A Thousand Years of Immortal Dreams

Two thousand years ago.

The year was 12280 in the Tai Xuan calendar.

In the Central Divine Continent, at the Primordial Dao Court, the Miscellaneous Service Office.

Shen Jingqiu sat on the steps at the entrance of the woodshed, dressed in a plain long dress, her long hair casually draped over her shoulders.

The setting sun also fell upon her, gilding her aloof and ethereal face with a pale golden light.

She also looked down at the jade pendant with two fish in her palm, making the same gesture as Cao Wang.

"lecher……"

Shen Jingqiu murmured softly, her tone carrying a hint of worry that she herself was unaware of.

"I wonder if you're dead or not?"

She looked up and gazed at the distant horizon.

The mountains of Taichu Daoting stretched out in the twilight, cranes flew through the clouds, and the sound of bells echoed far and wide.

"What will it be like two thousand years from now?"

"Have the Four Great Immortal Sects truly vanished? Has everything... disappeared?"

The overwhelming and distant worldview made her feel like an insignificant ant.

Shen Jingqiu gripped the jade pendant tightly and stood up.

Go to bed early tonight.

If that lecherous man really died, wouldn't the secret of this jade pendant also disappear along with him?

……

That night, the two people at opposite ends of time both fell asleep early, without prior arrangement.

It's that long white river again.

Cao Wang went upstream against the flow of the white light, while Shen Jingqiu went downstream from the other side.

The two met in the center of the void, and with a flash of white light, they simultaneously fell into that familiar snow-white space.

"We meet again!"

With excitement, Cao Wang looked around and his gaze immediately locked onto the figure in pure white.

Then he dashed forward.

"Whoosh!"

A sword beam appeared in front of him, only three inches from his throat.

"Stand there and don't move."

Shen Jingqiu gripped his sword and said coldly.

"Let's have a good talk today."

"Yes, yes, I won't move."

Cao Wang chuckled awkwardly, took two steps back, and raised his hands.

Shen Jingqiu sheathed his sword, crossed his arms, and looked him up and down.

"Last time you said you were almost killed by three witches, what happened after that?"

Mentioning this, Cao Wang immediately perked up and took a step forward, only to be glared at by Shen Jingqiu and forced to take another step back.

"I really have to thank you for this!"

You have no idea, when I went out, my life essence was almost completely drained!

I used the spirit-gathering talisman you gave me at the crucial moment.

Good heavens, the spiritual power in that talisman completely overwhelmed the three of them!

The three witches exploded on the spot!

I even broke through to the fifth level of the Qi Refining stage in one fell swoop!

Cao Wang looked at Shen Jingqiu with anticipation.

Shen Jingqiu looked at him expressionlessly.

His eyes looked like he was looking at an idiot.

"Do I look like an idiot to you?"

"Huh?" Cao Wang was taken aback.

"A mere Spirit-Gathering Talisman, a half-finished piece I drew as practice, and you're saying it overpowered three Qi Refining stage cultivators and even allowed you to break through to the fifth level of the Qi Refining stage?"

Shen Jingqiu tilted his head.

Do you think I'd believe that?

"I'm telling the truth!"

"hehe."

"If I'm lying, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!"

Cao Wang was so anxious that he held up three fingers to swear.

This feeling of not being believed is so painful.

"Alright, you say you're at the fifth level of Qi Refining? Why do I think you're only at the first level?"

"what?"

Cao Wang's eyes widened immediately.

"First level of Qi Refining?"

Cao Wang immediately looked inward at his dantian, where the powerful aura of a fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator condensed.

Fifth level of Qi Refining, without a doubt!

"Are you sure you're not mistaken? I'm only at the fifth level of Qi Refining!"

"You're only at the first level of Qi Refining, and even just at the early stage of the first level of Qi Refining—a complete newbie!"

"No, are you seeing things, or am I seeing things wrong? Do you think I'm only at the first level of Qi Refining?"

With a wave of his hand, Cao Wang unleashed spiritual power belonging to the fifth level of the Qi Refining stage.

Shen Jingqiu stood there blankly, quietly watching Cao Wang's performance.

"Did you see that? What level of Qi Refining?"

"On the first floor!"

Shen Jingqiu disagreed.

"Is this the first floor?"

Cao Wang was almost going crazy, frantically gathering his spiritual power and outputting it at maximum power.

"This is the aura of the first level of Qi Refining. Don't bother showing it off. With your strength, you're not even as good as a menial disciple in our Primordial Dao Court."

Cao Wang was completely dumbfounded: "But my aura is equivalent to the fifth level of Qi Refining in our area. I also reached the fifth level of Qi Refining through your Spirit Accumulation Talisman before entering the outer sect of the Blissful Sect."

Shen Jingqiu also began to have doubts about this.

"Could it be that the cultivation system has changed two thousand years later? If that's the case, then the Purple Mansion stage cultivation level in your area is even inferior to the Foundation Establishment stage?"

"What is the Purple Mansion Stage?"

Cao Wang was dumbfounded again.

"What are you saying?"

"The Purple Mansion stage... you begin with Qi Refining, build the foundation, cultivate the Purple Mansion spirit, and only then can you step onto the Golden Core path. Aren't you all like that?"

"Give me a break!"

Cao Wang plopped down on his seat.

"The Qi Refining stage is correct, and the Foundation Establishment stage is also correct. After completing the Foundation Establishment stage, shouldn't one directly condense the Golden Core? How come a Purple Mansion stage suddenly appears?"

"What?! Qi Refining Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, Purple Mansion Stage, Golden Core Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, Profound Understanding Stage, Deity Transformation Stage, Body Integration Stage, Mahayana Stage, and finally, transcending tribulation to become an immortal—aren't you all like that?"

"Oh! I understand!"

Cao Wang suddenly realized.

"Over two thousand years of evolution, in the cultivation system, people have abolished the Purple Mansion stage and this so-called Profound Realm stage!"

"So, you don't have the Purple Mansion and Profound Realm stages?"

"That's right!"

"No wonder you're so weak. It seems that two thousand years haven't brought cultivation into a new golden age, but rather it's heading towards decline!"

"No, no, no! A thousand years ago, the Abyss Barbarians invaded and ruled the Tai Xuan Continent. It is said that they destroyed much of the culture of your era, attempting to sever the foundation of humanity through cultivation and culture. It seems that the cultivation system must have experienced a break at that time!"

Shen Jingqiu nodded: "That makes sense!"

Cao Wang chimed in, "In other words, the quality of cultivation in your era is several times that of ours now. That explains why a simple spirit-gathering talisman could overwhelm those three witches!"

"It seems that's how it is!"

The two fell into a brief silence.

They each had their own thoughts.

For Cao Wang, receiving help from a cultivator from the Primordial Era was like adding wings to a tiger, allowing him to develop even faster.

But for Shen Jingqiu, the era in which Cao Wang lived was the Dharma-ending Age.

Cao Wang offered her no help whatsoever, given that her cultivation had been crippled and she had become a disciple he cared about.

"Um... do you still have that spirit-gathering talisman?"

Why should I give it to you?

Shen Jingqiu snorted coldly.

The humiliation he suffered more than ten times before cannot be glossed over.

Cao Wang's eyes gradually brightened.

He seems to have found the instruction manual for this jade pendant.

Two points can be gleaned from the conversation just now.

First, the cultivation system was different two thousand years ago compared to the present.

Second, the quality of spiritual energy two thousand years ago was many times higher than it is now, as can be seen from a simple spirit-gathering talisman.

So, if I can obtain cultivation resources from two thousand years ago through Shen Jingqiu, wouldn't I be able to do whatever I want in this Dharma-ending Age?

Cao Wang looked at Shen Jingqiu with the eyes of someone who hadn't eaten for three days and was now seeing a whole roasted lamb; his mouth watered uncontrollably.

But he also knew very well that if he wanted to gain benefits from the other party, he also needed to have the same value to be used.

But what value can I bring to her?

She doesn't care about any of the resources available in this degenerate age, so what else could she possibly want?

As he was thinking, a sudden flash of inspiration struck Cao Wang.

history!