"Crossing the Sea of Heart..."
The cultivators present, upon hearing Qin Tang's words, exhibited various expressions; some appeared dazed, as if they had gained some insight, while others remained indifferent, not caring at all.
Thus, the second day soon passed.
On the morning of the third day, Qin Tang once again appeared in front of everyone. However, this time he was not drinking; he looked much more spirited than before.
"Today marks the final trial," Qin Tang surveyed the cultivators present, his expression serious. "On the path of cultivation, one will inevitably encounter countless difficulties and temptations. Can you maintain your resolve and not stray from your original intention?"
"Let me wait and see."
As Qin Tang's voice fell, everyone felt a sudden darkness envelop them, and they lost consciousness.
...
In a small mountain village, Li Fan lay on the rooftop, watching the setting sun, feeling as if he had forgotten something.
Having grown up in the village, he lived a simple life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset. This had continued for a full fifteen years.
Such days were plain yet happy. If he were to live like this forever, it seemed there was nothing wrong with it.
Yet, deep in his heart, there was a persistent restlessness, a feeling that he should not end his life so ordinarily.
"Fan'er, Fan'er, where are you? Come home for dinner!"
Li Fan remained unmoved by his mother's call.
He gazed up at the sky, watching the birds soaring freely, observing the sun and moon that existed since time immemorial, indifferent to human will, lost in thought.
Until night fell and the stars filled the sky.
Under the vast starry sky, he felt even smaller.
He watched through the night.
As dawn approached, he suddenly had an epiphany.
With a flip, he jumped off the roof.
He rushed into the house and loudly declared to his still-sleeping mother, "Mother, cancel the marriage with the neighbor's Er Niu!"
"I won't get married. I want to cultivate immortality!"
His mother, startled awake, thought her child had gone mad and hurriedly got out of bed to grab Li Fan's hand. "What do you mean cultivate immortality? Where are the immortals? Wake up, child!"
Li Fan shook off his mother's hand, his youthful face filled with determination. "I don't know where the immortals are, but I will definitely find them."
With that, amidst his mother's cries, he simply packed his belongings and stepped out of the house.
Half a year later, while exploring deep in the mountains, Li Fan unfortunately met his demise at the jaws of a tiger.
...
In front of a dilapidated Daoist temple, amidst the flickering flames and the cries of the crowd, Li Fan felt a sense of confusion.
"Senior Brother, Master is dead. What should we do after leaving the Chuyun Temple?" a timid voice asked beside him.
Li Fan was about to speak when he heard angry shouts from all around.
"What else can we do? Of course, we should divide the things in the temple and go down the mountain!"
"I thought the one on the mountain was a true immortal, and everyone came here after much hardship. Who knew this old Daoist was a complete fraud!"
"Exactly, how could a true immortal suddenly die from illness?"
The crowd grew more agitated, and Li Fan did not know how to explain, so he let them ransack the Chuyun Temple of all its belongings.
Moments later, only Li Fan remained alone on the mountain.
After collecting and burying his master's ashes, Li Fan recalled the look in his master's eyes before he passed away.
Unwillingness, regret, melancholy, hope...
Was his master a fraud?
Was the "Chuyun Ascension" he taught just a fabrication?
Li Fan felt that perhaps it was not as everyone believed.
Immortals might truly exist.
In the end, Li Fan did not descend the mountain.
He spent the latter half of his life alone in the temple, watching the clouds roll and the sun and moon change.
Day after day, he contemplated the "Chuyun Ascension."
By the time he reached fifty, he had made no progress.
He passed away with regrets.
...
In the imperial palace.
Li Fan looked at the wooden plaque filled with names on the golden plate before him, his eyes revealing a hint of impatience.
"Take it away. I still want to cultivate tonight."
"Your Majesty, you haven't favored the concubines in the harem for three months..."
"Mm?" A flash of fierce light crossed Li Fan's eyes.
"…This servant obeys."
Watching the head eunuch retreat in fear, Li Fan snorted coldly.
"Being an emperor is not worth it." This thought suddenly surged in his mind.
Plundering the resources of the entire nation for his cultivation.
On the surface, he still appeared as a mortal, but in reality, he had already stepped into the threshold of the Golden Core stage.
These mundane affairs were truly boring!
With this thought, three months later, during the morning court, Li Fan broke through the air in front of all the officials.
For the next two hundred and sixteen years, while exploring an ancient cave mansion, Li Fan was unfortunately ambushed and met his demise.
...
On Lingyun Peak.
"Why has this tribulation cloud been gathering for so long without falling?"
"This heavenly tribulation is even stronger than when the sect leader ascended back in the day!"
"Of course! In terms of combat power, little master uncle can be considered the strongest in our Lishan Sword Sect in a thousand years!"
Li Fan looked at the increasingly powerful tribulation cloud above his head, a surge of ambition rising within him.
Three hundred years of cultivation, what is there to fear from a mere heavenly tribulation?
A beam of sword light shot up from Lingyun Peak, splitting the tribulation cloud apart!
Sunlight poured down through the gaps in the tribulation cloud, illuminating Lingyun Peak.
Heavenly flowers fell like rain, and the immortal gate opened.
Li Fan soared into the immortal gate without a hint of hesitation.
Upon entering the immortal realm, Li Fan was enraged to discover that all the predecessors who had ascended from Lishan had mysteriously been killed by unknown enemies.
He cultivated while searching for the mastermind behind the killings.
After a hundred years of twists and turns, he found nothing.
During an exploration of an ancient immortal secret realm, he was betrayed and killed by a close friend, filled with shock and unwillingness.
...
In the northern immortal domain.
Since two thousand years ago, when the Mortal Emperor unified the Azure Sky Immortal Domain, he began a bloody campaign.
Over the years, the Mortal Emperor achieved his infamous reputation by collecting the heads of five immortal emperors and sixteen immortal kings.
In the end, the entire immortal realm was left with only the northern immortal domain still hanging on.
Now, a great army was advancing, vowing to destroy the northern immortal domain within a year.
In the center of the army, Qin Tang looked at the Mortal Emperor, who was meditating with his eyes closed, hesitating to speak.
Li Fan opened his eyes and looked at the loyal general who had followed him from obscurity, revealing a rare smile.
"Qin Tang, it seems you have something to ask me?"
"To not hide it from the Emperor, I indeed have a question that puzzles me."
"Speak freely."
"Since the Emperor started as a mere mortal, experiencing countless hardships, he finally became a powerful Mortal Emperor. His power is overwhelming, and all the immortals in the realm tremble at the sound of his name. But why does the Emperor seem to have no intention of stopping? What exactly is the Emperor pursuing?"
"What plans does the Emperor have after exterminating the Zhuang Tian Emperor and completely unifying the immortal realm?" Qin Tang fixed his gaze on Li Fan, voicing his doubts.
"Hehe." Li Fan chuckled lightly.
"What I seek is merely the two words 'Longevity'," he said calmly.
Qin Tang was stunned, seemingly unable to believe his ears.
"Longevity? With the Emperor's current cultivation, can he not be considered long-lived? If nothing unexpected happens, the Emperor could live for several million more years, right?" he asked in shock, struggling to understand.
"Living for a million years is enough to claim longevity?" Li Fan smiled and countered.
"In the Abyss of the Ancient Heaven, over a hundred ancient immortal emperors have long since turned to dust."
"Even that ancient immortal, rumored to have opened the immortal realm and possessing unparalleled power, is now nothing more than a mountain, suppressed beneath my palace."
"This time, I wish to unify the immortal realm, gathering the strength of all immortals to create a grand formation that covers the entire immortal realm. With this, I will break open the so-called immortal prison that has existed since time immemorial."
"I want to step above the immortals, to advance further." Li Fan's tone was calm, yet it was resolute, leaving no room for rebuttal.
Qin Tang fell silent.
Because he knew, above the immortal realm, there was nothing left.
So he could only lower his head in silence.
Everything proceeded according to Li Fan's plan.
In just one year's time, Li Fan unified the entire immortal realm.
Afterward, he used exceedingly bloody means to suppress all dissenting voices, gathering resources from across the immortal realm to successfully create the grand formation meant to break the shackles of the immortal realm.
As the formation activated, the entire immortal realm trembled.
Countless cracks appeared in the sky, and everything in the world seemed to shatter.
Li Fan laughed heartily as he charged into the cracks.
What awaited him was only endless darkness.
...
Thus, the Trial of Constancy had come to an end.
For Qin Tang knew there was no longer a need to continue testing.
In this trial, an anomaly had emerged.
Even if he constructed infinite worlds, he feared he could not wear down this person's unwavering determination.
If the master were here and saw such a genius, he would surely be very pleased.
But alas...
A hint of melancholy flashed in Qin Tang's eyes.
With a long sigh, everyone gradually awakened from the dream.
Yet they were still in the same square as before.
Some were confused, some awakened and turned pale, while others fell into enlightenment, seemingly having gained something.
...
Qin Tang looked at the various expressions of the cultivators and smiled as he said, "The three trials have concluded."
"Among you, some performed beyond my expectations, while others were truly lacking."
"My master once told me that in the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace, it is not about quantity but quality in selecting disciples."
He surveyed the crowd, his expression gentle. "In that case, let half of you remain."
The cultivators, who had previously shown joy, turned pale upon hearing Qin Tang's words.
"What do you mean?"
They were all too clear about how they had performed in the three trials.
Now, hearing that Qin Tang intended to kill half of those present, they were both shocked and enraged.
In desperation, they began to attack Qin Tang.
Qin Tang was not angered.
He merely smiled faintly, "I am Qin Tang, Chief of the Law Transmission Pavilion of the Cloud Water Heavenly Palace."
"Please enlighten me."
As Qin Tang spoke, blue figures suddenly appeared around half of the cultivators present.
They resembled copies of their targets, identical in appearance, aura, and even strength.
Once they appeared, they launched relentless attacks against their targets.
"The master is strict. However, my master once told me that one should not go to extremes. If you can survive against your own mirror images, I will not make things difficult for you."
Watching the cultivators caught in fierce battles, Qin Tang slowly continued.
The other half of the cultivators, including Li Fan, chose to retreat from the battlefield to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Li Fan retreated to a safe distance, observing the situation in the arena.
These blue mirror images struck with extreme ferocity, tireless and invulnerable to injury.
Ordinary cultivators were simply no match for them. Once engaged, they quickly fell into a disadvantage.
Before long, many cultivators met a tragic end beneath their own mirror images.
As more cultivators fell, those who remained struggled desperately, but it seemed they could not hold on much longer.
In a desperate attempt, they began to curse Qin Tang.
"Wake up! What disciples are you still collecting? The Cloud Water Heavenly Palace has long since perished!"
"What nonsense about masters and uncles! With the great calamity descending, aren't we all going to kill each other?"
...
"Killing each other?" Qin Tang shook his head repeatedly.
"My Cloud Water Heavenly Palace is united as one. We respect and love each other. Even if it means sacrificing ourselves for our fellow disciples, there would be little hesitation."
"How could we possibly kill each other?"
As Qin Tang spoke, his voice suddenly lowered.
"Great calamity, great calamity..."
His brows furrowed, as if he had recalled something.
"Great calamity..."
He kept murmuring, and the sky above the square darkened.
The blue phantoms attacking the cultivators also began to mutate.
Thick blackness surged from within the phantoms, instantly dyeing them a terrifying dark color.
The dark mirror images were far more menacing than the previous blue ones, and in the blink of an eye, more than half of the struggling cultivators perished.
Only a few remained, barely hanging on.
Yet Qin Tang had not yet recovered from his trance. He continued to mumble.
The ground of the square began to shake violently, and the dark clouds in the sky pressed down.
Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled continuously.
The cultivators who had not been attacked by the mirror images and were watching from the sidelines felt that something was amiss.
But facing the now entranced Qin Tang, no one dared to act rashly.
For a moment, everyone was at a loss for what to do.
At that moment, Li Fan slowly walked to Qin Tang's side.
He held a wine gourd, patted Qin Tang's shoulder, and handed it over.
With a smile, Li Fan quietly said to Qin Tang, "Senior Brother Qin, have some wine."
"Don't worry, there is no great calamity at all."
Qin Tang turned his head, sniffed, and instinctively took the wine gourd, taking a swig.
Then he looked at Li Fan in confusion. "No great calamity?"
Li Fan nodded affirmatively and repeated, "That's right, there is no great calamity at all."
Qin Tang's eyes gradually brightened, and he kept murmuring, "No great calamity, no great calamity, no great calamity..."
"Hahaha, you are right! There is no great calamity at all!"
After a long while, Qin Tang laughed heartily, finally returning to normal.
The strange phenomena in the arena also vanished, returning to a calm state.
The cultivators present breathed a sigh of relief and cast grateful glances at Li Fan.
Yet, Li Fan suddenly felt a stir in his heart.
He sensed two faint killing intents locking onto him.
Although these two killing intents were extremely weak, Li Fan was highly sensitive to them and would not mistake them.
The owners of these two killing intents were none other than Sikong Yi and Bai Li Chen!
Li Fan pretended not to notice, but secretly locked onto the two through the formless killing intent.
He just delayed making a move.
The brief interlude soon passed, and the battle between the cultivators and the blue mirror images had concluded.
In the end, only two fortunate individuals survived.
Qin Tang looked gently at the surviving cultivators, "The trial has ended. You may leave."
The cultivators were puzzled and about to speak when they saw each other's figures gradually fading, slowly disappearing from the square.
Soon, only Li Fan remained in the square.
Qin Tang looked at Li Fan, a complex expression fleeting across his face.
"Why aren't you leaving?"
Qin Tang asked.
Li Fan smiled calmly, "Senior Brother still owes me a good bottle of wine."
Surprised by Li Fan's response, Qin Tang was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Indeed, I still owe you a good bottle of wine!"
His expression suddenly changed, and he looked at Li Fan seriously.
He extended his right hand and lightly tapped Li Fan's forehead.
"This technique, the 'Cloud Water Dream Illusion Technique,' is a unique skill I created, combining my lifelong learning. I hope you do not let it go to waste!"
After a moment, Qin Tang withdrew his finger.
Li Fan's figure slowly faded away.
Once again, the vast square was left with only Qin Tang.
Just as it had been for thousands of years.
"Master, Senior Brother, Sister..."
Qin Tang looked around in solitude but found nothing.
So he took another sip of wine.
...
Li Fan gradually regained consciousness.
Before him stood a towering gate, inscribed with the four characters "Cloud Water Heavenly Palace."
At the base of the gate stood a broken stone statue.
The statue was battered and scarred, with a massive hollow where its heart should be.
From the statue's blurred face, one could faintly discern Qin Tang's likeness.
Li Fan quietly gazed at the statue for a moment, then took out a wine gourd from his storage ring.
He gently placed it before the statue.
Then, he activated the Shadow Following Technique, swiftly heading in the direction of the formless killing intent he had locked onto.