Pei Xuanjing had deliberately chosen this location for the banquet to quicken the absorption of life essence by the Martial Arts True Immortal and to increase its amount. At the same time, the swift halt of the loss of life essence by these Martial Artists meant that the difference between an increase and decrease would greatly stimulate the Martial Lunatic, who was in slumber, to awaken.
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing's goal was finally achieved. He could sense that the will of the True Immortal lingering around Burial Immortal Valley was starting to become active, transitioning from the initial instinctive sluggishness to being agile.
The colorful mists floating within Burial Immortal Valley also began to circulate gradually, becoming rhythmic.
All these signs pointed toward one outcome: the Martial Lunatic, who had slumbered for countless aeons and was the first in this Heaven and Earth to ascend on the Immortal Martial Path, was about to awaken.
Therefore, Pei Xuanjing did not need to say much, merely asking the strong Martial Artists present to wait and see.
These people were not fools; rather, they were all wise. Upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's reply, they immediately understood his intention.
"Is the Martial Arts True Immortal about to awaken?"
"How could it be so soon, how much time has passed?"
"Burial Immortal Valley, yes, it's because this is Burial Immortal Valley, the resting place of a True Immortal…"
…
They quickly grasped all of this and understood Pei Xuanjing's true purpose. Many showed anger in their eyes, laughing bitterly as they looked at Pei Xuanjing, knowing well that they had been outmaneuvered by him.
However, all of that was meaningless, especially at this moment. After the awakening of the Martial Arts True Immortal, they would all become targets for the hunt. Without a doubt, Pei Xuanjing had bound them together, and to survive, they would need to strike as one.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
Er komt 's morgens een stukje worm uit je. Probeer hetOpen
Suddenly, a gentle breeze began to rise, growing stronger and stronger, kicking up sand and rocks, howling with terrifying force, darkening the sky.
"It's starting. He is about to awaken," Pei Xuanjing watched the fierce wind swirl through Heaven and Earth, a look of joy appearing on his face.
However, while he was pleased, the other Martial Artists showed no sign of joy. They all wore grave expressions, furrowing their brows, vigilantly watching the direction from which the fierce wind roared in.
For these keen Martial Artists sensed that this fierce wind was not natural but seemed to be driven by someone, and it carried a terrifying murderous intent and a suppressive aura.
Boom, rumble…
The fierce wind didn't cease, and thunder exploded, reverberating through the skies within thousands of miles. Countless thunderbolts gathered, and thunderclaps resonated continuously, shaking the heavens and the earth.
Subsequently, the entire Heaven and Earth trembled as if something of great import that Heaven and Earth themselves could barely support was descending, causing Heaven and Earth to respond.
Boom!
The Powerhouses were drawn by a burst of splitting sounds and looked out from atop a high platform. The enigmatic mist that had lingered over Burial Immortal Valley for thousands of years began to dissipate, unbeknownst to when it had started.
Waiting for the mist to clear, everyone present could clearly see that at the very center of Burial Immortal Valley, where the land had once been intact, suddenly exploded, and countless rocks and earth were flung into the air, revealing a huge pit.
From within the pit emanated blood-red light and a dreadful, bone-chilling aura. This terrifying presence, appearing out of nowhere, seemed to pierce straight into the soul, instinctively making one want to kneel and submit.
This was the aura of a True Immortal. Even though the True Immortal had not fully awakened, the aura he released at this moment was too much for ordinary mortals to bear, and even the top Martial Artists of the Twelve-Floor Tower were feeling tremendous pressure.
Even though they were only a step away from the realm of Immortal Path, sometimes, a line's difference is as vast as that between heaven and earth—it was a fundamental difference that could not be erased.
And as the light dissipated, a figure appeared there, standing in the void, dressed in what many recognized as the attire from countless ages ago.
"Martial Arts True Immortal!"
"With such a terrifying pressure, it's hard to tell whether this is his prime state or a wounded state."
"Is this the horror of a True Immortal?"
…
All the Martial Artists experienced a mix of complex emotions in their hearts: longing, fear, respect, fanatical devotion, and caution, all intertwined, indescribable.
But without a doubt, at this moment, the figure that appeared in Burial Immortal Valley became the center of Heaven and Earth, drawing the attention of everyone.
Even Pei Xuanjing, at this time, put away his smile, looking deeply in that direction.
Martial Arts True Immortal, Martial Lunatic!
The other just stood there calmly, without any action, but seemed merged with Heaven and Earth, intertwined with all creation, as his terrible True Immortal will permeated and affected the void around him.
Swish!
The next moment, when the True Immortal, who had slumbered for countless eons, opened his eyes, a divine light flashed, and his profound gaze seemed to encompass Heaven and Earth.
"How long have I slumbered? A thousand years, or perhaps ten thousand years…" the Martial Lunatic murmured as he opened his eyes.
The sleep of thousands of years had blurred all memories, or perhaps they were fixed in the moment of his last battle.
Now, as he awoke to the world, he gazed upon the unfamiliar changes of seas and fields before him, feeling a momentary disorientation and nostalgia.
All those from the past, whether friends or foes, have been completely buried in time, with only himself to face this strange world between Heaven and Earth.
This was the loneliness of a True Immortal, possessing a long life nearly as enduring as Heaven and Earth, virtually immortal unless suppressed or encountering calamity.
However, the friends and relatives of True Immortals are not necessarily True Immortals themselves. Their lives will eventually come to an end, and this is a form of torment for True Immortals.
Therefore, the friends and foes of a True Immortal are all True Immortals. They may die by each other's hand, but they are also companions in the long years of the Dao.
"Hmm?" Martial Lunatic suddenly emerged from his nostalgia, his gaze travelling afar and settling on Pei Xuanjing, who stood on the high platform.
"Who would have thought that after millions of years, there would still be peers appearing among heaven and earth," Martial Lunatic's sonorous voice rose, reaching clearly into the ears of everyone present.
Indeed, in the eyes of a True Immortal, only True Immortals exist. Martial Lunatic had awakened because he could not plunder vitality; his original intention was to investigate the reason behind it.
But the moment he saw Pei Xuanjing, he sensed that the other was a being of the True Immortal Realm. Since ascending, Martial Lunatic had never encountered another True Immortal, thus naturally, his attention focused on Pei Xuanjing.
And as Martial Lunatic, who had risen from a desperate village child to a True Immortal, his wisdom was certainly not to be underestimated. The instant he saw Pei Xuanjing, he intuited that perhaps everything was this particular True Immortal's doing.
Even though Pei Xuanjing had not ascended to True Immortal in any of the five Dao he now possessed, his true spirit of a True Immortal could not be concealed.
"Indeed, His Highness has ascended to become a True Immortal!"
"The Path of the True Immortal, a way untrodden by countless predecessors for tens of thousands of years, and to think it has been stepped upon by a junior who has cultivated for mere decades, this…"
"Could it be that all he did was to awaken this slumbering Martial True Immortal?"
"Could it be that this person is not some Dahong's vassal prince, but has been possessed by an old monster?"
…
De parasieten verlaten het lichaam! Doe het voor het slapen gaanOpen
When Martial Lunatic announced Pei Xuanjing's identity as a True Immortal, these martial powerhouses also instantly came to a realization, their gazes filled with shock as they looked towards Pei Xuanjing.
Even though their earlier belief that he could potentially have reached the domain of Immortal Path was because he had easily killed Mad Saber Guest, the confirmation of this matter still left them indescribably shaken.
Feeling Martial Lunatic's gaze, Pei Xuanjing no longer had any trace of concealment. He slowly released his aura and then, stepping into the void, he stood in the air and looked towards the other.
"I've seen Taoist Friend, the first Martial Human Immortal of these lands, I am Shenxiao True Monarch." Pei Xuanjing's attire changed, transforming into a black Taoist robe.
This was a sign of respect for the fellow True Immortal, as well as for himself. There was no need to hide any longer.
"Taoist Friend? These lands? Martial Human Immortal? Shenxiao True Monarch?"
Upon hearing Pei Xuanjing's words, Martial Lunatic frowned slightly, as if he recalled some unpleasant memories, and coldly said, "Such a form of address was the custom of those Qi cultivators in the past; are you a Qi cultivator? But in my memory, there has never been a figure called Shenxiao True Monarch."
Martial Lunatic had an inherent disdain for Qi cultivators; if it weren't for them, he would not have fallen to his current state.
So hearing such words, he instinctively remembered the detestable faces of those Qi cultivators from the Immortal Path era, utterly hypocritical, and his joy at encountering a peer faded.
"Additionally, these 'lands' you speak of, could it be that you are not a creature of this world? Is Martial Human Immortal the term you use for martial artists of my realm?" Martial Lunatic asked.
After ascending to the status of True Immortal and receiving much information from Heaven and Earth, he knew that this world was not the only one; beyond the heavens, stepping into the Chaos Void, there were countless worlds like grains of sand, each with its own living beings.
Yet, what he never expected was for a True Immortal to descend into his world; did this mean there were more True Immortals out there? This was good news for him, as it meant he wouldn't be alone.
No matter whether those True Immortals were friends or opponents in the future, it was all the same to him.
Hearing the doubts of the Martial Lunatic, Pei Xuanjing was also willing to explain, even if the other party was an opponent.
"I do indeed qualify as a Qi cultivator, yet I have no connection with the Qi cultivators of this Immortal Path," he said with a smile: "Of course, I'm not a creature of this world. By a twist of fate, I arrived here and heard of your story. As for the title of Martial Human Immortal, that is how I address those who have achieved enlightenment on a different path as True Immortals."
"In the boundless Chaos Void lie countless worlds, and among these different worlds, the cultivation systems are as complex as sand; therefore, I synthesized various cultivation systems to create a framework for power classification. I consolidated the cultivation paths into three: Refining Essence, Refining Qi, Refining Spirit, and I also categorized Dao-Certifying True Immortals into five types: Heavenly Immortals, Earth Immortals, Human Immortals, Immortals, and Ghost Immortals. As for your Martial Arts, it belongs to the Way of Essence Refinement, and after becoming a True Immortal, you should be called a Martial Human Immortal!"
Pei Xuanjing harbored ambitions of becoming a founder of a Dao; aside from promoting his own Dao and Law, he was subtly imparting his understanding of cultivation.
The division of the cultivation path, the classification of power, and the naming of True Immortals were all part of Pei Xuanjing's plan. When more people accepted it, Pei Xuanjing would naturally benefit.
"Seven stages of cultivation, the first three for the common folk; stages four, five, and six are considered spiritual, and seven is revered as Immortal. Refining Essence, Refining Qi, Refining Spirit, Martial Human Immortal." The Martial Lunatic mulled over the information Pei Xuanjing had shared, a smile appearing on his face: "Your classification seems simple, yet it's clear and precise. Not bad, not bad. I quite like this title, Martial Human Immortal."
"Hahahaha, Martial Human Immortal!" The Martial Lunatic's hearty laughter spread in all directions. But moments later, his laughter ceased, and a chill came over his face as he said sternly, "Then, the one who awakened me—you're the one behind it, aren't you?"
Although it was a question, he was almost certain it was the other's doing.
No matter the other's intentions or what they wanted to do, it was a fact that their actions had interrupted his healing process, preventing him from fully recovering, ending his treatment. He had been roused from his slumber, and the rage inside the Martial Lunatic had not subsided; he needed an explanation.
"Don't you think that what you're doing right now has led you astray onto the Demonic Way, losing sight of your true self?" Pei Xuanjing's smile also faded as he spoke indifferently.
With these words, Pei Xuanjing unquestionably set the Martial Lunatic against everyone else.
"Hmm, the Demonic Way? I am the pioneer of the Martial Arts. Without me, where would the Martial Arts be?" the Martial Lunatic did not deny it, for powerhouses at his level never cared to conceal their true selves.
He also did not believe what he had done was wrong. As a True Immortal who had been injured and needed healing, he had forsaken the path of massacring the world. Instead, using the life force of many Martial Artists to heal was already merciful.
Of course, such an admission only caused the Martial Artists to glare in anger—no one wanted to be used as a tool from the beginning, especially those with great power.
Unfortunately, while they once thought they had the power to lash out at the world, the Martial Human Immortal, the Martial Lunatic, imposed the same treatment upon them.
"But isn't our life also a life?" A Martial Artist could not help but blurt out in anger.
"Heh, how different are your actions from those Qi cultivators of the Immortal era? Those who kill mercifully are always killed in return!" The Martial Lunatic scoffed.
The flames of rage from the others did not concern the Martial Lunatic at all. As a True Immortal and one who buried the era of Immortals, his will in the Martial Arts was unfaltering, and he would not be swayed by these matters.
Although he founded the Martial Arts, seeing the attitude of these Martial Artists before him, he knew they were no different from the Qi cultivators of the Immortal era.
In the end, he buried the Immortal Path, initiated the Martial Arts, but he had not altered the essential nature of survival of the fittest that pervaded Between Heaven and Earth.