Chapter 133: Five Thousand Years in a Snap

The first century after Wang Li went missing.

The major sects collectively withdrew from the world, leaving the cultivation realm without governance. Chaos reigned everywhere; countless smaller sects and clans were annihilated, and countless cultivators were swept into the turmoil, slaughtering one another. Meanwhile, because of the massive attrition of cultivators, more ordinary people were recruited into sects and clans, allowing them to embark on the path of cultivation and bringing about a total transformation of the cultivation world.

The conflict between the human race and the Sea Demon clan was resolved, and the East Sea Grand Competition was established as a decadal exchange event. Two members of the Sea Demon clan successfully ascended the Heaven's Pride Ranking, causing a stir among the demons, who demanded to participate. A pact was reached: the cultivation level of participants was capped below the Transformation Deity stage, while age requirements remained unchanged, all to vie for the strand of heaven and earth essence brought by the ranking.

The second century after Wang Li went missing.

The chaotic times persisted. Internal strife among humans, infighting among demons, and the friction between the two races all erupted during this century. The eight righteous sects and the seven demonic sects remained largely inactive, watching the chaos from the sidelines. Several top demon powerhouses attempted to restrain their kin from entering the fray, but the results were negligible; instead, it intensified internal demon conflicts. Chi Huang, acting as a bridge between the humans and demons, found favor with neither and ultimately relocated all demon cultivators from the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons into a secret realm, declaring that they would not emerge until the chaotic times ended.

Mo Qian, the young master of Zhenxian City, was ambushed by disciples of the Ghost God Sect and gravely wounded, his cultivation dropping from the Transformation Deity stage to the Nascent Soul stage. However, Zhenxian City chose to settle the matter quietly to avoid further escalation. The Ghost God Sect paid compensation, and both sides tacitly agreed to avoid the chaotic world. Jiang Yu, the saintess of the Five Elements Pavilion, defected to the Pure Yang Temple. True Person Tianmu stormed the Pure Yang mountain range to purge the sect, but True Person Liuguang acted uncharacteristically, opting not to fight but instead trading cultivation techniques to secure Jiang Yu's freedom. True Person Tianmu accepted the offer, turning a significant profit. The East Sea Grand Competition evolved from a simple contest into a regulated battlefield for settling grudges, yet it continued unabated.

The third century after Wang Li went missing.

The chaos in the cultivation world began to affect the mortal kingdoms. Constant warfare between the various dynasties of the Tianxuan World caused tens of millions of casualties. The major sects finally intervened, forcefully suppressing the mortal turmoil and allowing the kingdoms to recuperate. More prodigies emerged, and as one generation replaced the next, older prodigies either went into seclusion or faded away. The rankings on the Heaven's Pride list rotated like flowing water, and those who benefited grew rapidly. This influx of high-quality talent gradually filled the void left by the chaos; with greater potential and easier growth paths, the cultivation world in the midst of chaos actually began to flourish.

The fifth century after Wang Li went missing.

True Person Chu Xuan of the Pure Yang Temple successfully transcended the Immortal Ascension Tribulation and shed his mortal coil, adding another Earth Immortal to the temple's ranks. Wang Li’s older brother, Wang Liu, transcended the Transformation Deity Tribulation and became an elder of the Scripture Depository. He rose to prominence overnight, becoming the youngest high-level official among all the major sects, a feat that shocked everyone.

Wuliu Zhengying reappeared but was wounded by a True Immortal from the Yuzhang Sect and forced to flee. However, rumors spread that the Star True Person of the Yuzhang Sect had been executed, though no one could verify this, as the Star True Person had truly vanished.

The first millennium after Wang Li went missing.

The cultivation world gradually calmed down. Various sects began sending disciples out, and while they did not explicitly lift their mountain seals, it was a positive sign. The chaotic era was finally drawing to a close. Just as everyone was hoping for peace, two major events shook the cultivation world. First, the two-thousand-year-old head of the Pure Yang Temple, True Person Liuguang, attained the path of a True Immortal, becoming the first powerhouse in the Tianxuan World to reach that realm in six thousand years. Second, Wuliu Zhengying slew an immortal in the northern snow mountains, executing an elder True Immortal to break through to the True Immortal realm himself.

With two True Immortals emerging at once, the major sects were stirred. They could not recruit True Person Liuguang, but Wuliu Zhengying was a lone wolf; bringing him into one's sect would be a massive asset. Many coveted him, offering increasingly extravagant terms. However, Wuliu Zhengying did not accept any invitations to become a patron; instead, he rebuilt the Wuliu Sect.

The third millennium after Wang Li went missing.

The world was at peace. Time eroded most of the hatred, and the cultivation realm recovered its tranquility. The major sects began recruiting disciples on a massive scale, and for a time, countless ambitious young people crowded the gates of every major sect. That year, Ling Xiao became the first to attain the Earth Immortal realm. Zhang Zai, Zhou Qian, Hai Kuan, Gou Lichuan, and others who had survived the final trial of the Heaven's Selection and the subsequent chaotic years began their own Immortal Ascension Tribulations. Within a century, thirty-six Earth Immortals appeared in the Tianxuan World. Of course, this only accounted for those who succeeded; those who failed and died numbered hundreds of times more, though no one paid them any mind.

Among the many newly promoted Earth Immortals, the name of the original top prodigy, Yun Jingzi, was nowhere to be found. She had not perished; instead, she had transcended from the Great Vehicle stage into a realm unknown to all. It was certain that the secret to raising the power ceiling of the Tianxuan World lay with her. Because of this, she became a treasure among the immortals, and even Xu Jing treated her with courtesy, no longer resorting to verbal abuse. The cultivation world was a scene of prosperity.

The fifth millennium after Wang Li went missing.

The strength of the Pure Yang Temple doubled, boasting eleven True Immortal powerhouses. Wang Li's parents entered the Great Vehicle stage, and his younger sister, Wang Ju, transcended the Immortal Ascension Tribulation to become a guardian of the Pure Yang Temple’s secret realm. His brother, Wang Liu, failed his tribulation, but True Person Liuguang arranged for him to undergo possession and rebirth within the temple.

Xu Jing successfully completed his exploration of the Nirvana Path, achieving a reversal of fortune and ascending in broad daylight to another world. Granny Zheng, relying on "Thunderous Fury," successfully fused the death energy within her, stepped into the Earth Immortal realm, and succeeded True Person Liuguang as the new head of the Pure Yang Temple, taking the title True Person Nirvana. Jiang Yue failed her tribulation; protected by the Heaven's Selection scroll, her true spirit was preserved, but she subsequently vanished. Heartbroken, True Person Liuguang announced a closed-door meditation to contemplate the path of reincarnation.

Before his seclusion, True Person Liuguang met with Wuliu Zhengying. No one knew what was said, but after the seclusion, Wuliu Zhengying moved the Wuliu Sect to the Pure Yang mountain range and began wandering the world. A century later, Wuliu Zhengying cleaved the world barrier with a single sword, and a meteor flew into the Tianxuan World from the shattered void.

The Tianxuan World erupted! Every immortal powerhouse was stirred! An object from beyond the heavens... it meant they could leave the Tianxuan World and return! It also meant they could surpass the True Immortal stage without needing to travel to other worlds! The power ceiling of the Tianxuan World had been raised! That day, the Tianxuan World was filled with constant thunderous tribulations. Many years later, the cultivation world learned of a cultivation level called the Heaven Immortal.