I became an immortal in the mountains

Chapter 937 A New World
Becoming a true god? Gu Yuanqing had no interest in that.

But there were some things in Wei Zhao's words that piqued his interest.

"The situation in the Dharma Source Realm?" Gu Yuanqing asked.

Wei Zhao said, "Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to? If not, why did you enter the Linglong Realm? Even if you obtained something from the Dharma Source Realm, you should have some understanding of it. Moreover... I don't believe that you haven't sensed the problem with the rule artifacts in all your years of cultivation?"

"The problem with the rule artifact?" Gu Yuanqing thought of the pair of eyes in the Zhenyuan Mingzhi.

Wei Zhao noticed Gu Yuanqing's expression and said, "It seems you have indeed sensed it. We cultivators of the divine path forge our own path by borrowing the power of the divine artifacts of the rules. When we return to the true path and condense our divine spark, we become true gods. When the artifact and the body are combined, we become heavenly gods by wielding the power of the artifact. If we can completely control the divine artifacts of the rules, we become god kings by acting on behalf of heaven and upholding the way!"
This path may seem wide, but it is actually just a single-plank bridge!
Because acting on behalf of Heaven to uphold the Dao means becoming completely one with the divine artifact, becoming the embodiment of that Great Dao. Once someone takes this step, that bridge will be severed forever!

"The number of divine artifacts based on rules is limited, and the number of positions for God-Kings is also limited. There are no more than twenty high-level divine artifacts and no more than fifty mid-level divine artifacts."

"To become a God-King, one must at least control a mid-level artifact! In fact, the only real chance is to control a high-level rule artifact!"

Wei Zhao's voice was low and hoarse.

Gu Yuanqing remained calm, as if listening to a story that had nothing to do with him.

He knew a little about these things, all from Zhuo Ming.

The path to divinity involves comprehending the power of divine artifacts and rules, absorbing their power into oneself, and transforming it into the imprint of the Dao.

If ignited into fire, one becomes a demigod;
When a person achieves perfect divinity, their spirit resonates with the divine artifacts of the Nine Heavens, allowing them to control their power and unite with them, thus becoming a celestial being.

Furthermore, he gained complete control over the rules and artifacts, meaning he also controlled the Great Dao, enabling him to act on behalf of Heaven and become the king among gods.

As Wei Zhao spoke, he kept an eye on Gu Yuanqing's expression. Seeing that Gu Yuanqing remained unmoved, Wei Zhao changed his tone and became serious.

"If that were all, it would be fine. With the fall of the God-King and the artifacts left unclaimed, the successors could take them on. But some people are not willing to accept this."

"Those fallen god-kings, though their physical bodies perished and their souls scattered, still have their obsessions attached to the artifacts of rules because they were too deeply entangled with them in life."

"This is not a big problem. With the birth of a new God-King, his mark will eventually be completely erased."

"But millions of years ago, things started to change."

"Those wills that should have completely dissipated have begun to awaken. They reside within the artifacts of rules, preventing future generations from refining them. In fact, when cultivators comprehend the artifacts of rules and attain enlightenment, they plant their power deep within their foundation, attempting to one day seize their bodies and be reborn!"

"In fact, these people are called the Returners to the Ruins!"

Gu Yuanqing raised an eyebrow. His feeling back then was indeed correct; this path was indeed fraught with traps.

He smiled indifferently: "Just like the true gods of your Primordial Divine Sect?"

Wei Zhao said in a deep voice, "That was only a last resort. The path to divinity is too difficult now. No one in the Linglong Realm has broken through to the True God realm for nearly 300,000 years."

"In the ancient realm, the Demon Lord's soul will inevitably cause great trouble sooner or later. With my own strength alone, I'm afraid it will be difficult to protect him completely. The only option is to preserve the existing power as much as possible."

Gu Yuanqing chuckled: "So, everything is for the greater good?"

Wei Zhao said, "What's wrong with sacrificing one person to protect the safety of all realms?"

"What a fine 'why not' statement, but why is it always others? Back then, when you summoned the ancient realm, you intended to sacrifice countless lives in my Qian Yuan Realm; the true god you claim to be forced to do also sacrificed the future of countless cultivators in the Linglong Realm!" Gu Yuanqing's smile was tinged with sarcasm. "So now, you're here to persuade me, are you trying to make me sacrifice something again?"

Wei Zhao was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Do you know that if the Demon Lord's soul completely goes out of control, the entire world will be affected, and at that time, your Northern Spring Realm will also find it difficult to remain unscathed?"

Moreover, as I mentioned before, we are cooperating for the greater good of the world. Simply asking you to use the Dao of Creation to slay the soul of the true demon is also to liberate the billions of lives in the Great Wei Divine Dynasty. You will not lose anything; on the contrary, you will gain great merit.

My greatest sincerity is to help you become the true God!

Moreover, for us cultivators, besides the Demon Lord, our greatest enemies are the ancient gods' obsessions that cling to the artifacts of rules. With your talent, you certainly won't stop there. Continuing your cultivation will inevitably lead to conflict with them sooner or later. In that case, why not cooperate and find a path together?

Gu Yuanqing smiled calmly: "I don't need your help to become a true god. As for what will happen in the future, who can say for sure? If you want me to take action, I have already given you my conditions. There is no need to say anything more."

Wei Zhao stared at Gu Yuanqing, took a deep breath, and said, "Are you really unwilling to help?"

Gu Yuanqing said calmly, "If that's all you wanted to say, you can leave now."

"You'll regret your decision today! I just hope that day won't be too late!" Wei Zhao said, and then his figure disappeared.

Gu Yuanqing's figure also disappeared.

……

In the northern part of the city.

Li Miaoxuan asked, "What are you looking at?"

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "Wei Zhao came by just now."

“Wei Zhao? What’s he doing here?” Li Miaoxuan asked.

"They just want me to take action, but they're unwilling to pay the price, and their words aren't entirely true." Gu Yuanqing smiled. "They're not exactly stingy; they proposed a deal, saying they'd help me become a true god!"

Li Miaoxuan smiled upon hearing this. Gu Yuanqing, like her, followed the orthodox path and had no idea how to cultivate the path of rules and divine artifacts.

This path is fraught with dangers. Once outside the protective aura of the divine artifact, one's strength will be drastically reduced, and the limitations are too great.

Naturally, this is not the best choice!

Gu Yuanqing said, "However, judging from what he said, it seems that there really is a problem in the Dharma Source Realm."

"What's wrong?" Li Miaoxuan asked.

Gu Yuanqing said, "He said that the divine artifact of rules is occupied by the obsession of a god-king who died, which has occupied the path of all cultivators."

"Is it the thing you felt before?" Li Miaoxuan asked.

"That must be it!"

……

Wei Zhao's arrival did not bring much change to the Northern Spring Realm.

Gu Yuanqing and Li Miaoxuan continued their leisurely cultivation and life as usual.

More than twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye.

On the occasion of Li Haotian's 1000th birthday, a grand celebration was held in the mountains.

Li Chengyi, who had been training in the Xuanqiong Realm, returned, and the entire Qianyuan Sect was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers.

Li Haotian sat at the head of the table, looking at his children and grandchildren, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

He was once just a mortal emperor, helpless against a trial participant from the lower realm, and almost died.

Now, cultivators who have undergone three tribulations of heavenly change have hope for the future of Yin and Yang.

Today, Gu Yuanqing also came down the mountain in person to offer his birthday wishes.

As his relationship with Li Miaoxuan deepened, he naturally stopped dwelling on the slight estrangement he had with Li Haotian back then.

Li Haotian felt the same way. Looking back now, he was glad that he hadn't separated the couple back then, and he was also glad that his daughter had the foresight to recognize their worth. Otherwise, where would he be today?
After the banquet.

The three sat in the hall.

Li Haotian said, "Yuanqing, Miaoxuan, because of my father's mistake, you two were not able to be together openly back then. I feel ashamed now. Fortunately, I didn't delay you two. I've been thinking, why don't we find a day for you to make up for the wedding ceremony from back then?"

Gu Yuanqing glanced at Li Miaoxuan and smiled, "It depends on what Miaoxuan thinks."

Li Miaoxuan shook her head and smiled: "Forget it, Yuanqing and I are almost a thousand years old, with many children and grandchildren, so let's not get hung up on these customs."

...Twenty-seven years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated in the courtyard.

The main house door creaked open, and Gu Yuanqing stepped out into the courtyard, looking up at the red glow in the sky.

A moment later, Li Miaoxuan came out of the room. Her plain white dress made her look even more beautiful, and her hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, falling lazily over her shoulders.

She raised her hand to straighten her cuffs, glanced at the sky, and said softly, "It's a fine day today."

"Mm," Gu Yuanqing responded, but his gaze remained fixed on her face.

She turned her head to look at him: "What are you looking at?"

“Look at you.” He answered frankly, his smile deepening. “A thousand years have passed, yet you are still the same as when you came to Beiquan Mountain.”

Li Miaoxuan was slightly taken aback, then gently scolded, "At your age, why are you still saying such things!"

Gu Yuanqing laughed heartily: "Only a thousand years old? For our lifespans, it's just the beginning. Last time, my father-in-law even asked me privately if I wanted to give Cheng Yi a brother..."

This year also marks the birthdays of Gu Yuanqing and Li Miaoxuan.

In fact, neither of them cared much about it.

However, for the Qian Yuan Realm and the Qian Yuan Sect, how could they not take it seriously?

On this day, people from all walks of life came to offer their congratulations, perhaps only wanting to meet Gu Yuanqing.

Countless people have listened to Linglong Realm's teachings, and various sects have come to Beiquan Mountain for further study, with countless people benefiting from its grace.

This is undoubtedly the most important event in the entire Linglong Realm!
In the spirit realm, many sects also came to visit, but people from both worlds were not allowed to meet.

There were many things to do, but Gu Yuanqing wasn't busy at all, as Li Chengyi and the others took care of all the matters related to his birthday.

In the Linglong Realm, it's simply a matter of gathering with relatives and friends to reminisce about the past.

In the spirit world, it's all about sitting and discussing the Dao.

For someone who had spent many years in seclusion, it felt quite good.

Even after everything was over, he felt a deep sense of emotion, and his cultivation, which was already close to the perfection of the Void Immortal realm, took another step forward.

Several more years passed.

That night, he shared a bed with Li Miaoxuan just like any other couple.

In the early hours of the morning, he suddenly had a thought, and then his figure disappeared without a sound.

Li Miaoxuan sensed something, opened her eyes, lazily turned her head to look, and then closed her eyes again.

For cultivators of their level, meditation and cultivation are no different from sleeping like ordinary people.

Rising with the sun and resting with the sunset, following the cycle of heaven and earth and acting in accordance with nature, will actually be more beneficial to the advancement of one's spiritual practice.

Or rather, both of them had actually reached the peak of the Void Immortal realm, and what they sought was only the perfection of their minds and their cultivation.

As for why Gu Yuanqing got up, she didn't deliberately ask; he would naturally say what he needed to say.

Just like her own secret, and some secrets are simply not meant to be told!
……

Gu Yuanqing arrived at the mountain peak and looked up at the sky.

In his vision and perception, spatial rifts were constantly being created and destroyed.

This is because the power of the Northern Spring Realm is too strong, compressing the space.

Gu Yuanqing knew that the time for the Northern Spring Realm, along with the next world, had finally arrived.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering gently in the night breeze. The mountaintop was silent, save for the faint humming sounds emanating from the spatial rifts as they were created and destroyed, like the whispers of heaven and earth.

Which world will it be?

He felt a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

Based on the previous two instances, he knew that the world connected to the Northern Spring Realm this time would be of a higher level, and might bring him and the Northern Spring Realm many benefits.

However, it could also bring about a crisis!

While the Northern Spring Realm can conceal its presence within the Demon Realm and the Spirit Realm, there will inevitably be cultivators with higher cultivation levels in higher-level spaces, making it less likely that it can remain hidden.

The truth will only be known when we actually see it.

Gu Yuanqing waited quietly, while also preparing for all possible scenarios.

The spatial cracks above Beiquanjie are becoming more numerous and denser.

Occasionally, a trace of primordial energy has begun to seep out from it. This primordial energy is even more refined than the spiritual energy of the Northern Spring Realm, and the power it contains is also more profound.

Gu Yuanqing drew a wisp of it over and felt the Dao Source True Seed greedily devouring this power.

However... it seems like I have some indigestion.

Ordinary spiritual energy can be transformed into true essence in the blink of an eye, but this aura needs to be constantly worn down before it can be truly transformed. However, with each transformation, the Dao Source Seed seems to improve slightly, and the Dao essence contained within it is even greater. This is clearly a higher level of power!
But when Gu Yuanqing sensed this aura, his heart sank involuntarily.

Time passed little by little.

As dawn broke, the entire Northern Spring Realm trembled slightly, and then the spatial rift in the sky completely disappeared, revealing a vast starry sky and boundless land.

Upon extending his divine sense, he immediately sensed a vast, ancient, and profound aura.

Gu Yuanqing remained silent for a while.

At this moment, there was no longer a shred of hope in my heart.

This is the power of the divine artifact of rules!
He looked up and gazed into the distant heavens.

Through the true talisman on his body, he seemed to vaguely see a huge divine wheel slowly rotating, with countless profound Dao patterns engraved on its surface. Each pattern was interpreting the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. It was like an eternal star, freely radiating its power to all realms.

This is the Great Void Creation Wheel!
Gu Yuanqing's expression remained calm, but a faint hint of disappointment could not be concealed in his eyes.

What he wants is the immortal realm, not this place.

While the Dharma Source Realm is indeed a higher level of existence and a place that cultivators of the divine path dream of reaching, it is not the path he seeks.

A gust of wind rose on the mountaintop, causing his blue robe to flutter.

He stood with his hands behind his back, appearing somewhat silent.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze stirred around him, and a graceful figure appeared beside him.

"What's wrong? You seem to be in a bad mood," Li Miaoxuan said.

With a slight thought, Gu Yuanqing revealed a world to Li Miaoxuan.

"Where is this?" Li Miaoxuan asked in surprise.

"The Realm of Dharma Source!"

(End of this chapter)