Most of my ti would be spent in slumber, only to awaken to a world utterly transford. During that sleep, what's the difference from death? Without any concept of ti, perhaps the people I'd see upon waking would be completely different from the ones I saw last ti. No friends, no lovers... how lonely would that be? Does such an existence even have aning? Not to ntion being fixed in one place, I'd essentially be a sitting duck. Once a powerful enemy locked onto my location and started destroying the surrounding space, I wouldn't even have the ability to escape. Unreliable! Extrely unreliable!
"Tell about the third path," Lin Tang said with a look of sympathy.
The Mysterious Lady found his pity repulsive, but she had no choice but to continue. She spoke, her expression blank. "The third path is that of the Godly Immortals. It is a mad path, created under the influence of the Ancient Gods of the cosmos.
"When their lifespan is about to end, they burn their entire cultivation base. This part is similar to the Ghost Immortals, but the subsequent steps are different. A Ghost Immortal burns their power to achieve dissolution and reincarnation. A Godly Immortal, however, uses that power as fuel to launch themselves into the starry cosmos. The farther they get from the mortal world, the better. The greater the distance, the easier it becos to perceive various dinsions and their spaces, so of which contain Spiritual Energy.
"However, this Spiritual Energy is polluted, rich with factors that induce madness. Once it's absorbed, they mutate, becoming a different kind of life-form, much like the Ancient Gods themselves—indescribable and grotesque, no longer bound by the shackles of a mortal lifespan. They are forced to eternally endure an onslaught of madness and must find a way to hold on to their last shred of sanity.
"Thus, after becoming 'Godly Immortals'—also known as 'New Gods'—they attempt to return to the mortal realm to spread their faith and gather believers, using that belief to maintain their reason. But they cannot get too close to humanity, because mortals are utterly incapable of withstanding the madness that radiates from them. If they draw near, all mortals in the vicinity will perish, and the New Gods will be dood as well. Not to ntion, the Ghost Immortals and Earth Immortals would never allow them to destroy the world. Naturally, a great war would ensue between both sides to enforce a balance.
"Among them, Ghost Immortals are of little use until their strength is restored. The main struggle still lies between the Earth Immortals and the New Gods.
"Our greatest enemies are the New Gods who have descended completely into madness. These New Gods are no different from death itself, leaving behind a husk that knows only slaughter and destruction. They have no purpose, no direction. So continue deeper into space. Others happen to drift toward the mortal realms, forcing us to intervene and drive them away."
"Just drive them away? You can't destroy them?"
"New Gods can absorb and devour even more Spiritual Energy, growing ever stronger as they mutate. So of their bodies will even bloat to a size larger than entire mortal planets. How can such an enemy be destroyed?"
"I see..." Lin Tang said, coming to a realization.
It seems that in terms of power, the New Gods (Godly Immortals) are superior to Earth Immortals, who in turn are superior to Ghost Immortals. But the New Gods are basically insane monsters. They're unlike Earth Immortals, who still retain normal human thoughts despite sleeping often. And they're unlike Ghost Immortals, who are still essentially human.
"So what about the Ancient Gods?" Lin Tang asked. "What are they? Why do they influence the New Gods? What is their purpose?"
"The Ancient Gods, like the primordial spirits of old, are life-forms that ca into being naturally, born with the power of Transcendence. As for their purpose? The influence they radiate is unintentional. As a human, your very breath affects the insects and pests around you. To them, do you have a purpose?"
"...I understand," Lin Tang nodded.
Just as he was about to ask how one breaks through from Martial Saint to War God, the Mysterious Lady's human-like face shattered and vanished without warning.
"Hey! What happened to you? Hey, what's wrong with you?!" Lin Tang yelled. Seeing no response, he moved to shake Her divine statue, but Senior Siming hurriedly appeared to stop him.
"Stop shouting! Her Ladyship has reached Her limit after speaking with you for so long. She has gone back to sleep."
"Uh—" Lin Tang was stunned. Even speaking for an extended period is this difficult? This life as an Earth Immortal is far too stifling!
Whether they're Ghost Immortals, Earth Immortals, or Godly Immortals, the 'Immortal' in their nas is purely a self-aggrandizing title. Only when a Cultivator ascends to true immortality does the word 'Immortal' represent genuine transcendence and absolute freedom... Then again, maybe not. After all, who really knows what the legendary Immortal Realm is like after ascension? It's entirely possible that after all that hard work, you just get captured and forced to toil away in the mines as soon as you arrive! Lin Tang's thoughts ran wild.
"Hey! You've been here long enough, haven't you? Now get lost!" the sharp voice of Junior Siming suddenly cut in.
"Hmm?" His train of thought interrupted, Lin Tang turned to look at her. He saw her standing with her hands on her hips, looking like a common shrew from the streets.
"What are you looking at?" Junior Siming demanded, her brow furrowed in a cold glare.
Lin Tang chuckled. "Since the Mysterious Lady has fallen asleep and probably won't wake up for a while... doesn't that an no one can interfere, no matter what I decide to do to you?"
"What?!" Senior Siming and Junior Siming's expressions changed drastically.
"You, you... don't co over here!" Junior Siming clutched her chest, backing away as she stamred in a panic. "You already made a pact with Her Ladyship! Acting so wantonly toward now... aren't you shaless?"
"So what if I am shaless? I'm going to do whatever I want to you. What are you going to do, bite ?" Lin Tang said, rolling up his sleeves as he advanced.
Terrified, Junior Siming collapsed to the ground.
"Long State Preceptor, you..." Senior Siming began, trying to dissuade him.
"What?" Lin Tang smirked, his gaze sweeping up and down her shapely figure. "You want to... have my way with you, too?"
"Ah!" Senior Siming's lithe body trembled violently, and she too was frightened into helplessness. She had no choice but to turn to Ning Yuexi with pleading eyes, hoping she would stop her man's beastly behavior.
Ning Yuexi recalled the cold, cutting words Senior Siming and the others had directed at her earlier, and for a mont, she was left speechless. Still, she went over and grabbed Lin Tang's hand. "Stop teasing them."
"And why shouldn't I? I'm sure that as long as I don't kill everyone here, the Mysterious Lady won't care about such a minor thing."
"Please, can't you just let it go? For my sake?"
"Then call 'My dearest, darling husband!' three tis, nice and loud. Otherwise, I won't give you any face at all!"
"What?" Ning Yuexi was dumbfounded. Call him that, in front of everyone? Who could swallow their pride enough to do that?
"Not going to say it? Fine, then I'll start!" Lin Tang declared, rubbing his hands together as he moved to tear off Junior Siming's clothes.
Junior Siming cried out, unable to resist. She tried to grab Senior Siming, hoping for protection, but her senior was frozen stiff, not daring to move for fear of drawing his ire.
A thought even crossed Senior Siming's mind. Besides, you were already defiled by Long Tianji once. To suffer another humiliation...
"My dearest, darling husband! My dearest, darling husband!! My dearest, darling husband!!! Are you satisfied now?!" Ning Yuexi shouted, her face crimson with a mix of sha and annoyance.
Seeing her looking so utterly adorable, Lin Tang felt a powerful surge of desire.
"Ah, my sweet, wonderful wife!" He spun around and pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair and inhaling the fragrant scent of her neck. "I need you to help with my cultivation. Is that okay?"
"Now?"
"Of course!"
"This..." Ning Yuexi looked up abruptly, her face a mask of shock. Could he be... breaking through again?!
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