I became an immortal in the mountains

Chapter 790 Every sip and every bite is preordained.
In the outer void, time and space lose their normal order. Only fragments of broken laws and the occasional annihilation storms create a seemingly tranquil but actually endlessly dangerous wasteland.

No cultivator is willing to be lost outside the realm, because once they cannot find their own realm, only destruction awaits them. Even if a cultivator is a mortal immortal with abundant vital energy, able to exist in the outer space-time for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, the outcome is not much different.

It can only be said that the higher one's cultivation level, the greater the chance of survival.

The absence of spiritual energy here makes ordinary cultivators dare not use their true essence casually outside the realm, and they dare not even use escape techniques recklessly.

Here, it's impossible to even distinguish up from down, front from back; all around is a vast void, with no star map for reference.

Therefore, although the cultivation world has been repeatedly attacked by celestial demons, they have always managed to repel them or suppress and kill the attackers. However, almost no one has been able to find out where the celestial demons actually come from.
This is why the Alliance of Tribulation Control is always so cautious when they venture out of the spatial rift to hunt down the Heavenly Demons, because once they go out, they might not be able to return.

Gu Yuanqing had no such concerns. The Heavenly Fishing Technique allowed him to travel freely in the outer void without worrying about being unable to return or losing his vital energy. The only thing he needed to worry about was whether his clone and his main body would lose contact.

The primordial aura of the Heavenly Demon flowed slowly in his palm without any unusual movement.

There are three such auras in Gu Yuanqing's hands: the Formless Shadow Demon, the Blood Sea Demon Lord, and the Nine-Headed Demon Owl. These three immortal demons have all escaped some of their power from his hands, which can be used to guide the way.

However, even if we rely on this, searching for the Heavenly Demon in this void is still not much different from finding a needle in a haystack.

The distance was too great for this wisp of demonic aura to be of any use, offering no guidance whatsoever. It only had an effect when one was truly close to its true form.

If the Heavenly Demon happens to be hiding in some world, it might be difficult to sense it even if you get close.

Gu Yuanqing's clone took out several streams of demonic energy from the seal and tested them, but none of them produced any reaction.

"It seems that these few Undying Chaos Demons are no longer around here."

Gu Yuanqing was not surprised by this. When these extraterrestrial demons escaped from his grasp, they suffered heavy losses and thought he was a mere illusory immortal, which probably terrified them.

From Li Miaoxuan's words, we can also learn that in the void surrounding the city, even the aura of extraterrestrial demons at the Chaos Heaven level is rarely found. Judging from all these circumstances, it can be concluded that the demon army has temporarily retreated.

Currently, facing the pressure from the Ancient Divine Sect, following the established path of cultivation won't be very effective.

Gu Yuanqing then set his sights on the Heavenly Demon. A Heavenly Demon at the Undying Chaos level could be refined with Chaos Yuan Fire to replenish his divine soul's origin, allowing him to increase his cultivation speed several times over.

Of course, Gu Yuanqing was only trying his hand at finding the Heavenly Demon in the outer realms, and he did not force it. Finding traces of the Heavenly Demon in this vast void was all about luck. Even if the Heavenly Fishing Technique was enough to support him to keep searching in the outer void, whether he could find it was still unknown.

Therefore, what is here is merely an ordinary clone.

He glanced around, and relying on a faint, indistinguishable tremor within the aura of the Heavenly Demon's origin in his hand, Gu Yuanqing transformed into a beam of light and swiftly disappeared into the distance.

In the past, there were either traces of demons around, or they were with others. But today, during their escape, there was nothing at all.

It was as if only I existed in this world, and everything else was inanimate.

At first, there was a sense of novelty, but after a long time, there was no sound or sight, only endless turbidity and darkness, which made Gu Yuanqing feel a sense of loneliness.

In fact, if Gu Yuanqing hadn't been a master of spatial manipulation, able to use space itself as an anchor point, the so-called escape would have seemed unreal.

Even the passage of time can only be measured by the circulation of one's own Qi and blood.

Gu Yuanqing's true consciousness did not constantly focus on his clone, as finding the Heavenly Demon's whereabouts would take an unknown amount of time.

He split into several clones, each going its own way.

One of his avatars went to the Boundless River to comprehend the principle of the intertwining of myriad paths;
One of his divine senses was stationed within the Qingping Dao Palace, occasionally engaging in a fierce battle with the figures in the painting.

One of his clones went to the place where the Heavenly Sword Elder had broken through in the Falling Star Plain, and tried to comprehend the Dao of Space from the power emanating from the sword marks.

Another clone was sent to the forbidden land of Dao Source to cultivate the power of the Taixu Creation Wheel, thereby comprehending the Dao of Creation and preparing for the future.

As for the true self, he read extensively, observed mountains and controlled objects, comprehended the great Dao of all realms, promoted the changes in his own world of heaven and man, and cultivated step by step, allowing his cultivation to steadily advance in the Chaotic Undying Realm. In his spare time, he would enter the Spirit Mountain Trial to temper his will with the power of Zhuo Ming.

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the end of the century-long self-imposed seclusion of the Ancient Divine Sect.

Although undercurrents were swirling within the entire Linglong Realm, no one dared to utter a single word of criticism against the Qianyuan Realm openly.

Even the Flame God Sect and the Underworld Palace, which closely followed the Ancient God Sect back then, were quite quiet.

These realm lords are no fools. Given what happened back then, these realms dare not go against the Qian Yuan Realm.

The weight that Qian Yuan Realm and Gu Yuanqing hold in their hearts now is completely different from what it used to be. Even within their own sects, there are many cultivators who have come to Beiquan Mountain to cultivate and have countless connections with Beiquan Mountain. Even though these people have not yet occupied a dominant position in their respective sects, they have already gained some influence.

Given a choice, no one would dare to gamble everything on a fight between two behemoths. Otherwise, mortals would suffer, the great powers would remain undecided, and their own lineage would be severed, leaving them with nowhere to even mourn at their graves.

The Qian Yuan Realm raised its alert level, and even Gu Yuanqing partially withdrew his mind from cultivation so that he could immediately pull all his clones back in case of any unexpected events.

Unexpectedly, the Ancient Divine Sect remained completely silent, continuing its self-imposed seclusion. Not a single member of the Ancient Divine Sect emerged, the teleportation channel leading to the Ancient Realm Platform remained quiet, and even the trial battles were unattended.

The Ancient Realm Platform operates naturally solely based on ancient laws.

And so another year passed, with the various sects in the Linglong Realm whispering amongst themselves.

"Could it be that the Ancient Divine Sect knows it is no match for Gu Yuanqing, so it simply secludes itself from the world?"

“I think that’s possible. Right now, most of the Linglong Realms are aligned with the Qianyuan Realm. Even if the Taigu Divine Sect were to emerge, the Ten Directions Token would be difficult to use. Without the Ten Directions Token, the Taigu Divine Sect would be unable to do anything to the Qianyuan Realm.”

“That’s right. Moreover, it is said that the Great Immortals of the Primordial Divine Sect are all seriously injured. At this level, the injuries they suffer must be Dao injuries, which are not so easy to recover from. If we open the mountain gate but cannot do anything to the Qian Yuan Realm, wouldn’t that be humiliating ourselves?”

"That's right. In my opinion, if the Ancient Divine Sect could do anything to the Qian Yuan Realm, why would they have sealed themselves off for a hundred years? If they had used the Ten Directions Decree back then, most sects wouldn't have dared to disobey their orders, and their chances of success would have been much greater. Moreover, now that I think about it, when the Ancient Divine Sect sealed themselves off, they only said they were sealing themselves off; they never said they would attack the Qian Yuan Realm after sealing themselves off. Clearly, they were also afraid."

……

Across numerous realms, rumors spread like wildfire. The cultivators who had previously secretly favored the Primordial God Sect fell completely silent, daring not to utter a word, and their resolve wavered.

The Qian Yuan Realm was dominant, while the Tai Gu Realm failed to emerge as expected, causing its reputation to plummet.

The Ancient Sect was aware of this scene. However... they were powerless to do anything about it.

Several elders of the Chaotic Undying Sect left through the boundary gate, meaning that all of the sect's high-end combat power had disappeared.

The strongest being at present is only at the Shattered Heaven Realm, which is an unprecedented low point for the Ancient Divine Sect.

Within the sect, undercurrents were also surging. The position of sect leader was vacant, and the heads of each branch all harbored this ambition, making it difficult for anyone to win over the masses.

As for the true disciples, they should have been candidates to succeed the sect leader, but at this moment their cultivation level is at most Yin-Yang, and they are powerless to participate.

The Ancient Divine Sect had no time to deal with the Qian Yuan Sect's affairs. Even if they wanted to restore the Ancient Divine Sect's prestige, they didn't have the strength. Back then, even the sect leader and elders of the Hun Tian Undying Sect couldn't do anything to Gu Yuanqing, let alone them.

Although there are still ancestors at the divine level in the Ancestral Master Hall, only the sect leader is qualified to enter.

Perhaps the only stroke of luck was that Mu Tianheng left behind the sect leader's seal, tokens, domain tokens, and ten directions tokens when he left; otherwise, they probably wouldn't have been able to completely control the sect's grand formation.

Moreover, on that day, the sect used a Void Lotus Platform to send the soul of a patriarch with the cultivation level of a divine path to the outside of the Qian Yuan Realm. More than ten years have passed since then, but that patriarch has vanished without a trace, as if a stone had sunk into the sea.

The departure of the Celestial Surveillance Elder has reduced their monitoring of the Linglong Realms to what it used to be, not to mention that they have been constantly monitoring the movements of the Qian Yuan Realm and have no idea what has happened within it.

Therefore, for these elders of the Ancient Divine Sect, continuing to remain in seclusion was undoubtedly the best option. Only after the major affairs within the sect were settled could they consider other matters.

……

Gu Yuanqing waited for a year but saw no changes. All places, including the Linglong Realm and the Ancient Realm, were safe and sound, which made him feel more and more at ease.

He was unaware of the many changes within the Ancient Divine Sect, nor of the departure of Mu Tianheng and others. He only assumed that the people of the Ancient Divine Sect believed that Zhuo Ming had successfully possessed the body, so they remained inactive.

In any case, he was happy with this. As long as he had enough time to cultivate, what was there to fear from the full force of the ancient divine sect's divine experts?
To avoid the Ancient God Sect noticing anything, he never went out again. He never showed his face, whether it was the once-every-ten-year trial battle or the once-every-hundred-year inter-realm war. Even his clones that went to the Ancient Realm and the Divine Ruins concealed their auras and kept a low profile.

Beiquan Mountain also publicly claims that Master Gu is in seclusion for spiritual cultivation and does not come out.

Meanwhile, the Qian Yuan Realm, which was originally in a state of war preparedness, gradually returned to normal.

Many sects in the Linglong Realm have increasingly leaned towards the Qianyuan Realm, and the Primordial Divine Sect seems to be gradually becoming a thing of the past.

The rate at which incense smoke was increasing outside Beiquan Cave was also accelerating.

Gu Yuanqing's cultivation and strength increased day by day. He searched for traces of the Heavenly Demon in the outer void but to no avail. He was worried that his various clones had been separated for too long and would become unbalanced with his main body. So every ten years, he would recall his clones, share their memories, integrate their divine souls, and eliminate any hidden dangers.

With the skill of catching fish from the sky, one only needs to leave a mark in various places, and there is no need to worry about things being delayed or all previous efforts being wasted.

Each time his spirit returned to oneness, Gu Yuanqing would organize his thoughts and enter a meditative state to reflect and integrate what he had learned. Afterward, he would observe the mountains and contemplate the Dao, comprehending the workings of the universe.

The state of perfect harmony when the soul separates and when it reunites will be different when comprehending the Great Dao. They will also have different feelings when they verify each other.

Unbeknownst to him, Gu Yuanqing's cultivation had progressed to the mid-stage of the Chaotic Undying realm. The illusory miniature worlds formed by the particles in his body had taken shape and gradually become stable, with each particle containing a massive amount of primordial energy.

Possessing all the great Daos, his clones are far more powerful than those of other cultivators. No other cultivator can construct their own world as realistically as he can.

The power of the Celestial Realm also made every illusory world formed from a single particle incredibly powerful.

At this moment, he could rival a Heavenly Transformation cultivator with just a single hair, without any spiritual energy or divine soul enhancement. A clone formed from a drop of ordinary blood could fight against a Yin-Yang level cultivator, and a clone formed from essence blood would be at the Chaotic Heaven level.

For cultivators, time flows like water.

Forty years passed.

Li Miaoxuan returned to her cave. At this time, she was close to the mid-stage of the Shattered Heaven realm. In terms of strength, she had already surpassed Ye Zhenghong, the sect leader of the Spirit Ruins Sect, and could be called the number one person in the Spirit Ruins Sect.

The reason he returned was because it was his father Li Haotian's 500th birthday.

The Beiquan Cave was quite lively, as direct descendants of the Great Qian Dynasty all came to pay their respects.

The birthday banquet was held on Wanfa Peak, which is also the headquarters of the Qianyuan Sect.

Gu Yuanqing, who was in seclusion for publicity purposes, did not participate and did not want to overshadow the main event. He stood on the main peak and watched the lively scene in Wanfa Peak.

Midday on the moon.

Li Miaoxuan quietly approached his side.

Gu Yuanqing stood with his hands behind his back, looking into the distance. His gaze fell on the mountain peak where the round creature resided within the cave, and he said, "Why don't you spend more time with your father?"

"With so many juniors around, there's no need for me," Li Miaoxuan smiled, then turned to Gu Yuanqing and said earnestly, "Thank you."

Gu Yuanqing turned his head to the side: "Thank me for what?"

Li Miaoxuan said, "If it weren't for you, I'm afraid even if I achieved success in my cultivation and returned to Daqian, I would never be able to see my father again."

Gu Yuanqing chuckled and said, "Every drink and every bite is preordained."

Li Miaoxuan was slightly lost in thought, then covered her mouth and chuckled: "Yes, every drink and every bite, is it not preordained, but all have a cause."

Gu Yuanqing's gaze was fixed on the woman in front of him. Her rare smile made her look exceptionally vibrant and lively, as if the frost on her body had melted away instantly. Gu Yuanqing's Dao heart couldn't help but ripple with emotion.

This scene reminded him of the farewell he had on the cliff that year.

Li Miaoxuan felt his gaze and turned her head.

As their eyes met, Gu Yuanqing felt his heart skip a beat and instinctively looked away, casually asking, "I heard you're already an elder of the Yujie Alliance?"

(End of this chapter)