Shi Jian cleaned up the battlefield and collected all the spoils. As he was about to leave, he saw people arriving from outside. Among them was a familiar figure.
"Shi Hao?" Shi Jian silently came up behind him and patted him on the shoulder.
"Brother?" Seeing Shi Jian, Shi Hao was also a little surprised. "You're the one who forced his way into the ancient nest?"
"It's me." Shi Jian nodded. "There are no more opportunities here. A peerless prodigy, comparable to the Ten-Crowned King, set up a scheme, but he has been slain by me. You don't need to enter."
He explained the situation, and Shi Hao's eyes lit up. A prodigy comparable to the Ten-Crowned King? What a shame he missed the chance to fight such a strong opponent.
"I've already obtained all the opportunities within, the most important being two great Ten Fiend Precious Arts. I will now impart them to you." Shi Jian pointed a finger, touching Shi Hao's glabella, and transferred the Heavenly Horned Ant Precious Art and the True Phoenix Precious Art.
"Two great Ten Fiend Precious Arts?" Shi Hao's eyes lit up. He greatly needed the Heavenly Horned Ant Precious Art. Like Shi Jian, he also walked the path of the physical body, and this art would allow him to better utilize his strength.
After imparting the techniques, Shi Jian detailed the earlier events. Shi Hao was astonished. A scheme spanning six or seven lifetimes—that unknown existence was indeed a heaven-defying figure.
Shi Hao then spoke about meeting Shi Yi and slaying Ning Chuan's clone. Shi Jian was not surprised, but he was more concerned about Shi Hao's current cultivation.
"It seems you have surpassed the ancients, stepping onto a path never before taken," he said after a careful observation.
Shi Hao nodded. "I'll prepare for seclusion when I return to take that step. I just don't know how many strands of Immortal Qi I'll be able to cultivate once my Dao reaches perfection." His tone was a bit melancholic; this path was truly too difficult.
Compared to the heaven-defying figures in Immortal Ancient who had accumulated for several lifetimes, Shi Hao's own foundation was somewhat shallow. Someone had already taken that step ahead of him. He felt that if he ran into the mysterious person Shi Jian had just slain, he probably wouldn't have been his opponent. The amplification from Immortal Qi was terrifying.
"You will definitely forge your own path and ascend to the supreme," Shi Jian said, patting his shoulder encouragingly.
The two brothers discussed their insights on forging that path. After confirming they both had sufficient divine medicines for their upcoming breakthrough, they parted ways, each going to perfect their own path and forge the strongest foundation.
…
Shi Jian left the Fierce Nest, found a spiritual spring, and began his seclusion. He wanted to cultivate Immortal Qi in one go. But before he began, he first opened the chat group.
[Shi Jian: "Brothers, I've been in offline seclusion for several months. My cultivation has greatly advanced. What's your situation?"]
[Luo Feng: "Several months? Several years have passed here. Babata has repaired the Black Dragon spaceship, and I'm now heading to Mars."]
At that moment, Luo Feng was sitting on the Black Dragon, looking down at nine enormous pyramids on the vast expanse of sand. He knew that beneath them was a city from the former Silverblue Empire, buried with rich deposits of Profound Iron Ore, enough to push his cultivation up a small step.
[Shi Jian: "Several years? That much time has passed on your side already?"]
[Meng Qi: "This function is too heaven-defying. You were just speaking a few seconds ago, but one of you has passed several months, and the other several years?"]
[Xiao Yan: "Ah? I just tried the offline function for a few days and came back. So much time has passed for you all?"]
[Fang Han: "This new function is very suitable. We won't have to worry about being in seclusion for thousands of years and being unfamiliar with the group when we emerge."]
[Yang Qi: "This function is indeed good. I just tried being in seclusion for over a month."]
[Li Changshou: "Thank you all for the cultivation techniques. Alas, after cultivating them, my cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds again, and now I can no longer suppress it!"]
[Li Changshou: "I'll be undergoing tribulation in a few days. I feel a bit panicked."]
Li Changshou had used the offline function to cultivate. After confirming the techniques had no hidden dangers, he began cultivating them himself. His cultivation, which had already been suppressed countless times, suddenly surged upwards. He couldn't suppress it any longer.
If he couldn't suppress it, he would have to break through. A breakthrough meant experiencing the Immortal Ascension Heavenly Tribulation, and that meant being struck by lightning. What if the lightning killed him?
Li Changshou looked at the secluded place he had carefully chosen, the dozens of magic treasure "birdcages" around him, and his face filled with worry.
[Shi Jian: "With your accumulation, undergoing tribulation shouldn't be difficult. Even if the Heavenly Dao sends down the Nine Heavens Divine Demon Heavenly Tribulation, it won't kill you."]
[Li Changshou: "I'm confident I can pass it… but to maximize the benefits, I can't hide anything… I'll have to put away many treasures!"]
[Li Changshou: "After putting those things away, I'll only have dozens of other items and backup plans. What if something goes wrong? Wouldn't I be dead?"]
[Li Changshou: "A 99.9% chance of success is too low! I really don't dare to gamble!"]
After seeing his message, everyone in the group fell silent.
A 99.9% chance of success is too low? Dozens of treasures specifically for the tribulation, and you're still afraid?
…
The group members were speechless, but Li Changshou was truly panicking. He unbuttoned his Daoist robe and took off a short vest with more than a dozen fabric pockets. It had to be put away because it would affect the Heavenly Dao's judgment.
He also took off a broken jade that concealed karma. Then a cloth rope that ensured the protection of the Human Race's holy sages.
He vigorously rubbed his skin, and the ancient talismanic incantations carved into it were also rubbed off. Ancient coins, bone fragments, colorful fish scales—all sorts of miscellaneous things were taken off.
After removing them, Li Changshou felt as if he had been stripped naked, with no sense of security at all. The more things he took off, the more panicked he became.
[Li Changshou: "I'm really afraid the Heavenly Dao will directly erase me as a bug… Alas, even though this possibility is very, very small, it could still happen, couldn't it!"]
He kept sending messages. Everyone could feel his emotions, imagining him pacing back and forth, looking flustered. This kid was really afraid of death.
[Shi Jian: "If worst comes to worst, start a live stream. We can learn from you how to undergo tribulation. If you really run into trouble, we can also support you."]
Shi Jian intended to let everyone in the group get to know their new, cautious member better.
[Li Changshou: "Live stream? Can this work?"]
Li Changshou considered the feasibility. It seemed to have no downsides. If he encountered an emergency, the people in the group could even help him.
[Inorin Note:
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