It’s no exaggeration to say that if all these treasures were laid out at once, even some Heavenly Immortals would be consumed by envy.
There were Profound Yellow Root Ginseng, Heaven and Earth Profound Fruits, Great Yang White Fruits, Azure Immortal Lotuses, Myriad Spirit Immortal Liquids, Earth Core Marrow Stones, Soul Nurturing Wood, Bodhi Seeds, Bodhi Fruits, True Dragon Blood, and countless others. The list was endless.
…
Time continued to pass peacefully.
The wheel of time turned, and years flew by. In the blink of an eye, several hundred years had gone by.
Over these centuries, much had changed in this world.
Outside the State of Qi, the Dragon Court Immortal Sect in the State of Qin and the True Phoenix Faction in the State of Chu, due to disputes over resource allocation, went to war. The two factions clashed in many territories, eradicating countless immortal lineages and sects.
Simultaneously, other powerful immortal forces also took advantage of the chaos to attack each other.
An all-out, devastating war, which hadn't occurred in the immortal world for tens of thousands of years, had erupted.
In this cataclysm, which was destined to be drenched in blood, countless immortal forces would be annihilated.
And who knew how many immortals would rise to prominence, achieving great things that would be hailed as legends by later generations.
The State of Qi.
Within the Yin Yang Immortal Palace, the atmosphere was as tense and suffocating as a boiling high-pressure cooker.
“More and more immortal forces are getting involved in the war…”
Beneath the setting sun, in a critical stronghold of the Yin Yang Immortal Palace, an elderly-looking immortal was busily working.
As more intelligence poured in, his expression grew increasingly grave.
Several hundred years had passed, enough time to change many things in this world.
Liu Wei, who had joined the Yin Yang Immortal Palace hundreds of years ago, was now an elder immortal himself, a Earth Immortal. He had even entered the inner sect.
Even within the current Yin Yang Immortal Palace, he held a position of some importance.
Yet, as he looked at the numerous jade talismans in his hand, his face grew even more somber.
As time progressed, the immortal world had become increasingly chaotic, with demons wreaking havoc in the Qi territory from all directions.
In response, the higher-ups of the Yin Yang Immortal Palace had made arrangements, dispatching a large number of disciples to carry out various missions.
Liu Wei, along with many outer disciples, had been dispatched to an important stronghold to maintain order and gather intelligence.
It was worth noting that Liu Wei and Qi Heng were disciples from the same intake.
After hundreds of years, Liu Heng remained a mere disciple, while Qi Heng was now the highest-ranking Palace Master of the Yin Yang Immortal Palace, the foremost figure in the immortal realm of Qi.
“Has the outside world really devolved into this mess…”
Learning about the external situation from other itinerant immortals, Liu Wei’s heart grew heavy.
Over the past few hundred years, he had also traveled outside the State of Qi and ventured into the world, so he knew the current state of affairs.
Even immortals could no longer make a living, let alone ordinary mortals who lacked strength. Their fate was no better than that of pigs and dogs.
…
Standing in mid-air, Liu Wei remained silent for a while before beginning to explain some rules to the disciples who had recently joined the palace.
Just as he finished speaking, a bold outer disciple asked, “Immortal Elder Liu… I heard you and Palace Master Qi were disciples of the same intake when you joined the Yin Yang Immortal Palace. Is that true?”
As soon as the outer disciple finished speaking, Liu Wei, who had been explaining things to everyone, suddenly changed his expression.
Liu Wei was indeed among those who had participated in the same intake test for the Yin Yang Immortal Palace as Qi Heng.
After hundreds of years, he had achieved some status within the Yin Yang Immortal Palace, albeit only at the disciple level.
His cultivation had also progressed significantly. Liu Wei was now at the Earth Immortal realm.
Do not underestimate Earth Immortals. In a few hundred years, to go from a powerless mortal to an Earth Immortal was not considered too slow for a normal immortal!
At this moment, when Liu Wei was asked about Qi Heng, his expression became extremely complex.
Every time he thought of Qi Heng, who had shone like a solitary moon, suppressing their entire generation, Liu Wei felt a myriad of emotions, an indescribable feeling!
He couldn’t understand why Heaven was so unfair, why the best talent, the best cultivation environment, and the best master all belonged to that aloof figure.
“I clearly worked harder than him? I was clearly more diligent? Why? Why is this happening?”
…
“Immortal Elder Liu, what’s wrong? Please say something?”
Seeing Liu Wei standing there in a daze, the outer disciples gathered around. Many outer disciples enjoyed hearing about the glorious deeds of their predecessors to boost their own morale!
“Yes… I was indeed a disciple of the same intake as the Palace Master…”
Liu Wei said, his voice filled with difficulty, after suppressing the complex emotions on his face.
As soon as his words left his lips, countless outer disciples’ faces lit up with excitement.
After all, gossip, especially about prominent figures, was equally appealing to both immortals and mortals.
For a long time, people rarely spoke of the Palace Master, as he was the ruler of the Yin Yang Immortal Palace.
However, many true and false legendary versions of Qi Heng circulated secretly among these disciples.
Among these disciples, a rather short outer disciple, with an expression of worship, asked, “Immortal Elder Liu, does that mean you personally witnessed the legendary deeds of Palace Master Qi?”
From this outer disciple’s words, one could clearly discern his admiration and respect for Qi Heng!
But they did not know that Qi Heng was destined to be the protagonist from birth, having suppressed others of his generation from the outset.
In the end, he rose like a comet, surpassing even the older generation of immortals.
Unrivaled, he naturally ascended to the position of the foremost immortal in Qi and the Palace Master of the Yin Yang Immortal Palace.
“Immortal Elder Liu… can you… can you tell us some stories about the venerable Palace Master?”
After exchanging glances, all the outer disciples present mustered their courage and asked Liu Wei. It was clear they wanted to know the true stories of Qi Heng’s rise.
For them, outer disciples whose futures were uncertain and who didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, Qi Heng’s story was a great source of motivation.
He was a legend they could spend their lives pursuing.
…
“Due to my position and status, I don’t know much about the Palace Master’s affairs. However, I advise you to completely abandon any thoughts of becoming the next Palace Master. From now on, never think of such chaotic things…”
“In tens of thousands of years, the State of Qi has only produced one like the Palace Master, a peerless prodigy who suppressed an entire generation.”
“I can tell you that every time the Yin Yang Immortal Palace recruits disciples, there are always those who wish to become the next Palace Master…”
“But they should take a good look at themselves. Palace Master Qi possesses the Innate Dao Physique, how could he be compared to these insignificant nobodies?”
…
Meanwhile.
“Even so, people need to have dreams. I wish I could be like Palace Master Qi one day,” a certain outer disciple named Nanyang murmured enviously. However, as soon as Nanyang finished speaking, Liu Wei burst into laughter.
His continuous laughter was filled with mockery and resentment.
“Hahaha, Nanyang, what you said is indeed… correct…”
“However, in this world, some people are destined to be half-successful the moment they enter the immortal world, while others may work tirelessly their entire lives and still not achieve any remarkable status or accomplishments.”
“But, having such a dream is always a good thing, no matter how you look at it.”
After finishing his laughter, Liu Wei’s demeanor clearly became somewhat dejected. Nanyang’s words seemed to have stirred up some of his past memories.
Books say that ninety-nine percent perspiration is stronger than one percent inspiration, but this is just text.
The reality is that one percent inspiration is far stronger than ninety-nine percent perspiration.
Talent is talent, and no one can change it.
Back then, he was a servant disciple, while that man was the personal disciple of the aloof Purple Robe Elder.
When they both entered the Yin Yang Immortal Palace, he could barely stand firm, while that man, without any effort, became the focus of the entire Yin Yang Immortal Palace.
After another hundred years of effort, he had established a foothold in the Yin Yang Immortal Palace, harboring ambitions and setting more ambitious goals.
Meanwhile, that man was already competing and contending with the top immortal prodigies of the time.
As time relentlessly passed, another few hundred years went by. He had reached his twilight years.
His ambitions had, without a doubt, failed.
From beginning to end, he had remained merely a disciple under the Yin Yang Immortal Palace, while that man stood at the pinnacle of the entire immortal world.
With a single decision, a casual word, he could alter the course of the entire immortal world, even influencing and changing history…
This was reality. Those who could become immortals were considered prodigies in the eyes of countless mortals.
Who among the young would not be arrogant?
No one was willing to remain a supporting character, or even less than that, especially the young.
However, a stark reality was that only one in ten million immortals could truly shine on the grand stage of the immortal world and leave their mark.
To avoid further trouble, Liu Wei clearly did not wish to speak more about Qi Heng. He dismissed the group of outer disciples, filled with youthful dreams, and slowly departed, returning to his cave dwelling.
He entered his cave dwelling, closed the door, and sat on the meditation cushion, gazing at the incense burner, his eyes filled with profound complexity.
…
(Lately, my mood has been poor. I've been burdened by mortgage payments for thirty years. To relieve stress, I've taken to writing "toxic chicken soup".)