pei Xuanjing sought nothing like dominating the world or restructuring the universe. He only wished to be a quiet Taoist, peacefully cultivating, unraveling Taoist skills, and embodying life.
"There's still some time, waiting for this body to reach twenty years of age, then I can leave this land of strife and return to my fief." A smile spread across Pei Xuanjing's face.
The Royal Capital was as splendid as a blooming garden, a place countless people yearned for, even many cultivators were drawn to it, but to Pei Xuanjing, it was nothing special; he had seen even more bustling places than this.
He was waiting, waiting for this body to reach the age of twenty and undergo the capping ceremony, after which he could return to his fief. Although the fief granted to a prince born of a concubine would not be large, to ordinary people or many independent practitioners, it was unimaginably rich.
And within his fief, even if Pei Xuanjing could not intervene in local governance, his high status and identity meant that, without touching on taboos, no one could restrain him. Was this not a carefree life?
The Emperor of the Dahong Dynasty was getting on in years, with the princes eyeing the throne covetously, each gathering their own forces. This Seventh Prince, however, wholeheartedly pursued cultivation, undoubtedly drawing many sideways glances. But after the various parties investigated and found this prince indeed never meddled in worldly affairs, they each backed down and no longer paid him special attention.
However, sometimes, the unfolding of many events does not change according to one's will; even if Pei Xuanjing could be considered immortal, he did not demonstrate mighty power in this world nor gather forces. Instead, he let things take their course, so many significant happenings in this world proceeded just as they had originally, and for the time being did not deviate due to the fluttering of this butterfly who came through reincarnation simulation.
When Pei Xuanjing appeared in this world, he realized that it was not the least bit inferior to the Daming World he ascended after. Although there were no True Immortals like Pei Xuanjing and others, there indeed existed beings similar to the former Supreme Strong.
Moreover, although this world was powerful and home to cultivators, its development was starkly different from that of the Daming World because in this world, the Immortal Path was on the decline, and Martial Arts flourished. Cultivator warriors had immense strength, capable of obtaining power comparable to the Supreme Strong in a short time, yet their lifespans were brief; the strongest among them did not live beyond five hundred years, which was merely the lifespan of those who had just stepped into the Spirit Realm in the Daming World.
When Pei Xuanjing first received this news, he was deeply shocked. Logically speaking, the stronger one was, the longer the lifespan should be. The powerhouses of this world were formidable, but their lifespans were short, which was undoubtedly somewhat abnormal. However, Pei Xuanjing had yet to investigate the reason behind this.
And this world was not like the Daming World where many forces and ancient countries coexisted—it was instead a pattern where the flourishing Martial Arts of a dynasty suppressed the entire world, with several dynasties vying for supremacy. Even if the strength of the various sects was formidable, transcending the mundane, they could not influence the world pattern.
At that time, the Emperor of the Dahong Dynasty was nearing death. Besides the internal struggle among the many princes, the other dynasties were also eyeing the throne eagerly, and sects wanted to intervene to replace them.
Many powerhouses gathered in Tiandu, each choosing to support a prince to vie for the inheritance, and Tiandu was now an assembly of wind and rain, with dragons and snakes mixed together. Powerhouses and heroes, enemy spies, and covert sect members, each with their own identities and intentions, remained uncertain until the last moment of their true plans.
In such circumstances, even if Pei Xuanjing stayed out of worldly affairs, living simply within the Taixuan Temple, it was inevitable that some would harbor thoughts and turn their attention toward Pei Xuanjing.
One must understand that among heaven and earth there are always people who regard themselves as superior, transcending the ordinary. They see themselves as the chess players, treating all beings under heaven as chess pieces, manipulating others' fates to fulfill their own destiny.
Unfortunately for them, they had encountered Pei Xuanjing.