"If nothing unexpected happens, it seems that the mysterious force possesses the ability to seize the essence of others and bestow it upon someone else. Moreover, he might even acquire the power and insights of the other person and transfer them as well," Wang Ping squinted his eyes and made his judgment.
If this was indeed the case, it would explain why Baitianhong and Moshaoli had become so powerful and obtained such unique physiques. The chances of both of them obtaining such great opportunities simultaneously were extremely slim. Combined with the hidden aura of mystery around them, Wang Ping believed it was highly likely that the mysterious force was involved.
Furthermore, Wang Ping could deduce that the powers possessed by those shadowy figures and the indigenous creatures in the secret realm might also be the result of the mysterious force's abilities. After all, in that secret realm, it was difficult for the indigenous beings to comprehend Dao Runes on their own.
These indigenous beings and the shadowy figures primarily captured prodigies to obtain their essence.
As for those shadowy figures, they might not be true prodigies but rather ordinary talents who were granted power by the mysterious force.
Even Gu Xuan himself might not have been such a genius before and might have gained his Immortal Bone and become the number one prodigy of the era through cooperation with the mysterious force. Of course, there was also the possibility that Gu Xuan had been manipulated and controlled by the mysterious force.
Regardless of the possibilities, Wang Ping was quite certain that the mysterious force possessed the abilities to seize and bestow.
Apart from that, in a previous simulation, the indigenous being who ignited their essence had mentioned that if they captured Qin Yue, their master would bestow them with even greater power, further confirming this point.
"But I wonder what other abilities the mysterious force possesses and who their target for possession is," Wang Ping's eyes gleamed as he pondered.
The most troublesome aspect of the mysterious force was its extremely high upper limit of power and its ability to possess others without a sound. Some evolved mysterious entities could easily possess powerful individuals, making them almost impossible to guard against. For this reason, Wang Ping needed to find out whom the mysterious force had possessed. Without exposing their true identity, it would be difficult to eliminate them.
"However, this mysterious force is extremely cautious. It will be challenging to catch them in a short time. I just hope to obtain some information from Baitianhong. But knowing the mysterious force, there's a high probability that I won't get any information, and I might even alert them," Wang Ping sighed and composed himself before continuing to watch the screen.
"Next, after some thought, you didn't directly approach Baitianhong. Instead, you sought out Ye Xiaofan and Qin Tian. You didn't intend to personally interact; you planned to use Ye Xiaofan and Qin Tian to strike up a conversation with Baitianhong and gather information."
"Ye Xiaofan and Qin Tian naturally didn't refuse your request, especially since it was related to the mysterious force. They found Baitianhong and Moshao Li together. Qin Tian engaged Moshao Li, while Ye Xiaofan started reminiscing with Baitianhong."
"Soon, Ye Xiaofan learned about Baitianhong's life experiences. As it turned out, Baitianhong had been practicing in the mortal world, surviving on the cultivation resources you provided. He had finally struggled to reach the Void God Realm."
"After breaking through to the Void God Realm, he chose to ascend. After ascending, he wandered through the Taiyuan Ancient Star, facing many hardships. Eventually, he unexpectedly met Moshao Li. Because you hadn't informed Baitianhong that Moshao Li was a cunning person, they got along as fellow villagers."
"Baitianhong felt grateful to Moshao Li because if it weren't for her, he might have perished on the Taiyuan Ancient Star. Later, the Dark Chaos erupted, and he nearly lost his life."
"Fortunately, during the Dark Chaos, the Daoist Palace's imperial artifact was revived, suppressing the Dark Chaos. That's how he and Moshao Li survived."
"Afterward, Moshao Li suggested that they wouldn't be able to survive the end of the era like this. Therefore, she thought that since Baitianhong had practiced the Daoist Palace's Imperial Scriptures, he must have a connection with the Daoist Palace. So, she proposed that they should join the Daoist Palace and use its resources to promote themselves to the Golden Age."
"I see, is this the butterfly effect?" Wang Ping's eyes sparkled as he read this part.
If it weren't for him killing the Saint from the Slaughterjoy Paradise back then, Luo Lan wouldn't have come from the Little Universe.
As a result, Moshao Li wouldn't have had the chance to join Luo Lan, and she would have continued struggling on the Taiyuan Ancient Star. She might have even become a wandering cultivator later on.
In the end, Moshao Li met Baitianhong, recognized him as someone from the Purple Spirit Realm, and as a descendant of the Condemnation Emperor who had once fought alongside her against the Blood Demon Realm. They got along well, and Moshao Li earned Baitianhong's respect.
As for those life-threatening situations that Baitianhong had mentioned, Wang Ping suspected that they might have been staged by Moshao Li herself. After all, she was a ruthless and cunning individual. It was highly unlikely that she would go to great lengths to save Baitianhong, and she might not even hesitate to harm him.
"By the way, this kid can tell that Baitianhong has the Daoist Palace's Dao Emperor Scripture that I gave to Ye Xiaofan and Baitianhong. In other words, from the beginning, this kid was plotting to get close to them. He established a relationship with Baitianhong and joined the Daoist Palace to gain access to their resources."
"The possibility of him obtaining the Dao Emperor Scripture through this method should be quite low. After all, the Dao Emperor Scripture has its safeguards. Unless someone is willing to teach it sincerely, others cannot forcefully extract and practice it; they will only be backlashed. Moreover, it's highly unlikely that Baitianhong, in his right mind, would teach the Dao Emperor Scripture to Moshao Li."
"So, his original goal was to join the Daoist Palace and use this relationship to advance. Only in the Daoist Palace, with its safest self-sealing environment and the intimidation of imperial artifacts, is it the most secure place within the Taiyuan Ancient Galaxy."
Wang Ping's eyes shone as he analyzed Moshao Li's intentions. This kid was indeed talented to have come this far, considering his journey from the Purple Spirit Realm to where he was now. After all, even he, a "hanger-on," and Ye Chen, the "son of destiny," had faced numerous trials and tribulations along the way, let alone ordinary ascenders.
"Next, it should be the part where Baitianhong and Moshao Li encounter the mysterious force, gain their special physiques and cultivation bases. I wonder where they met them, though."
王平's gaze flickered as he composed himself and continued to focus on the screen.
[Finally, after some hesitation, Baitian Hong chose to go to the Daoist Palace and seek refuge there. Due to Baitian Hong's cultivation of the Dao Emperor's Scripture, the Daoist Palace's investigation revealed a possible connection between him and you, so they decided to accept both of them.]
[As a result, they successfully used the resources of the Daoist Palace to self-seal and managed to survive until the Golden Era.]
[After reaching the Golden Era, they planned to journey through the upper realms and seek opportunities. Along the way, they encountered unimaginable dangers. However, they were fortunate enough to meet a woman who called herself Lin Qinghe. Because of Baitian Hong's practice of the Dao Emperor's Scripture, Lin Qinghe had a slight fondness for him, and she saved them.]
[In the end, they continued their adventures and obtained their current achievements on a certain ancient star. Listening to their story, Ye Xiaofan couldn't help but be amazed by their good luck.]
[Later, Ye Xiaofan asked Baitian Hong again about the specific opportunities he had gained. Baitian Hong hesitated and ultimately chose to remain silent, smiling wryly and saying that he couldn't reveal it.]
[Ye Xiaofan wasn't surprised by this response and asked again, inquiring about where Baitian Hong had obtained his opportunity. After much hesitation, Baitian Hong finally revealed a word: "Lei Yuan Ancient Star."]
[As Baitian Hong uttered these words, Ye Xiaofan fell into deep thought. It seemed that their appearance in this simulation was related to Lin Qinghe's departure from the group and her return to being a rogue cultivator. Otherwise, both of them would have met their demise in previous simulations, whether during the Dark Chaos or in their adventures in the upper realms.]
"This even has a connection with Lin Qinghe now. It truly is a matter of fate, quite inexplicable," Wang Ping mused as he read the simulated text.
Without a doubt, the reason why both of them appeared in this simulation was Lin Qinghe's departure from the group and her return to being a rogue cultivator. Otherwise, both of them would have met their demise in previous simulations, whether during the Dark Chaos or in their adventures in the upper realms.
Wang Ping shook his head, murmuring to himself. In the past, he had underestimated Baitian Hong. Although he had provided him with some resources to cultivate in the lower realm, he had forgotten that Baitian Hong would eventually ascend. In the previous simulations, Baitian Hong's outcome after ascension was undoubtedly bleak.
"However, Lei Yuan Ancient Star... Isn't that the same ancient star where Ye Chen joined the Lei Yan Valley and where the Wind Demon Supreme, that second-generation time traveler in the chat group, is located? Could it be that the enigmatic character, Wind Demon Supreme, also has a connection with this situation?" Wang Ping thought, narrowing his eyes. If that were true, it could pose a significant problem.
Wang Ping considered the possibility that Wind Demon Supreme might have discovered Baitian Hong and his connection to him. Otherwise, Baitian Hong and Lin Qinghe wouldn't have been qualified for recruitment by Wind Demon Supreme.
However, Wang Ping knew that Wind Demon Supreme was likely very cautious. Since he was already at the end of his life, he would use any means necessary to prolong his existence. Collaborating with the enigmatic entity, "诡异," was probably one way for him to achieve this. And Wind Demon Supreme had a good reason to fear his secrets being exposed.
Thinking about these things, Wang Ping rubbed his temples with a sense of helplessness. His past self, as an author, had an ever-expanding imagination, often making hypotheses, simulations, and conjectures even without sufficient evidence. While some of his speculations had been incorrect, such as assuming that Gu Xuan and the other emperors were the masterminds when it was actually "诡异," others had turned out to be somewhat accurate, as Gu Xuan indeed had issues.
Now, he was beginning to suspect Wind Demon Supreme's involvement and connections with "诡异." However, he couldn't be entirely sure.
"But whether it's true or not, it's safe to gather information along this path," Wang Ping muttered to himself. He had started to use the Daoist Palace's information network to investigate events on Lei Yuan Ancient Star and the whereabouts of Wind Demon Supreme.
The Daoist Palace's efficiency was remarkable. In just two days, they had found out about an individual who had crossed the quasi-emperor tribulation and successfully advanced to the quasi-emperor level thirty years ago on Lei Yuan Ancient Star. This individual was suspected to be Wind Demon Supreme. Furthermore, based on the intensity of his heavenly tribulation and his performance during it, the Daoist Palace's patriarch speculated that Wind Demon Supreme had acquired a powerful wind-type constitution.
With this information, Wang Ping squinted his eyes and became more convinced that Wind Demon Supreme was indeed connected to "诡异" and had gained many benefits from this enigmatic entity. However, the challenge remained that Wind Demon Supreme had gone into hiding, and even the Daoist Palace's information network couldn't locate him in a short period.
Nevertheless, Wang Ping wasn't in a hurry. If he couldn't capture Wind Demon Supreme in this simulation, he could always keep a close eye on him in future simulations. He was confident that he would eventually deal with him.
With no significant events unfolding, Wang Ping turned his attention to taking care of the young Daoist nun and Daoist disciple. He observed them closely with his Source Eye but couldn't find anything particularly extraordinary about them. He couldn't understand why Gu Xuan and "诡异" attached such importance to them.
While contemplating this, Gu Xuan paid him a visit and expressed his affinity for the two newcomers. He hoped Wang Ping would accept them as disciples and gave him a chance to do so.
Most people, when faced with the polite and refined Gu Xuan without the airs of a young master of the Gu Clan, would have a favorable impression of him and might even offer him face by accepting the two as his disciples.
However, Wang Ping knew Gu Xuan's background and smiled as he replied, "It seems that these two also have a connection with me, and I wish to accept them as my disciples. I hope Young Master Gu Xuan can understand."
Upon hearing your response, Gu Xuan furrowed his brows slightly and cast a deep glance at you. In the end, he didn't say much, only expressing regret and suggesting that it seemed your connection with the two newcomers was stronger. Then, Gu Xuan chose to leave.
You, on the other hand, paid no attention to Gu Xuan's departure and continued to care for the two newcomers. Of the two, the young Daoist disciple appeared exceptionally weak. Curiously, you couldn't discern the fundamental reason for his weakness, even with your Source Eye. This only heightened your interest in the two, as it appeared they held more secrets than you initially thought.
Next, the Immortal Mansion opened, and you easily passed through the first wave of immortal light. The young Daoist nun also carried the young Daoist disciple through the first wave of light and remained quietly by your side.
Following that, the second wave of immortal light appeared. You deliberately delayed and didn't show any outstanding performance, maintaining your low-key approach. However, what surprised you was that even Cai Yonglong struggled to pass through this round. In your opinion, the young Daoist nun and Daoist disciple were far too weak to survive the second round of the assessment, considering their level.
This left you puzzled, and you decided to inquire how they managed to pass the assessment. The young Daoist nun and Daoist disciple seemed embarrassed and explained that they had just entered the assessment illusion when their trial subject suddenly disappeared.
This explanation left your expression somewhat complicated. You suspected that there might be a bug in the illusion array, but it seemed highly unlikely. After all, this was an assessment within an Immortal Mansion, and such a glaring bug would be unprecedented.
However, you couldn't help but recall that the Dream Monster Maze in the Immortal Mansion had been tampered with before. You began to think that perhaps the Immortal Mansion had more problems than you initially thought. Whether these issues were intentional or genuine shortcomings remained unclear.
The third round of assessment arrived, and the Dream Monster Maze opened. You were well aware that the entrance to the maze had been tampered with and led to a dangerous location.
While many of the young geniuses flew into the maze with eager gazes, you remained calm and didn't show any intention of entering. This caught the attention of the observing cultivators, who regarded you with perplexed expressions. Even Yu Daohong furrowed his brow, unable to fathom your thoughts, but he also chose to enter without hesitation.
Once everyone had entered the maze, you still stood outside, drawing even more curious and dubious looks from the onlookers. Even the Patriarchs of the Taiyi Emperor's Palace were at a loss, growing increasingly anxious, as you were their hope.
During this scrutiny, a voice from within the Immortal Mansion questioned why you hadn't entered. In response, you calmly explained that you felt your strength was insufficient, and you were afraid of death, so you didn't want to go in.
This response elicited laughter from numerous cultivators who found it rather embarrassing for the Taiyi Emperor's Palace. Although you were not the first prince and merely an ordinary prince, you still represented the Taiyi Emperor's Palace. Your words were considered quite embarrassing.
The Patriarchs of the Taiyi Emperor's Palace couldn't help but twitch their faces and grew increasingly anxious, wondering what you were thinking. After all, you were their hope.
Then, when all eyes were on you, a terrifying force suddenly enveloped you and forcibly transported you into the maze. In that moment, you could only think to yourself, "MMP (Mei Mei Pai), this old guy has no sense of fair play at all. He completely disregarded my opinion."
With that, you found yourself inside the maze, and it closed behind you. This time, you noticed that unlike in previous entries into the maze, you weren't transported alongside the other young geniuses and ambushed by the dark shadowy figures within the array.
Clearly, this time, you delayed your entry by quite some time, which resulted in Gu Xuan overlooking your presence in the first place. Of course, it's possible that you didn't attract much attention, which could be one of the reasons.
Once inside the secret realm, you contemplated whether the enigmatic presence had also entered. If that were the case, you could engage in battle with it, see its true form, and eliminate it. However, you also considered the option of continuing to lay low. If you survived, you could stay in the Immortal Mansion and strive to reach the highest level.
After careful thought, you decided to continue laying low. Your initial goal from the beginning of this simulation was clear: to rise to the highest level. Investigating the truth and dealing with the enigma could wait for later.
However, about half a month later of keeping a low profile, you sensed the presence of Fengyin, Fengqing, and Ji Bingyan. Additionally, they were being pursued relentlessly, appearing extremely distressed.
With a sigh, you chose to intervene and rescue them. Fortunately, your intervention was swift and precise, drawing minimal attention.
Next, you planned to continue laying low with the three of them. However, circumstances often don't go as planned. In the blink of an eye, another half a month passed.
During this time, you noticed a significant reduction in the number of cultivators within the secret realm. Based on your prior information, most of the young geniuses who participated in the Immortal Mansion assessment had likely been hunted down. Those who remained were probably deliberately spared by the enigma and Gu Xuan, among others. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for anyone to survive within this perilous realm.
As for why others were spared, it was likely to keep Gu Xuan and the shadowy figures from arousing suspicion and to retain a presence within the Immortal Mansion. The enigma might also have some ulterior motives related to the Immortal Mansion.
While pondering this, you suddenly sensed a terrifying aura, akin to chaotic energy, even more formidable than the aura you had emitted when condensing your complete Space-Time Dao Body.
This revelation sent shivers down your spine, and you began to form certain speculations. It seemed that laying low was no longer an option, and you felt compelled to investigate further.
Before long, you led the three individuals to the source of this ominous aura and witnessed a startling scene.
Countless young geniuses lay as lifeless skeletons, forming mountains of corpses. They were guarded mercilessly by numerous dark shadowy figures, all surrounding a robed figure with a horned mask.
The chaotic aura emanated from this robed figure, and you squinted, realizing that this individual was the true mastermind, the enigma who had orchestrated everything.
Now, it appeared that this enigma was on the verge of condensing the legendary Chaos Body. Evidently, his motive for hunting so many young geniuses extended beyond merely bolstering his side's strength. He sought to become powerful enough to undergo the transformation into a Chaos Body, as the legends foretold.
You couldn't help but wonder whether this enigma had taken possession of a contemporary Swallowing Immortal Demon Body or if he had managed to condense the Chaos Body through his own abilities.
If he had achieved this transformation through his own power, it wouldn't be your concern. However, if he had taken over a contemporary Swallowing Immortal Demon Body, it would lead to significant consequences.
The Swallowing Immortal Demon Body had been created by the founder of the Nine Star Pavilion. If the enigma had taken possession of it without their knowledge, it might lead to trouble for the Nine Star Pavilion, potentially dragging them into an unexpected conflict.
As you contemplated these possibilities, you observed the enigma's Chaos Body. It seemed that he was not without flaws. Suddenly, he shouted and began absorbing the majority of the dark shadowy figures.
This technique looked familiar to you, bearing the hallmarks of the Swallowing Immortal Demon Body's power.
As the enigma devoured the shadowy figures, his Chaos Body became more perfected, causing him to burst into triumphant laughter.
This turn of events led many young geniuses who had been drawn to the scene to regard him with wariness and even hostility. They weren't fools and had realized that they had been manipulated by this enigma, who was the true mastermind behind their predicament.
Consequently, they were unwilling to let the enigma complete his transformation into the Chaos Body, only to perish within the realm and become nourishment for him.
Eventually, a young genius took the lead, and a fierce battle erupted between the remaining young geniuses and the enigma. Witnessing this astonishing spectacle, you were awestruck.
Despite both sides having their cultivation restricted to the Saint King Grand Completion level, the enigma was somehow holding the upper hand. Keep in mind that the individuals here were no ordinary cultivators; the weakest among them were prince-level figures, and some ranked highly on the Saint King and Great Saint lists.
However, even with so many people attacking together, they couldn't gain the upper hand. While the enigma didn't intend to engage in a direct confrontation, his dominance was apparent. This showcased his remarkable power.
As you watched in amazement, you couldn't help but admire the might of the Chaos Body. It truly represented peerless talent that no one could rival. Perhaps even in the Immortal Domain, only extremely rare Immortal Bodies could compare.
As for the Chaos Immortal Body, it was the epitome of physical perfection, unparalleled by any other physique. In the upper realm, the Chaos Body hadn't appeared, and its existence in the Immortal Domain remained uncertain.
While you contemplated these matters, Fengyin and her companions asked if you would join the battle to defeat the enigma, the mastermind behind all their troubles.
You nodded in agreement and entered the fray. Now that you had seen the enigma and his almost-completed Chaos Body, continuing to lay low seemed futile. It was better to see if you could cooperate with the other young geniuses to defeat the enigma and unveil his true identity.
In this way, even if you were to meet your end here, the insights gained from this simulation would be worth it.
As you joined the battle, unleashing your true power and launching powerful attacks against the enigma, he lost some of his previous advantages and grew more cautious, no longer acting recklessly.
(End of this chapter)