If Pei Xuanjing were to be considered the strongest native individual in Daming World, the second strongest would not be Zhu Houji, the Emperor of Daming Divine Dynasty as everyone would assume.
Instead it would be Wang Boan, who deliberately kept a low profile over the years, only showing his exceptional commanding abilities, leading the army stationed at the border all year round.
Becoming a prominent figure during his youth, he not only distinguished himself as a scholar in the field of Confucianism, forming his own unique branch of the philosophy, but also displayed an extraordinary talent in martial arts.
With the revival of Heaven and Earth, all martial artists of the world had their restrictions lifted, providing them with opportunities to advance further. For Wang Boan, it felt like a tiger entering a forest, or a dragon entering the sea.
His state of mind and cultivation had already reached a perfect state. While other cultivators were still diligently refining their cultivation, seeking the path of progress, all Wang Boan needed was to accumulate Primordial Qi, to continue taking big strides forward.
In the few decades after the revival of spiritual energy, Boan's cultivation speed was second only to Pei Xuanjing, who had the benefit of a simulator. Even Zhu Houji, the Emperor who was assisted by the Divine Dynasty, could not be regarded in the same sphere as him.
Despite Wang Boan currently being at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, he was confident that the difference between the eighth-folded cultivators and him was just a matter of time, the accumulation of Primordial Qi and his foundation.
Therefore, when Pei Xuanjing invited him to participate in the duel of Spirit Realm Eightfold, after some consideration, Wang Boan agreed.
After all, he was confident enough to hold his own against a Spirit Realm Eightfold cultivator, even if not defeat him.
"So, I rely on you quite a bit, sir," Pei Xuanjing said with a smile on his face.
He had not anticipated such a pleasant surprise during this visit.
When he had been discussing with Taoist Zhao Baiyang and others on Shenxiao Mountain, they already had enough suitable candidates for the duels at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm.
However, when he later heard from Zhu Houji that Wang Boan had entered the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, he was prompted to pay a personal visit, and to his surprise, he hit the jackpot.
With Wang Boan's support, Pei Xuanjing had more cards to play in his upcoming plan, allowing him to navigate more freely to secure a greater chance of victory.
However, as Wang Boan was about to leave, he turned to ask Pei Xuanjing, "Sir, I hear that we are short on combatants for the Eightfold Spirit Realm, is that true?"
Pei Xuanjing nodded, "That's correct. That's why we need your help."
Wang Boan looked puzzled, "Didn't you subdue a Spirit Realm Eightfold beast king recently? If we include you and Mr. Wu, aren't we just short of one contestant? What's the hidden issue here?"
The existence of the Spirit Realm Eightfold beast king, the Deer Elder, was already widely known among the many strong beings, despite the information not being widely spread.
After all, Pei Xuanjing's actions had attracted the attention of many forces and powerful beings. The Deer Elder's identity might have remained a mystery initially, but it was inevitable that they would uncover the truth in time.
If Pei Xuanjing were able to keep even the existence of the Deer Elder a secret from Sky Mechanism Pavilion, it wouldn't live up to its name.
Even though they did not know the exact origin of the Deer Elder, this only caused these forces and strong beings to view Pei Xuanjing with greater apprehension.
Wang Boan, despite not being active around the world, still managed to get a hold of this news rather quickly.
After heard about the participation of Wu Shijiu and factoring in the Emperor Zhu Houji, he knew that they could even include the beast king of Spirit Realm Eightfold, rendering Pei Xuanjing's claim about a shortage of manpower rather questionable.
"Not necessarily!" Pei Xuanjing shook his head, explaining, "This is an in-house matter of us humans. It's not appropriate for the Deer Elder to participate. If Deer Elder were to step into the contest, our opponents from Tianhuang wouldn't stop there. They could also send out similarly powerful fighters, which would make things more unpredictable."
Despite Deer Elder being powerful, Pei Xuanjing was hesitant to deploy him.
At present, the contestants on both sides were all human beings.
If Pei Xuanjing dispatched Deer Elder into the battle, the top forces of Tianhuang would have more options.
The Xuantian Sect had a beast king like Deer Elder, hadn't they cultivated or subdued any beast kings or guardian beasts in their lineage that spanned thousands of years?
That was definitely possible, their absence would have been the real anomaly.
Even if these top forces didn't participate, what about the first-class forces?
The Guardian Beasts of the ancient nations like Da Xue and Great River had existed for thousands of years. Even though they hadn't reached the Strongest Realm of the Nine Realms of Spirit, their inherent strength as Guardian Beasts was enough to compete with others.
By this reasoning, if Pei Xuanjing did deploy Deer Elder, it would give the other side more grounds to send stronger forces to battle.
Therefore, it wasn't about him not wanting to do so, but unable to. The original choice of having Wu Shijiu and Zhu Houji to compete already harbored a significant chance of victory. Deploying Deer Elder could potentially reverse the situation, as it would justify the deployment of beasts that lived for thousands of years on the other side, leaving virtually no scope for victory.
"I see," Wang Boan replied, after comprehending Pei Xuanjing's explanation.
"That's why we need your help, sir," said Pei Xuanjing.
"I will give all my efforts," replied Wang Boan solemnly.
...
Atop Shenxiao Mountain, a new practice martial arts field was being developed.
The field, built by Pei Xuanjing with the assistance of numerous other mighty beings, was resilient enough to withstand a length of combat amongst the strongest beings.
This arena, instead of being a mere platform, was more like a forbidden place that had been carved out.
On this platform opened by the combined efforts of many strong individuals, there are mountains, rivers, flowers and trees, deserts, oceans, and various things. Every element is present, making it resemble a blessed land or a forbidden place.
This platform was specially constructed to accommodate these cultivators' competition. It is extremely convenient for any cultivator, allowing them to take advantage of the terrain to unleash their strength.
Even atop this platform, Pei Xuanjing and many of the elites combined their power, permeating it with their understanding of Taoist skills, so that after the victors emerge, they can gain their understanding of Taoist skills as a reward.
On the platform, representatives from all factions took their seats. Not only did all the cultivators above the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm who were just in the great hall appear, but ordinary cultivators also came here to watch the competition.
After all, for these cultivators, if there is a chance to watch the battles between these elites, if they can gain some insight, it will benefit their future cultivation a lot.
"Why not warm up the competition with some matches between the younger generation?" A top-notch figure suggested.
Considering the proposal, many of the strongest figures in attendance didn't object and agreed to it.
After all, this was a rare opportunity. Many forces in the world seldom have this sort of occasion to gather together, letting the disciples from various sects spar with each other was also a good option.
These top-notch figures already stand at the peak of Heaven and Earth, not to mention ordinary cultivators, even many cultivators of the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm wouldn't be memorable to them if they do not have unique characteristics.
But now it's different, the world has revived, and countless prodigies are emerging in this golden age. Perhaps among these seemingly insignificant cultivators, there are future powerhouses, so it's better to let these junior disciples compete and see if there are any standout talents that are worth their special attention.
"That wouldn't be a bad idea." Pei Xuanjing laughed.
He naturally didn't intend to refuse these top figures' suggestion.
Upon seeing Pei Xuanjing's reaction, the other elites flashed a hint of surprise in their eyes, but didn't comment.
Pei Xuanjing didn't bother about their thoughts at all.
The younger generations these strong figures speak of, or for these figures who have lived for thousands of years, even the younger generation, are practicants who have cultivated for hundreds to nearly a thousand years.
The life of a cultivator is lengthy, and if one does not have extraordinary talent, it is normal to not reach the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm after cultivating for hundreds of years.
However, not of these practitioners can be compared to Pei Xuanjing who is currently seated high above them on the platform.
Young and famous, suddenly ascending to a high position, one must undoubtedly have an arrogant air, this is inevitable.
These powerful figures who have lived thousands of years have seen a lot of such cases, but Pei Xuanjing completely exceeded their expectations.
According to logic, Pei Xuanjing, a heroic figure who got into the top class of Heaven and Earth in less than a hundred years, could have been domineering, arrogant, dismissive of everything, and supremely condescending. This would be considered natural by many cultivators.
From the beginning till the end, however, Pei Xuanjing's demonstrated maturity, indifference, and calmness took them all by surprise.
After all, who would have thought that although he currently seems underage, after several lifetimes of experience through projections, Pei Xuanjing has already lived many lifetimes, while he can't compare to these top figures, it is enough to diminish his arrogance and make him indifferent to many things.
"In that case, if there are outstanding individuals, I can allow them to cultivate in the Longevity World for a year as a reward." Pei Xuanjing added a bonus to the cultivators' competition.
For cultivators below the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm, if they can practice in the Longevity World created by Pei Xuanjing for a period of time, it will definitely be greatly beneficial to their cultivation.
Pei Xuanjing's reward could not be more generous. Seeing him do so, the other powerhouses naturally had to show their hand as well.
Master of Mystiq Sky promised a spirit pill, the Ancestor Celestial Master promised a talisman that he had personally written, and the Sword Sect powerhouse promised a divine sword…
With just one move by Pei Xuanjing, the importance of this competition significantly increased. If they could receive such rewards, these cultivators, even cultivators of top-notch powers, would definitely crave for them.
After that, the various major forces sent messages to their disciples, telling them to do their best without losing face for their sect.
"If any of you are interested, you can also participate in this. It's not about obtaining the bonus, but sparring with practitioners from the same generation is a valuable experience." Pei Xuanjing also sent a message to many cultivators of the Taoist school.
"I will do my best and not disgrace you, master." Pang Hong immediately made his pledge to Pei Xuanjing.
Pang Hong was clear. As the direct disciple of Pei Xuanjing, he definitely had to participate. Countless people would watch his every move, and he had to give his all. Otherwise, he would disgrace his master.
"Don't worry, you do not need to care about how others view you. Just be authentic, and everything will be fine. I don't care about other people's opinions either." Pei Xuanjing indicated that Pang Hong didn't need to take this so seriously.
At his level, others' comments and views were meaningless to Pei Xuanjing, and he wouldn't care about them.
He only has two disciples, and one of them, Zhu Houji, barely counts. The only true direct disciple is Pang Hong. Not only are they deeply connected, having known each other from insignificance until now, Pang Hong's years of relentless effort and hardship have been recognized by Pei Xuanjing. He is very satisfied with his disciple and won't change his perception due to any other matter.
"Yes, I understand!" Pang Hong nodded and consented.
However, Pei Xuanjing knew that deep down, Pang Hong hadn't changed his mind. His disciple was very stubborn when it came to upholding his dignity.
Of course, Pei Xuanjing didn't plan on trying to persuade him further. He clearly understood the capabilities of his own disciple – even though there might be a gap between him and direct disciples trained by other top-notch powers, it wasn't an insurmountable gap.
Moreover, what if he loses? It's just a momentary victory or defeat. As long as he is willing to practice diligently, he will eventually catch up. After all, Pei Xuanjing only has this one disciple and he would definitely provide him with help.
Quite a few people were allowed to ascend Shenxiao Mountain this time. After all, Pei Xuanjing's initial requirement was that anyone who was angry with the gods could climb Shenxiao Mountain.
Many cultivators were curious about Pei Xuanjing, who is currently the strongest person in the ancestral land and the first to challenge the Nine Realms of Spirit with his Spirit Realm Eightfold strength.
Cultivators on Shenxiao Mountain were beyond count, like a river of crucian carp. Even after sorting by age and many volunteers relinquishing their chances, there were still tens of thousands of cultivators desperately wanting to participate in the contest.
Such an overwhelming number of participants forced them to abandon the initial thought of matching opponents by draw, turning the competition into a melee instead.
They simply and roughly divided the contest area into seven sections according to the different realms of cultivators, allowing cultivators from the Spirit Realm Onefold and Spirit Realm Sixth Level to enter respectively. Then, the winners could receive rewards for their realm's competition.
The seventh area was the true battle stage, a place for talented and powerful cultivators to perform rank-challenging trials.
After all, the realm of cultivation is only a part of a cultivator's strength. A true cultivator's strength lays in the ability to challenge beyond realms. That is to say, it would be truly rare for an individual to attain the peak strength without challenging and defeating the strong while at lower realms.
Therefore, this is prepared for those truly gifted and strong. They could enter the last competition area for the final contest. These people that the strongest cultivators wanted to see were indeed extraordinary and worth their attention.
Of course, this may seem unfair, but luck is also part of their strength. If a cultivator doesn't possess Qi Luck, then even if they are immensely talented, they might struggle to progress.
When the rules were announced, none of the cultivators objected since it's a world ruled by the strong. Without enough power, they couldn't defy the rules set by the stronger ones. They had only two choices, accept or give up.
However, facing such a generous reward and assurance of no threat to life made by many strong cultivators, naturally, no one chose to give up.
Subsequently, these cultivators entered the forbidden arena opened by Pei Xuanjing and his group. Nearly half of the tens of thousands of cultivators entered the Spirit Realm Onefold area. Most of these cultivators were from the Daming World, nurtured after the recovery of Heaven and Earth, who were strengthened by native forces or took in as disciples by the Tianhuang realm after their descent.
Nearly half of the rest people entered the Spirit Realm Second Layer area, where most of them are also native cultivators of the Daming World. The same goes for the Spirit Realm Third Level.
In the area of the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm, the number of native cultivators in the Daming World dropped sharply, and compared with the number of cultivators in the Tianhuang realm, there was hardly one in ten. However, these cultivators have attracted the attention of forces from all sides.
The nine realms of the Spirit, a single step to heaven.
From the Spirit Realm Third Level to the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm, this is a leap of a major realm. Regardless, anyone capable of attaining this level shortly after the recovery of Heaven and Earth showcases their profound talent. It also implies they have a great chance of reaching the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm in the future.
Pang Hong also entered this area. As a disciple of Pei Xuanjing, the strongest, his Spirit Realm Fourth Level strength attracted the attention of countless strong cultivators. Many people are curious about how this only disciple of the strongest will perform and whether he possesses the exceptional demeanor of his master.
The views of many disciples of the same generation as Pang Hong or those young disciples from top forces towards him were quite complex. After all, having a master as strong as Pei Xuanjing is something many dream of. As long as he is not a dull fool, he is expected to reach the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm in the future.
For many cultivators in the world, even for those who were born in the major forces, except for a few with gifted talent and extraordinary backgrounds, no one could guarantee that they could reach the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm.
Reaching the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm is a qualitative transformation. At this step, one would truly qualify to embark on the journey towards the legendary True Immortal Realm. How could this not invoke envy, making many people wish to switch places with them?
As for the area of the Spirit Realm Fifth Level, it was almost entirely occupied by many Tianhuang Realm's cultivators. The native cultivators of the Daming World who were able to reach this realm were local heroes before the revival of Heaven and Earth. Their talent and ingenuity were only slightly lacking compared to Zhao Baiyang and other powerhouses.
There are fewer than a hundred cultivators in the Spirit Realm Sixth Level area. Besides several native cultivators of the Daming World, the rest were all strong individuals from the Tianhuang realm.
However, those few cultivators from the Daming World attracted many eyes because they reached this step in such a short time after the revival of Heaven and Earth. They only needed time to grow and comprehend their path, and they would definitely reach the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm.
Even in the Tianhuang realm, where strong cultivators abound, those at the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm are sovereigns of a region, capable of establishing second-class forces.
Many heads of the world's clans, the great monks of the Buddhism School, Zhao Baiyang, Daoist Qingxu, the master of the Chunyang Sect, Xue Wuheng, Prince of Xiang Zhu Yousong, Tie Qianshan, and Zi Tianxiong, with the exception of the old Celestial Master, Bai Xiaosheng, and Daoist Xuanming and others who have not yet arrived, these people are all powerhouses who were invited by Pei Xuanjing to participate in the Shenxiao Mountain alliance after the revival of Heaven and Earth.
It can be said that these people, along with Pei Xuanjing, stood at the top of the Daming martial arts before the recovery of Heaven and Earth. Although Pei Xuanjing had progressed a lot using the human life simulator, none of these people stopped their footsteps. They continued to move forward, catching up step by step without any intention to give up.
Naturally, in this context, the figure of Yu Zhenzi stands out, making people marvel how when one person becomes an Immortal, his chicken and dog can ascend to Heaven too.
The forces of the Daming World and those returned from the Tianhuang realm all had an understanding of the many things that happened before the recovery of Heaven and Earth. They also had a clear impression of Jade Zhenzi's situation under Pei Xuanjing's command.
Yu Zhenzi's martial arts and strength couldn't exactly be counted as top-notch, but he could stand here today for one reason alone – he was the confidant of Pei Xuanjing, the strongest.