Reborn right after ascending to immortality?

Chapter 28 An Sheng has a mother again
An Sheng opened her eyes and saw cans of human blood scattered all over the ground, along with a jumble of severed limbs and remains.

Mortals would inevitably be shaken by the sight of this mountain of corpses and sea of ​​blood.

Thus, they were swallowed up by the Illusory Realm of the Great Void.

But An Sheng remained clear-headed, realizing that all of this was false; he only remembered one goal: to kill the Wang family patriarch.

"Son, do you want some?"

Wang Xuanyang took out a pill from the ashes of the bones and placed it in front of An Sheng. The elixir that could transcend the mortal world and ascend to immortality was right before his eyes.

Outside the illusory realm, everyone was invigorated when they saw the Impermanent Demon Child finally appear.

Finally, we can see this little one get its comeuppance.

If you eat the dumplings, you will never be able to leave the Land of Illusion.

This trial of the Great Void, a test of one's conscience and understanding of the Dao, is specifically designed to subdue scoundrels like An Sheng who always seek shortcuts.

Disappointingly, faced with the temptation that was so close at hand, which was also the first dead end in this trial, An Sheng shook his head.

He did not resist with force like Nine-Dragon, nor did he propose reforms like Mei Yun.

Because An Sheng refused to consume the Human Rejuvenation Pill, Wang Xuanyang, out of consideration for their blood ties, stripped An Sheng of all his cultivation and expelled him from the Wang family, leaving him to wander outside of Taize Township.

The choice made by the Impermanent Demon Child surprised several elders of the righteous jury.

They hadn't expected An Sheng to be so patient and tolerant.

He was neither tempted and devoured, nor did he succumb to the illusion of the Great Void; nor did he lose his life in a desperate fight with Wang Xuanyang.

To achieve the greater good, one must first survive.

This was the right choice.

"The path to immortality is not about fighting for one's own sake."

Vice Minister Li commented, "Only by enduring a moment's anger and resisting the allure of immortality can one become a supreme being. The Realm of Illusion can reflect one's truest self; let us see what kind of character this young man possesses in this adversity!"

The elders nodded, their opinion of the Impermanent Demon Child slightly changed, and decided to continue observing.

An Sheng lost his cultivation and became a refugee, but he did not give up on himself despite such a setback.

During the day, he would look for work in the village alleys and streets, either serving tea and water at inns or washing pork and removing bones and tendons for butchers.
An Sheng is quick and efficient.

Before becoming the 'Impermanent Demon Child', or rather, before formally cultivating immortality, he was just an ordinary person who had never experienced hardship or adversity.

In order to earn a living, he became skilled at these jobs as a child.

Now that he has lost all his memories and cultivation, his mortal survival instincts remain.

In the evenings, the boy would review his lessons, studying late into the night. With the small amount of money he had saved from working during the day, he would save every penny to rent a few classic books from the bookstore.

If they didn't have enough money, they would "steal the light by chiseling a hole in the wall"—secretly breaking through the wall of the bookstore and stealing all the books inside, from the Four Books and Five Classics to the "Strategies for Governing the Country."
He read and studied everything, devoting almost all his time to learning.

This art style is really off, isn't it?

The behavior of the Impermanent Demon Prince was seen by the Kunlun disciples who advocated "happy education," but what was the Impermanent Demon Prince doing now?
It's unbelievable how you can be so diligent.
Did you come to the Land of Illusion to read?
The Impermanent Demons are studying hard and reading diligently; how could they have such a dream?

Not to mention the Kunlun disciples, even the disciples of the Nine Nether Demonic Sect could not imagine it.

They felt a sense of shattered idol-like perception. From childhood, their parents taught them to commit more crimes and study less, like the impermanent demon next door, and strive to get a good prison job. But what is the impermanent demon doing now?
It's unbelievable how lazy you are.
Even if you don't kill anyone, at least commit some serious crime.

"Kill the royal family patriarch," does the Impermanent Demon Child still remember his mission in this world?

While both the righteous and the demonic factions were puzzled, only Vice Minister Li nodded thoughtfully and said with a smile, "Let's continue watching. He wants to take the imperial examination."

Unaware of the dream, three years in the illusion passed in an instant, while only thirty minutes had passed in reality.

As if to echo what Vice Minister Li said, An Sheng had read all the books in the bookstore in the past three years. So he participated in the provincial examination in Taize Township, ranked third, and became a student.

"Could it be that he intends to climb the ranks step by step through the imperial examinations, until he can bring down the Wang family?"

A bystander exclaimed, "But this road is too long!" In ancient mortal dynasties, the provincial examinations were held every three years, with the top three candidates from each province going to the prefectural capital. Next came the metropolitan examination, held every three years, with questions set by the local prefectural capitals.

Finally, there was the palace examination.

The gathering of court officials drew worldwide attention, with the question set personally by the Emperor Taishang.

The subjects tested included a vast amount of knowledge, such as calligraphy, oral examination, copying scriptures, policy questions, and poetry. If An Sheng were a cultivator, he could learn all this knowledge in an instant, but he was now a mortal.

All these exams combined would take a full six years, even for a genius like me who could pass them in one go!
The vast majority of scholars are still only at the level of a child prodigy even when they are seventy or eighty years old!

He stayed in the Land of Illusion for at least six years. Did he really come out?

"I did some research, and the emperor of this era was that ruthless Shang Li Emperor, who was obsessed with cultivating Taoism."

"That emperor clearly had no talent for cultivating Taoism, yet he was obsessed with cultivating immortality."

"It is naive to place your hopes on such a tyrant and expect peace and tranquility."

Moreover, after passing the imperial examination, one must climb the ranks step by step in the officialdom. The Wang family has deep influence in the Taize region and also has vested interests in the imperial court, making their influence vast.
If An Sheng were to rise through the ranks of officialdom to the point where she could bring down the Wang family, she would need to gather evidence, which would likely take even longer.

Only failure.

If he were to live half a mortal's life in an illusion, could he truly maintain his Dao heart?

Can he still remember that he is 'An Sheng'?

"This is the most cumbersome and longest way to pass the test, but it is also the most reliable, fair, upright, and honorable way to pass the test, without any underhanded tricks."

Vice Minister Li's eyes lit up, and he felt a sense of appreciation for talent. "His performance in the Illusionary Realm was all real. It seems that Kunlun's evaluation of the Impermanent Demon Prince was inaccurate."

"I often say that talent is not the most important factor in cultivating immortality. There are many geniuses in Kunlun, but how many of them can become immortals?"

"Mindset is the most important thing."

"This demonic child may seem unrestrained, but his Dao heart is more steadfast than that of most righteous disciples. Only by cultivating the Dao with this heart can one transcend the void and attain immortality."

An elder from the Dao Xuan Sect standing nearby objected, "You overestimate this demon; he's only a novice scholar at the moment."

"I'm never wrong when it comes to judging people," Vice Minister Li said with a confident smile.

Within the realm of the Great Illusion.

Three years after the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination will be held.

Having spent a thousand years in prison in his previous life, An Sheng's character has long been tempered and refined. What difficulty could a mere six years of compulsory education possibly pose?
An Sheng did not slack off at all during these three years. With the monthly subsidy given to students by the township and his daytime work, he was able to read more books.

Having devoted all his time and money to his studies, An Sheng's knowledge has advanced by leaps and bounds in these three years, and his reputation in the literary world has risen rapidly. Everyone says that a literary star is about to emerge from Taize Township.

"I'm good at judging people."

Vice Minister Li once again revealed a knowing smile.
"This child isn't inherently bad; he's still a minor."
That must be due to a lack of parental guidance. After this major trial is over, we'll recruit him into our Dao Xuan Sect for proper reformation.

Those around him immediately agreed, praising the leader's wisdom.

They don't realize that what the leader means is that this is a show for all orphans in the world.

If even a typical demon like the Impermanent Demon Prince, who has no mother, can reform himself and have a mother again under the guidance of the Dao Xuan Sect.

That proves that the Dao Xuan Sect is the leader of the righteous path, and the world within the Nine Netherworlds submits to its teachings.

An Sheng's upright and proper behavior in the Land of Illusion greatly exceeded everyone's expectations.

The reality is what unfolds in the illusion.
"Could it be that we have truly wronged An Sheng?"

This thought echoed in the hearts of the Kunlun Righteous Path.

"Has the Impermanent Demon Child reformed?"

　There will be another chapter later

　　
　
(End of this chapter)