Mr. You had never met Su Hongzhen.
This Falling Star Realman was the last Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator of the Chenping Continent.
Mr. You's understanding of Su Hongzhen came entirely from various ancient texts and the word-of-mouth accounts passed down by cultivators in the ferry docks, taverns, or teahouses scattered across the Chenping Continent.
If Su Hongzhen's corrupted Dao Foundation was allowed to continue developing like this, it would likely transcend the constraints of the causal shackles, giving birth to a terrifying monster beyond imagination.
A demon of Immortal Ascension.
In the history of the Chenping Continent, there had never been a demon beast above the Immortal Ascension Realm.
And according to the deductions made by Heavenly Summit Mountain back in the day, the conclusion the cultivators of Heavenly Summit Mountain ultimately reached was that the causal laws of the Chenping Continent could not give birth to a great demon of the Immortal Ascension Realm.
Half-step Immortal Ascension was already the limit a demon beast could reach.
However, Su Hongzhen's corrupted Dao Foundation seemed capable of transcending the limitations of the causal laws of this world.
The consequences would be extremely severe.
Mr. You naturally wouldn't bother deducing the consequences of allowing Su Hongzhen's corrupted Dao Foundation to continue developing like this, but he understood very clearly what would happen if things continued this way.
That would be the end.
The entire Chenping Continent would be destroyed by the demon beast about to be born from Su Hongzhen's corrupted Dao Foundation.
If one wanted to change this, there was only one way.
A gentle breeze passed through the dense forest, brushing against the hem of Mr. You's robe.
Then, as if he had thought of something, he raised his hand and began to calculate something with his fingers.
Suddenly, Mr. You's eyes narrowed sharply.
"He's already met me?"
Then, his grave expression gradually eased, and he finally burst into laughter, looking at the Great Demon's Egg before him.
"Don't worry, you're not the most pitiful one. There's a little guy who's going to have it even worse than you!"
...
In this cycle of reincarnation, Chen Yan once again established the North Pass Sect.
With the experience gained from establishing sects in previous cycles, the development speed of the North Pass Sect was much faster compared to the previous cycle.
By the time three years had passed and the Chenping Continent Dao Inquiry Assembly was about to be held, the scale of the North Pass Sect had already surpassed that of the North Pass Sect which had developed for eight years in the previous cycle.
It had become a veritable First-Rate Sect.
Naturally, the North Pass Sect once again received invitations from the Five Great Sects.
Actually, Chen Yan had originally wanted to refuse, because his purpose in establishing the North Pass Sect this time wasn't to expose the truth at the assembly like before.
But he couldn't refuse.
Because in the current cultivation world, there were too many eyes fixed on Si Youyou beside him, the youngest Martial Spring Realm cultivator in the history of the Chenping Continent.
Of course, Fusheng City was an exception.
Just like in the previous cycle, Chen Yan had Si Youyou lose to her opponent in the second round of the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry competition—the Chief Disciple of Qingchan Peak of the Kongshan Sect, Yi Ning.
In the end, Yi Ning successfully obtained the champion title of this Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry, then entered the Heavenly Summit Palace to seek opportunities.
The assembly and auction proceeded as scheduled.
Just like in the previous cycle, Fu Qian, representing the Kongshan Sect, came forward to conduct a self-criticism. However, this time Chen Yan didn't confront him, and everything went smoothly.
Yi Ning also didn't find any opportunities within the Heavenly Summit Palace.
Because what was hidden within the Heavenly Summit Palace was only the truth about the destruction of Heavenly Summit Mountain.
The Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry concluded successfully, and time continued to move forward.
The gap between a First-Rate Sect and a Top-Tier Sect was enormous. To become a Top-Tier Sect of the Chenping Continent, one first needed to have a great power of the Upper Three Realms overseeing it. Secondly, it required the sect's influence, financial resources, the stable quality of disciples across multiple generations, and it absolutely needed to possess a systematic cultivation technique system.
The North Pass Sect had the so-called "Upper Three Realms" great power, Si Chen, overseeing it. Furthermore, the North Pass Sect, originally the North Pass River Ferry, still maintained its ferry business, giving it considerable influence in the Northern Region of the Chenping Continent. Maintaining the ferry business meant its financial resources were naturally not to be underestimated.
However, the stable quality of disciples across multiple generations within the sect, as well as a systematic cultivation technique system, were not goals that could be achieved in the short term.
They required the sedimentation and accumulation of time.
At the same time, Chen Yan wasn't idle either. Using the identity of Chen Cheng, an elder of the North Pass Sect's External Affairs Hall, he traveled extensively. As an envoy of the North Pass Sect's Sect Leader, the Unity Realm cultivator Si Chen, he visited various Top-Tier Sects across the Chenping Continent to pay his respects and befriend Rogue Cultivators of the Upper Three Realms.
Soon, the reputation of the North Pass Sect's Sect Leader, Si Chen, grew increasingly prominent across the Chenping Continent, to the point where even the Five Great Sects became aware of this figure.
Five years passed in the blink of an eye.
Eight years had passed since Chen Yan's reincarnation began again, and the day of the final great demon's world-ending calamity drew ever closer.
A letter requesting aid from He Zongzhou spread throughout the entire Chenping Continent.
Nearly a thousand Upper Three Realms cultivators once again gathered at the Fallen Sword Mountain Range. Just as the two Dao Union Realm Grand Elders currently at the Lingxiao Temple were preparing to finalize how to resolve the crisis before them, a joint letter from the North Pass Sect's Sect Leader Si Chen, along with dozens of Unity Realm cultivators and even two Divine Ability Realm great powers, along with a simple, ancient jade slip, was presented before the several Dao Union Realm Grand Elders of the Five Great Sects.
"A dao artifact, the Heavenly Summit Palace... the Cause of Calamity?"
The Supreme Pivot Elder of the Lingxiao Temple, Bai Yuze, narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Si Chen says that having someone take a fragment of the Heavenly Summit Mirror to the Heavenly Summit Palace can unveil the truth behind the destruction of Heavenly Summit Mountain, and that by eradicating the Cause of Calamity, one can remove the shackles and revitalize the Path to Immortality of the Chenping Continent."
"Utter nonsense."
The Supreme Pivot Elder of the Star Heaven Sect, Gu Jiancheng, roared angrily.
"I've heard of Si Chen. He's just the leader of a newly risen minor sect in the Northern Region of the Chenping Continent, merely a Unity Realm cultivator. How can we allow such a junior to cause trouble when the Chenping Continent is already in such a critical moment?"
The other Dao Union Realm great powers remained silent, because what Gu Jiancheng said indeed made sense.
Bai Yuze nodded, putting away the joint letter from those cultivators, then picked up the simple, ancient jade slip beside it.
"This is... a ruined immortal artifact?"
Saying this, Bai Yuze frowned slightly, focusing his attention completely on the ancient jade slip in his hand.
The vast majority of ruined immortal artifacts were utterly useless, which is why many ruined immortal artifacts remained circulating in various black markets across the world.
Immediately after, Bai Yuze opened the ancient jade slip in his hand. A point of mysterious, clear light flew out from it, shooting straight into the sky.
And when this point of clear light appeared, the demonic aura throughout the entire Fallen Sword Mountain Range seemed to instantly thin out by a few degrees.
"This is..."
Bai Yuze's hand holding the ancient jade slip trembled slightly.
"...Immortal Qi?"