I became an immortal in the mountains

Chapter 955 Undercurrents and Strategic Maneuvering
The entire war came to an abrupt end.

The aura of life and death dissipated in the sky, leaving only Gu Yuanqing standing in mid-air.

"His Majesty has been defeated!"

"That Gu Yuanqing actually managed to defeat Wei Wuji!"

"That old bastard surnamed Wei can only bully people in his own territory; he can't even handle an outside cultivator."

"I heard that they wanted to use Gu Yuanqing to end the Demon Lord's troubles, which is probably why they didn't use their killing move."

"However, to be honest, this time does seem to be somewhat different from the past."

Cultivators at the Heavenly Transformation level or above were watching from afar, but upon seeing the battle end, they quickly retreated even further away.

Some of the cultivators in the ancient world are eager to die, but others do not want to die so early. Even if this world is boring and the things they see are repeated again and again, in the eyes of many people, living is more interesting than dying.

Moreover, some of the changes that have suddenly emerged in recent years are unprecedented in millions of years, and they look very new. Many people want to see what will happen next.

Many cultivators, due to the appearance of the Blood Moon and the Demon Lord's disturbed soul, have had fragments within their souls begin to revive, seeking the so-called truth.

Gu Yuanqing merely glanced at the cultivators calmly, paying them no heed.

The next instant, he appeared in the sky above another city thousands of miles away.

This city is much smaller than Tiansheng City. Yin energy permeates the city, and yin spirits roam freely, but only a few Heavenly Transformation cultivators are stationed there.

With a mere wave of his hand, Gu Yuanqing unfurled the illusory image of the Northern Spring Realm, enveloping the entire city. As the sword energy descended, the vengeful spirits and surviving cultivators within the city vanished silently, ultimately transforming into a power interwoven with gray and black, which he then absorbed into his palm.

All of this happened in just about a quarter of an hour from beginning to end, after which the power was sent back to the Northern Spring Realm.

Gu Yuanqing looked up and glanced again in the direction of the capital of the Great Wei Dynasty.

The conflict with Wei Wuji was part of his plan.

His entry into the ancient realm, his killing of people from the Great Wei Divine Dynasty, and his absorption of their power—such a commotion was impossible for Wei Wuji and the others not to notice, nor did they ever expect the other party to sit idly by.

The battle of Tiansheng City was both a test and a demonstration of power.

If he loses, he has the Heavenly Fishing Technique to guide his clone back to the Northern Spring Realm. If he is not as skilled as others, he can only lie low for the time being and plan for the future.

But now that he has won, even if it was just a mirror image that was attacked from a distance, it is enough for Wei Wuji and others to reassess his worth.

Moreover, having won, it's impossible to return empty-handed.

He wants to capitalize on the momentum of this battle to gain more power and acquire more resources.

The growth of the Northern Spring Realm requires these resources, and these powerful cultivator avatars and demon lord souls trapped in the cycle of life and death are the best resources.

As the spirits of each city are refined, the spirituality of the Northern Spring Realm increases, and its growth accelerates.

This is a real benefit, and he can't possibly back down just because of Wei Wuji's threat.

However, Gu Yuanqing also knew that Wei Wuji's actions today were merely a remote attack, not a display of his true strength.

Although the image of the Mirror of Rebirth was powerful, it was ultimately just a projection. Wei Wuji's true body was stationed in the imperial city, suppressing the Heavenly Prison, and perhaps still restrained by the Demon Lord's divine soul seal. The power he could use was limited.

However, if he continued to conquer city after city, Wei Wuji would certainly not stand idly by and would definitely resort to more drastic measures.

And this is exactly what Gu Yuanqing wanted.

He wanted to use this opportunity to investigate the foundation of the Great Wei Dynasty.

How strong is Wei Wuji in his true form?
Was the major overhaul behind it Wei Wuji, or was it someone else?
How much of the true power of the Mirror of Rebirth can be mobilized?

What is the true state of the Demon Lord's soul?

These are questions that can never be answered without firsthand experience.

Previously, Gu Yuanqing's strength was too weak, and he was unwilling to get involved in karma. He only wanted to avoid these things and focus on his cultivation.

But the wind wouldn't stop even if the tree wanted to be still. The relentless pressure from the Ancient Divine Sect and the Ancient Realm had forced him to take action.

Since there's no way to avoid it, there's no need to try anymore.

Instead of passively waiting for the opponent to make a move, it's better to actively stir up trouble and figure out the opponent's trump cards during the battle.

Of course, Gu Yuanqing did not want to actually fight to the death with the great cultivators of the ancient world.

This great cultivator has been entangled with the Demon Lord's soul for millions of years. If the Demon Lord's soul is truly forced out, it will not be a good thing for the Linglong Realm or the Beiquan Realm.

His goal was never to destroy the ancient realm, but to deter it from starting another war.

However, peace is never something that can be begged for or negotiated.

Only by demonstrating sufficient strength and making your opponents understand the price they will pay for provoking you will they truly sit down and talk.

……

Inside the imperial palace of the Great Wei Dynasty.

Zhou Wei, who had returned using a teleportation array, stared intently at Wei Wuji.

Wei Wuji did not lose his composure despite the defeat in the previous battle. He calmly asked, "Why is Supervisor Zhou looking at me like that?"

Commander Zhou said, "Feng Yue is dead, truly dead!"

Wei Wuji said, "I saw it, but he was determined to die, and there was nothing I could do. It's not that he had no chance to escape."

Zhou Wei said, "His Majesty's forces arrived on the battlefield long ago and could have acted sooner."

Wei Wuji calmly said, "This is a relief for him; there's no need to force him to stay."

"Cough cough!" Zhou Wei coughed a few times, then slowly said, "Your Majesty knows that this is not what I meant!"

"Zhou Jianzheng, you've gone too far. Are you questioning me, the Emperor?" Wei Wuji's voice grew colder, and an invisible aura of imperial authority spread out.

In the past, Zhou Wei would have knelt and begged for forgiveness, but at this moment, he did not back down at all, and sneered, "How dare this old minister? I just want to hear an explanation from Your Majesty!"

Wei Wuji seemed to laugh in extreme anger: "You want me to explain? Commander Zhou, how dare you! What, do you want me to explain how you used your natal talisman and divine fire to nurture the Life-Tracing Sword, attempting to sever your karmic ties with me?"

"You already knew?" Zhou Wei's pupils contracted.

Wei Wuji sat high on the throne, looking down at his subjects: "The Sword of Destiny was bestowed upon you by me. I know better than you what it can do. Zhou Wei, do you intend to betray me?"

Zhou Wei's body trembled slightly, as if his thoughts had been exposed. But in the blink of an eye, he looked at Wei Wuji with a mocking gaze and said, "Betraying me? Your Majesty... you're wrong, Wei Wuji. Do you really think you are the real one? Don't deceive yourself. Even if you control a part of the power of the Mirror of Rebirth, you are still not him!"
What difference is there between you and us? You're nothing more than an insignificant clone, only you regained your memories a little earlier.

"Right now, because of the Demon Lord's power, he can't retract his clone, but one day you too will completely disappear!"

"He is me, and I am him, what difference is there! Commander Zhou, it seems you have also been influenced by the Demon Lord's divine soul." Wei Wuji spoke calmly, then suddenly tapped his fingers lightly on the throne.

Zhou Wei felt the Life-Tracing Sword buzzing within him, slowly detaching from his true talisman and finally emerging from between his brows, hovering in the air. Zhou Wei clenched his fists, wanting to grasp the Life-Tracing Sword in his hand, but ultimately did nothing, for he knew Wei Wuji's strength, especially within the imperial city, and was utterly powerless to resist.

He sneered and said, "What? You also want to suppress me in the Heavenly Prison?"

Wei Wuji stared at Zhou Wei for a moment, and finally said indifferently, "Leaving aside the past, you and I have been ruler and subject for millions of years, and there is still affection between us. I can give you a chance, and this Sword of Destiny will still be left to you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wei Wuji seemed to have given up control of the Life-Tracing Sword, which transformed into a stream of light and disappeared back into Zhou Wei's brow.

Zhou Wei was taken aback for a moment, then sneered, "What are you trying to say? Pity me?"

Wei Wuji said, "You and I are of the same origin. I hope you can really think this through. I don't want to destroy you with my own hands!"

The two men, the emperor and his minister, stared at each other for a moment. Zhou Wei finally took a deep breath, bowed slightly, and turned to leave.

Calmness returned to the main hall.

Wei Wuji sat on the throne, his brows furrowed slightly, and finally lay down and closed his eyes.

"To live...who doesn't want to live?" he murmured to himself.

……

In the world of the mirror of rebirth.

Wei Wuji slowly walked to the ancient mirror and looked at the old body sitting cross-legged.

After a moment, he calmly said, "Gu Yuanqing has become a major threat. I was unable to suppress him even when I used the power of the Rebirth Mirror."

There was no echo in the space, but Wei Wuji knew that he must have heard it.

Wei Wuji continued, “I dare not use too much of the power of the Mirror of Rebirth, otherwise it will cause the Demon Lord’s soul to sense the disturbance and accelerate his awakening. However, if Gu Yuanqing is not suppressed, he will surely continue to kill the other avatars of my Great Wei. Although I do not know how he brought our power out of the Ancient Realm, there is no doubt that part of our power has indeed been lost. If this continues, it will inevitably affect the overall situation.”

Therefore, I am prepared to use my divine body!

As these words were uttered, a sudden tremor occurred in the space.

A wisp of grayish-white energy flew out from the mirror of rebirth and disappeared into the aged body.

Wei Yuan slowly opened his eyes: "No!"

Wei Wuji's expression hardened slightly, and he said, "This person is extremely strong; ordinary methods are simply ineffective against him."

Wei Yuan looked at him, his gaze calm yet profound, as if he could see through all the thoughts in his heart. After a long time, he slowly said, "The divine body is not the right time yet."

Wei Wuji frowned and said, "But..."

"I've already said it, it's not the right time yet." Wei Yuan's words were calm, yet brooked no argument.

Wei Wuji dared not say more. When he spoke with Zhou Wei, he said that he and Wei Yuan were the same person. But he knew that when he faced Wei Yuan, the two were not like that at all. He had a vague feeling that if Wei Yuan had a single thought, he would be doomed.

"I have my own plans regarding Gu Yuanqing's matter." Wei Yuan closed his eyes, his voice tinged with weariness. "You just need to stabilize the situation and prevent the Ancient Realm from spiraling out of control. As for him, delay as long as you can, and if you can't... then give him a few cities."

Wei Wuji frowned slightly: "Give it to him?"

"He wants power, so I'll give him some," Wei Yuan said calmly. "I don't swallow my things so easily; one day I'll have to give them back to me with interest."

Wei Wuji was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Okay, I understand."

"Step down!" Wei Yuan said.

Wei Wuji's figure disappeared.

After a long while, Wei Yuan sighed softly, "Even clones can't be relied on? That's true, too much time has passed, they have long since awakened their own consciousness!"

He looked down at the ground.

The ground rippled like water, but below it was pitch black, as if no light could illuminate it.

A black aura coalesced, and a gigantic face emerged, its scarlet eyes standing out starkly in the darkness.

"Wei Yuan, you can't suppress me. Release me, and you'll have a chance to become a God King! They'll come back sooner or later, no, they might already be coming back. If we cooperate, you'll have a chance to survive."

“I am a god, you are a demon. Gods and demons have never coexisted since ancient times. No matter what you say, it’s useless,” Wei Yuan said coldly.

"Hahahaha, God? Demon? These are just words for outsiders to hear. Although you are not an ancient god, you should know about the events of ancient times. It was nothing more than the victor becoming king and the loser becoming villain," the enormous face said.

"Then you will completely disappear and hand over the Mirror of Rebirth to me?"

"It seems you still haven't figured it out, but I'm not in a hurry. One day you will..."

Wei Yuan snorted coldly, and before he could finish speaking, he activated the Dao of Life and Death, drawing upon the power of the Mirror of Rebirth to completely seal off the space below, and the ripples on the ground disappeared.

Below lies the Demon Lord's soul!
Most of the high-level artifacts exist in the Nine Heavens, but because they are used to suppress the soul of the Demon Lord, the artifacts themselves fall into the ancient realm.

It was precisely because of this that he had the opportunity to get so close and reach the pinnacle of the Celestial God realm.

He created countless clones, evolved through reincarnation, and comprehended the path to rebirth. He originally intended to use this opportunity to completely control this superior rule artifact and ascend to the position of God-King.

Unexpectedly, the demonic soul awakened, and the scattered clones could no longer be retrieved. Even he himself was disturbed by the demonic thoughts.

In fact, upon closer reflection, the demonic soul may have been awakened long ago, but it had been lying dormant, and I had let my guard down, which allowed it to find my weakness.

……

Inside the Great Wei Imperial Palace.

Wei Wuji's face was gloomy. The old man was still unwilling. Perhaps he had already become wary of him and would not give him the chance to touch the divine body.

However, without a divine body to rely on, one cannot withstand the power of the Mirror of Rebirth and thus cannot leave the Ancient Realm.

In that case, no matter how things develop in the future, I will eventually disappear like the other clones.

Returning to my original self, merging memories... but if that happens, will I still be myself? Then what meaning have these millions of years held?
"No, there must be another way. The Ancient Realm is the most mysterious place besides the Nine Heavens. The ancient battlefield holds everything from the past. I don't believe that we really can't break this fate!"

……

In the northern part of the city.

Gu Yuanqing manipulated the power of the realm to refine a great deal of power, and the spiritual energy in the Northern Spring Realm became even more abundant, causing miraculous changes to occur throughout the entire Northern Spring Realm.

Although the overall strength doesn't seem to have increased much, it feels quite different from before.

Li Miaoxuan stood side by side with Gu Yuanqing on the mountaintop and asked, "You have brought back so much power from the ancient realm, yet they still haven't made any other moves?"

Gu Yuanqing shook his head and frowned slightly as he said, "Since the battle three days ago, the Ancient Realm seems to have completely calmed down. However, Wei Wuji will certainly not let me go like this. He must have other methods waiting for me."

(End of this chapter)