[After you joined the White Blaze Divine Sect, you became a disciple of the White Blaze Divine Sect, enjoying a decent stipend. Due to this, you temporarily settled down and began cultivating peacefully within the White Blaze Divine Sect.]
[Because you kept a low profile, no one bothered you, and the White Blaze Divine Sect members who were curious about you due to your constant seclusion lost interest in you.]
[In this way, a hundred years passed in the blink of an eye. Despite the time that had passed, you still hadn't advanced from the Virtual God Realm first stage to the second stage. Cultivating in the Virtual God Realm was already challenging, requiring more resources than you had.]
[Under these circumstances, the stipend you received couldn't sustain your rapid cultivation progress.]
[If you continued like this, you didn't know how long it would take to advance to the next minor realm. Although the lifespan of a Virtual God Realm cultivator was over 30,000 years, you wanted to improve your cultivation faster.]
[However, the more troublesome issue was that you only had the cultivation method for the Emperor Burning Heaven Scripture's Mortal Realm segment and lacked the method for the Divine Realm segment. Therefore, you had to cultivate your self-created Divine Grade Low-tier technique. Doing this not only slowed down your cultivation speed but also hindered your foundation, making you think about re-cultivating in the future.]
[Nevertheless, you had no choice but to continue your cultivation for now. Otherwise, if you kept neglecting it, hoping to obtain the Emperor-grade Divine Technique's Divine Realm segment, it wouldn't be practical and would only waste time.]
[After pondering how to obtain cultivation resources and improve your cultivation speed, the White Blaze Divine Sect began gathering its elders for a meeting, and you naturally went to the grand hall. Soon, you learned the reason for the White Blaze Divine Sect gathering its elders.]
[As it turned out, in the eastern part of the Taiyuan Ancient Star, there was a secret realm abundant in divine sources and divine minerals that would greatly benefit the White Blaze Divine Sect. However, this secret realm wasn't solely owned by the White Blaze Divine Sect but was jointly held by three major forces in the eastern part of the Taiyuan Ancient Star.]
[These three major forces were the Green Origin Divine Sect, the White Blaze Divine Sect, and the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty. They all held the keys to this secret realm, which would be opened every thousand years to extract divine sources and divine minerals.]
[It was because of this secret realm that these three major forces had grown into powerful sects, gaining fame throughout the Taiyuan Ancient Star.]
[It could be said that every time the secret realm was opened, it was a major event for these three major forces, crucial to their future development. Therefore, they attached great importance to it and were meticulous in their preparations.]
[However, this secret realm was unique in that it only allowed cultivators at the Virtual God Realm or below to enter. So, the ultimate goal of this expedition was to send elders and disciples to mine the divine sources and divine minerals within the secret realm.]
[Understanding the situation, your interest was piqued. With your current strength, although not incredibly powerful, you were far from being considered weak in the Virtual God Realm.]
[If you could mine divine sources and divine minerals in abundance and gain some benefits, it would greatly aid your future cultivation and accelerate your progress.]
[However, you couldn't help but remember the complaints you had when you first ascended, joking about ascenders becoming miners. It was quite ironic that you found yourself on this path, although not compelled to mine but willingly chose to.]
[At this moment, the text simulation paused, and Wang Ping's mind was filled with various scenes. Finally, as his consciousness flickered, his perspective changed, and he found himself in the grand hall. His mind was also filled with the insights he had gained over the years of cultivation.]
[When he snapped back to reality, he couldn't help but feel speechless. Well, he had to mine, which was quite frustrating.]
["But, is this another branching point since I'm now in this immersive simulation state?" Wang Ping wondered, recalling this matter. His expression turned slightly solemn as he glanced at the White Blaze Divine Sect's leader and others in the hall.]
[The leader of the White Blaze Divine Sect was a True God Realm expert, to be precise, most of the leaders of major powers in the Upper Realms were True God Realm experts. Advanced experts like the Demigod Realm and True God Realm rarely showed themselves unless there was a major event.]
["Is this branching point related to whether I should go or not to the secret realm?" Wang Ping pondered. The role of an honorary elder was to take the front lines in battles or during significant events.]
["The White Blaze Divine Sect would not invest resources in maintaining honorary elders without a reason. Although I have potential, if they invest resources in me, I would definitely be among the first to act when something happens."]
["So, whether I go or not, it's almost certain that I'll have to participate. The role of an honorary elder is to take the forefront in battles or major events."]
[With these thoughts in mind, Wang Ping decided to continue watching the story unfold.]
["Any objections, esteemed elders?" The leader of the White Blaze Divine Sect scanned the assembly, asking for their opinions.]
[Among those named were outer sect elders and honorary elders. Wang Ping was among them.]
["System, fast forward," Wang Ping said quietly.]
["Ding, fast forwarding."]
[The system's voice rang out, and the text appeared again.]
["With the personnel settled, a True God Realm inner sect elder led the team, riding a divine vessel to the location of the secret realm. As you journeyed to the secret realm, you observed the disciples of the White Blaze Divine Sect who were heading there to mine."]
["Mining was extremely dangerous, but the rewards were astonishing, which motivated many White Blaze Divine Sect disciples to take this once-in-a-millennium opportunity. However, mining required strength; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to extract the minerals."]
["As a result, none of the White Blaze Divine Sect disciples chosen for this task had cultivation levels lower than the Wang Realm. Many were even True Transmission Disciples with Imperial Realm cultivation or quasi-God cultivation. But what stood out the most were the divine sons and divine daughters of the White Blaze Divine Sect. Despite their young age, some being just a few hundred years old, they possessed Virtual God Realm cultivation, displaying terrifying talent."]
["Of course, you knew that their talent wasn't the only factor. The resources in the Upper Realms were much richer than those in the Lower Realms, explaining why such young Virtual God Realm experts existed."]
["While you observed these disciples, one figure in particular caught your attention—Lin Qinghe, the divine daughter of the White Blaze Divine Sect. She gave you a distinct feeling."]
["The reason for this feeling was that over the years, Lin Qinghe had been seeking you out and engaging in discussions with you. You didn't know her true intentions or fully understand her, but you knew that
she possessed considerable strength, much greater than the divine sons of the White Blaze Divine Sect."]
["You believed that this trip to the secret realm might allow you to learn more about Lin Qinghe's intentions."]
["As you were lost in thought, Lin Qinghe also noticed your contemplative expression. She smiled slightly, causing many disciples to show envious expressions, especially the divine sons of the White Blaze Divine Sect, who looked displeased."]
["The divine sons of the White Blaze Divine Sect, with their extraordinary talent, were all admirers of Lin Qinghe, the divine daughter of the White Blaze Divine Sect. In the eyes of outsiders, they were a natural match, destined to become Dao companions."]
["However, your arrival had changed Lin Qinghe, who had always been aloof, into a warm and charming figure in front of you, which made the divine sons of the White Blaze Divine Sect extremely displeased. They felt as if they were being cuckolded."]
["You noticed the gazes of the White Blaze Divine Sect's divine sons but chose to ignore them. You didn't have any thoughts about Lin Qinghe, but you knew that sometimes, not having thoughts about a woman made others think otherwise."]
["Women, especially those of the seductive type, could be quite troublesome and easily attracted enemies to men."]
["Well, Lin Qinghe, although I had seen some images of her beauty in the immersive simulation earlier, I didn't expect it to cause such trouble," Wang Ping thought as he watched the simulation. His emotions were complicated."]
["The images presented after the text simulation were not his personal experiences but rather a representation of the overall events. They lacked many details, and Wang Ping hadn't anticipated this turn of events."]
["However, according to the usual plot development, could it be that the previous branching point was related to the change in Lin Qinghe's fate after I entered the secret realm?" Wang Ping pondered, furrowing his brows.]
["Could Lin Qinghe possess such great power as to trigger a branching point that would put me in an immersive simulation?"]
["Anyway, I'll continue watching to find out," Wang Ping thought to himself as he continued to gaze at the screen.]
["After a long time, you arrived at the secret realm's location. When you arrived, members of the Green Origin Divine Sect and the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty were also present."]
["After some bickering and suspicious glances exchanged among the leaders of the three major forces, they jointly took out the keys and opened the secret realm."]
["Once the secret realm was opened, you all entered it. Although it was a randomly teleported type of secret realm, the three major forces had manipulated it with their divine abilities."]
["People from different factions were all teleported together for efficient mining and the extraction of divine sources."]
["As a result, you didn't lose anyone upon entering the secret realm. However, this time, the outer sect elder leading the White Blaze Divine Sect's team was a follower of the divine son, and he gave you the most dangerous task."]
["Your task was to guard the outermost area. In the event that people from the other two major forces appeared, you had to intercept them immediately and be vigilant against unexpected dangers."]
It can be said that every time a secret realm opens, the ones with the highest casualties during the mining process are the Virtual God Realm elders stationed at the outermost periphery, with most of them being honorary elders recruited by the White Blaze Divine Sect.
Regarding this task, you furrowed your brows slightly but didn't say much, choosing to follow orders. After all, if you resisted the task in the secret realm, the divine sons of the White Blaze Divine Sect would definitely find a reason to accuse you and then try to eliminate you.
Although you were powerful, you couldn't possibly match many of the White Blaze Divine Sect's elders. Most of them had cultivation levels of the Virtual God Realm seventh stage or higher, especially the leading elders who had reached the pinnacle of the Virtual God Realm.
Once you reached the Virtual God Realm, it became increasingly difficult to fight opponents of higher realms. Even with your cultivation of the Mortal Realm segment of the Emperor Burning Heaven Scripture, you couldn't easily contend with higher-level cultivators.
After all, the Emperor Burning Heaven Scripture, even if it was just the Mortal Realm segment, provided a significant advantage before the Virtual God Realm when you were in the Lower Realms. However, in the Upper Realms, your advantage wasn't as significant. Especially considering your current primary weapon was only an Imperial-grade artifact, you struggled to keep up.
"In the Lower Realms, I was considered well-off with luxurious equipment. Now that I'm in the Upper Realms, it seems like I've become poor again," Wang Ping sighed as he watched the simulation.
This was similar to playing a game. The version had been updated, level caps raised, changes in the rankings of martial techniques and divine abilities, and equipment levels completely updated. His previous luxurious equipment, while not all turned into basic equipment, had fallen behind in terms of level.
"Cultivation also depends on wealth accumulation, and now there's nothing that qualifies," Wang Ping mumbled to himself. "Of course, having a Dao companion isn't necessary for me."
Wang Ping continued to watch the simulation, wanting to see how his simulated self would overcome these challenges. After all, his current situation was far from ideal.
Next, the various teams were assigned their roles and began their actions, searching for divine sources and divine minerals to mine. They also had to fend off dangerous demonic beasts within the secret realm.
As one of the elders stationed at the outermost periphery, your responsibility was the greatest. You frequently had to deal with powerful Virtual God Realm demonic beasts. However, your formidable strength allowed you to avoid any life-threatening situations for the time being.
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed. During this month, even you had sustained some significant injuries. This was, of course, a result of you deliberately concealing your true strength.
The reason for hiding your strength was that you were well aware that once your cultivation in the Mortal Realm segment of the Emperor Burning Heaven Scripture was exposed, your situation would become extremely dangerous. The allure of the Emperor Burning Heaven Scripture, even in its Mortal Realm segment, was unparalleled. You could see this from the actions of Mo Family's young master back then. The fact that he could produce a Sacred artifact proved that his family had once had a Saint Realm expert.
Over the years, you had secretly inquired about the Mo Family's situation. The Mo Family was a powerful clan in the Central Realm, and as you expected, they had a history of producing Saint Realm experts. However, in recent years, they had experienced a decline. They were struggling to maintain their presence in the Central Realm and couldn't assert dominance in the face of challenges from some divine sects in the Inner Realm.
You speculated that this was the reason why the Mo Family, a thousand years later, had ventured to find out if they could subdue the magic treasure and obtain the inheritance of the Abyssal Demon Monarch upon learning of the news of the Supreme-grade Devil Artifact in the Purple Spirit Realm.
Although the Mo Family had declined somewhat, they were still a force to be reckoned with, having produced Saint Realm experts in the past. In comparison, they were much more powerful than the White Blaze Divine Sect. Even the divine sons of the White Blaze Divine Sect were enthusiastic about it. Other forces like the White Blaze Divine Sect would also take action if the Emperor Burning Heaven Scripture's Mortal Realm segment were to be exposed.
So, you remained calm and didn't want to reveal that you had cultivated the Emperor Burning Heaven Scripture.
As another half month passed, with more divine sources and minerals being extracted, the accumulated energy grew increasingly terrifying, attracting more and more demonic beasts, with their appearances becoming more frequent.
Even with your concealed strength, you faced tremendous pressure. Several times, you came close to being torn apart by Virtual God Realm demonic beasts. If it weren't for other high-level honorary elders fighting alongside you, you would have faced certain death.
During this one and a half months, five Virtual God Realm elders had already fallen, four of them being honorary elders.
You could only sigh. The Upper Realms were far more brutal than the Lower Realms. Virtual God Realm experts in the early stages in the Upper Realms, during the Era of Dharma's End, were considered strong but still couldn't be considered safe. They had to fight desperately for cultivation resources, and one wrong move could cost them their lives.
Of course, this specifically referred to Virtual God Realm experts below the fourth stage. Once they reached the mid-stage of the Virtual God Realm and progressed to the late stage of the Virtual God Realm, they would be much safer, hardly ever falling prey to demonic beasts.
As you were just about to repel another demonic beast, a sudden change occurred. Members of the Green Origin Divine Sect and the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty unexpectedly appeared together, aiming to wipe out the White Blaze Divine Sect and seize the resources.
Your expression changed slightly, and you chose to retreat without hesitation. After all, the strengths of the three major forces were roughly equal, and if two of them united against one, the White Blaze Divine Sect would have no chance.
Even though you were a Virtual God Realm expert from the White Blaze Divine Sect, you didn't have strong emotional ties to the sect. Your own life was the most important.
Seeing you retreat, the leaders and divine sons of the two major forces sneered but didn't personally pursue you. Instead, they dispatched other formidable experts to chase down the weaker honorary elders in the Virtual God Realm.
While you were being pursued, the strong members of the Green Origin Divine Sect and the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty launched a joint attack on the main force of the White Blaze Divine Sect. This took the leaders and divine sons of the White Blaze Divine Sect by surprise, and they never expected the two forces to form a full alliance to deal with the White Blaze Divine Sect.
Lin Qinghe frowned slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.
"It's troublesome not being able to use my true strength in the secret realm. Now that I'm in the Upper Realm, I'm faced with the dilemma of not daring to reveal my techniques again. Although, I anticipated this would happen," she remarked.
Wang Ping watched the simulation and shook his head slightly. Back when he was a wandering cultivator on the islands, he had to conceal himself due to being hunted for a Heavenly-grade technique. Now, in the Upper Realm, he couldn't reveal his Emperor-grade technique. It was the plight of someone without a strong background or a reliable
life-preserving method.
"But trouble has arisen in the secret realm after all, and this Lin Qinghe... she's definitely not simple," Wang Ping thought as he remembered the later part of the simulation content, furrowing his brows slightly.
Facing the joint attack of the two major forces when they were being chased, Lin Qinghe remained remarkably calm. It made him wonder if she had an extraordinary trump card or simply had an exceptional state of mind.
Although Lin Qinghe was powerful and had reached the third stage of the Virtual God Realm at a young age, there was still a considerable gap between her cultivation and those of older Virtual God Realm experts. She wouldn't be able to turn the tide on her own.
While Wang Ping contemplated this, the text continued to appear.
Facing the attack from the two major forces, the White Blaze Divine Sect's divine son shouted angrily, "Are the Green Origin Divine Sect and the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty going to break the rules? Facing the divine son of the White Blaze Divine Sect's anger, the divine sons and daughters of the Green Origin Divine Sect and the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty sneered. There were no rules in this world; fists were the only rules.
The leading elders of the Green Origin Divine Sect and the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty also chuckled and indicated that it was a waste of resources for the three major forces to share the secret realm. It would be better for the two forces to control the secret realm together.
These words shocked the divine son of the White Blaze Divine Sect, and he realized that the two major forces were indeed forming a comprehensive alliance to deal with the White Blaze Divine Sect. However, he couldn't understand why they dared to do so.
"After all, among the three major forces, their White Blaze Divine Sect's Patriarch is the strongest, possessing a cultivation of the fourth stage of the Divine Lord Realm, while the Patriarchs of the other two forces only have a cultivation of the third stage of the Divine Lord Realm. As long as the Patriarch of the White Blaze Divine Sect doesn't die, even if the other side joins forces to swallow the White Blaze Divine Sect, they won't have a good ending."
"A mid-stage Divine Lord Realm expert's anger is not something the two major forces can withstand. Even if the two major forces can join forces to contend with the Patriarch of the White Blaze Divine Sect, if the Patriarch resorts to guerrilla tactics, the two major forces will definitely suffer greatly."
"Let alone when it's a Divine Lord Realm expert stronger than them, such actions would give any sect a headache. Even if it were an expert who has just entered the Divine Lord Realm, it would still be a headache."
"It seems like they've figured out what the White Blaze Divine Sect's divine son is thinking. Both the divine sons and daughters of the Green Origin Divine Sect and the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty are sneering. They seem to have received reliable information, and there are rumors that something has happened to the Patriarch of the White Blaze Divine Sect, which is why they decided to test the waters."
"Soon, a terrifying battle erupted here, with the power of the Divine Lord Realm running rampant and affecting a large area. Although in the Upper Realms, the destructive power caused by Divine Lord Realm experts couldn't compare to the Lower Realms, it was still terrifying."
"On your end, you continued to flee in the distance, choosing to stay away from the battlefield to avoid getting involved. After reaching a safe distance, you finally unleashed your true strength, swiftly killing the two Divine Lord Realm experts who were pursuing you."
"However, what caught you off guard was when a Divine Lord Realm expert at the fifth stage suddenly killed the other honorary elders after you. Then, he came after you."
"Under duress, you had no choice but to engage in a fierce battle with him. However, Upper Realm Divine Lord Realm experts weren't easy to deal with, and with him having several minor realms' advantage over you, you were no match."
"You hesitated about whether to use the Purple Talent - Fate Connection, but ultimately, you gave up. This powerful ability shouldn't be wasted on an opponent who's just at the fifth stage of the Divine Lord Realm."
"Eventually, you were killed by him once. After your death, this Divine Lord Realm expert greedily attempted to loot your body. After all, you had just demonstrated the power of the Emperor Burning Heaven Scripture and the Emperor Burning Heaven Fist, which made him aware of the terrifying techniques you possessed."
"It was during his greedy looting that you triggered the Red Talent - Death Whisper. Suddenly, you unleashed a horrifying strike that exceeded all limits. Caught off guard, the Divine Lord Realm expert was directly hit by your attack and died on the spot."
"One hour later, you revived, and after looting the bodies in reverse, you began to contemplate what to do next."
"The text simulation reached this point and paused again. In Wang Ping's mind, many images and insights appeared, and his field of vision changed to within the secret realm."
"Here I am, faced with another choice. Should I choose to continue fleeing or return to join the battle?" Wang Ping looked into the distance, sensing the terrifying aftermath of the battle over there, furrowing his brows slightly.
"If I go there to join the battlefield, the probability of dying once is high, and the probability of dying twice is not low either. Of course, if I use the Purple Talent - Fate Connection, theoretically, I can change the situation on the battlefield. After all, with this talent, I can essentially add another Divine Lord Realm expert from the Green Origin Divine Sect or the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty to our side. If I coordinate with a surprise attack, there's a good chance for a counterattack by the White Blaze Divine Sect."
"But does that benefit me significantly? Not really. The real benefits are secondary. I don't think this simulation will take me very far. What's important is experimentation, gathering intelligence, and understanding the future trends."
Wang Ping's gaze flickered, and he made a decision, concealing his aura, and quickly flew back.
After Wang Ping returned, he witnessed a surprising scene.
The battle was actually one-sided.
However, it wasn't the combined forces of the Green Origin Divine Sect and the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty overwhelming the White Blaze Divine Sect's cultivators. It was the other way around.
To be precise, the people from the White Blaze Divine Sect were almost dead, and then Lin Qinghe, the divine daughter of the White Blaze Divine Sect, unleashed her true power, engaging in a massacre against the experts from the two major forces.
Her current cultivation had reached the terrifying level of the seventh stage of the Divine Lord Realm, and her combat strength was astounding. Even Divine Lord Realm experts from the Green Origin Divine Sect and the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty above the seventh stage couldn't withstand her single strike.
In fact, even Divine Lord Realm experts at the peak couldn't handle her attack and were severely injured, looking at her in shock and disbelief.
"This woman is incredibly terrifying," Wang Ping watched Lin Qinghe's battle with a wary expression.
At the same time, Wang Ping couldn't understand why Lin Qinghe had been hiding her strength, only revealing her true power after most of the White Blaze Divine Sect's members were nearly dead, and then she started a massacre against the experts from the other two major forces.
While Wang Ping pondered, Lin Qinghe quickly finished off the members of the Green Origin Divine Sect and the Northern Snow Divine Dynasty, her white clothes stained with blood, exuding a certain violent aesthetic.
"Cough, Sister Qinghe, you're truly formidable. Please, save me," the divine son of the White Blaze Divine Sect lay on the ground, weakened, coughing, and pleading for help from Lin Qinghe.
Facing the plea for help from the divine son of the White Blaze Divine Sect, Lin Qinghe walked over, sighing, "I didn't want to kill you originally, but you saw things you shouldn't have seen. Besides, I've been eyeing your origin power for a long time."
After saying this, to the shocked gaze of the divine son of the White Blaze Divine Sect, Lin Qinghe slapped him to death.
Next, Lin Qinghe looked towards the place where Wang Ping was hiding and said coldly, "Elder Wang, come out."
After a brief pause, Wang Ping knew that there was no way to escape, so he calmly walked out.
After all, he still had the Purple Talent - Fate Connection as his trump card, so he wasn't afraid of Lin Qinghe.
"Are you from the Demon Sect?" Wang Ping looked at Lin Qinghe and asked in a stern voice.
Lin Qinghe's style was not much different from that of the Demon Sect. She clearly was an extremely dangerous person.
She was like a praying mantis preying on cicadas while the oriole was behind her, waiting for everyone to die so she could seize their origin powers.
"Senior Wang, you've cultivated the Emperor Burning Heaven Scripture - Mortal Realm Segment, haven't you?" Lin Qinghe didn't answer Wang Ping's question but instead licked her lips and said with a
hint of certainty.
"So what if I have, or if I haven't?" Wang Ping said calmly.
"The Emperor Burning Heaven Scripture - Mortal Realm Segment is quite tempting for me. Could Senior Wang please hand it over to me?" Lin Qinghe smiled charmingly.
"What if I hand it over? Will you spare me?" Wang Ping spoke calmly.
"Of course not. I've had my eye on your origin power for a long time. The origin power of a Divine Lord Realm cultivator who successfully cultivated the Emperor Scripture is much more valuable than the origin power of these ordinary cultivators. I won't miss this opportunity," Lin Qinghe replied slowly.
"So, this was your purpose in approaching me?" Wang Ping sighed.
All of his previous speculations were completely wrong. All that talk about Lin Qinghe being in danger was nonsense. This person was just like a venomous snake or scorpion, extremely dangerous.
Entering the secret realm would lead to death, and coming here would also result in death. That was the real meaning of the choices presented.
"Of course. For someone with the Swallowing Immortal Devil Body like me, the origin power of strong experts and geniuses is the most attractive thing," Lin Qinghe said with a smile.
(End of this chapter)