Nine Provinces Continent, atop Thunder Accumulation Mountain.
Dark clouds gathered, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Bronze-colored heavenly lightning flickered among the clouds, resembling dragons and serpents crawling behind the dark clouds, both divine and ghostly. The heavenly might pressed down like a mountain, making onlookers tremble with fear.
The thunder bood like drums beside the ears, deafening.
The vast heavenly lightning poured down, transforming into plasma, surging onto the figure standing with hands behind his back at the peak of Thunder Accumulation Mountain. The figure let the lightning fall, standing unmoved.
After the thunder tribulation, Jiang Li looked at the sky with anticipation.
However, the sky only cleared up after the dark clouds dispersed, without the golden ladder to ascension he had hoped for.
"Indeed, ascension is impossible."
Jiang Li muttered to himself in disappointnt, filled with lancholy. This was his fifteenth ti crossing the ascension tribulation.
Crossing the tribulation and ascending was not a mythical legend but had solid evidence. The Nine Provinces Continent still had immortal legacies, immortal artifacts, and those ancient beings who had seen the ladder to ascension.
According to those ancient beings, thousands of years ago, the Nine Provinces Continent often had great cultivators becoming immortals. As long as they crossed the heavenly tribulation, the celestial realm would send down the ladder to ascension to welco the cultivators.
But for so unknown reason, the celestial realm stopped sending down the ladder to ascension, cutting off the path to ascension, causing countless great cultivators to sigh in regret and die in depression.
Jiang Li had crossed over to the Nine Provinces Continent five hundred years ago without any cheat abilities. Relying on effort, wisdom, and luck, he rose from obscurity, overcoming various difficulties, and finally cultivated to the highest realm in the Nine Provinces Continent, the Mahayana stage, becoming the contemporary Peoples Emperor, the undisputed number one in the Nine Provinces Continent.
Crossing over to the cultivation world and being unable to ascend was truly a regret.
Jiang Li had thought before, if he had a cheat ability, like a system or an old grandpa accompanying him, would he have taken fewer detours?
Then he let it go, thinking, what's the point of thinking about this now? With or without a cheat ability, he had reached his current status, and looking back, weren't those detours also a kind of fun?
[Detecting host information, Counterattack System activating.]
[Na: Jiang Li]
[Age: 518 years]
[Identity: Contemporary Peoples Emperor]
[Cultivation Level: Mahayana stage]
A chanical voice sounded in Jiang Li's ear.
Jiang Li instinctively spread his divine sense, making a vigilant stance, but as he listened to the voice, he was stunned, feeling a mix of excitent and helplessness, he laughed and cursed, "Isn't it too late for you to show up, system!"
Despite his complaints, he still opened the system.
[This system is the Counterattack System, assisting the host in defeating all those who look down on the host.]
[Please accept the newbie gift pack.]
Hearing the word "counterattack," Jiang Li felt a deep unease, but he suppressed it and said, "Accept."
As soon as he finished speaking, a large pile of items appeared out of thin air in front of Jiang Li.
He sat cross-legged and began to inventory the items.
Opening a small dicine bottle, a refreshing fragrance wafted out, enhancing his state of mind. This was the scent of top-grade pills.
Twenty top-grade Gathering Qi Pills, highly effective for the Qi Refining stage.
One top-grade Foundation Establishnt Pill, capable of helping soone in the Qi Refining stage achieve perfect Foundation Establishnt.
Ten low-level talismans, including two Strength Talismans, two Speed Talismans, two Concealnt Talismans, and four Calm Mind Talismans.
One hundred and fifty low-level spirit stones.
A damaged Taoist technique book, "Four Ounces Move a Thousand Pounds," with a note from the system.
["Four Ounces Move a Thousand Pounds" is a secret of the Taoist sect, mastering the incomplete version makes one invincible in the Qi Refining stage. It can be completed by spending one hundred thousand source points.]
[Current source points: 0]
Jiang Li looked at the pile of items, speechless.
Isn't this newbie gift pack a bit too newbie?
Jiang Li carefully examined the items, determining that the most valuable was probably the tattered Taoist technique book, which was not only tattered but also incomplete.
"And 'Four Ounces Move a Thousand Pounds'..."
Jiang Li pondered for a mont, then took out a brand new book from his storage ring, which was also titled "Four Ounces Move a Thousand Pounds."
This was a handwritten copy given to Jiang Li by the Taoist sect leader, with annotations and insights from various elders of the Taoist sect.
Generally, powerful Taoist techniques have realm thresholds, such as the Thick Earth Sect's "Cauldron Suppresses the Central Plains," which requires Golden Elixir stage magical powers to activate, or the Heart Demon Sect's "Butterfly Transforms Yin and Yang," which also requires Golden Elixir stage magical powers to activate.
The greatest advantage of "Four Ounces Move a Thousand Pounds" was that it had no restrictions on spiritual energy, emphasizing the movent of force with the mind, defeating the strong with the weak, making it very suitable for cross-realm combat, and it was one of the rare Taoist techniques without a threshold.
After carefully comparing the two books and confirming that the content was the sa, Jiang Li couldn't help but wonder, "These are indeed good things, but why are they all for the Qi Refining stage?"
"System, what's my cultivation level?"
The chanical voice responded.
[Mahayana stage.]
"Did you give the wrong newbie gift pack? Shouldn't it be a Mahayana stage newbie gift pack instead of a Qi Refining stage one?"
[After verification, there is no mistake.]
"What's my cultivation level?"
[Mahayana stage.]
"What level are the items in the newbie gift pack suitable for?"
[Qi Refining stage.]
"Isn't this a mistake?"
[After verification, there is no mistake.]
"My level is..."
[Mahayana, no mistake.]
"Alright." Jiang Li was speechless, "You even answer quickly."
Jiang Li didn't know whether to say the system was rigid or intelligent.
[Issuing newbie task, this task cannot be refused or avoided.]
[Failure penalty: Unable to unlock the remaining functions of the system.]
[System functions include: Shop, Spiritual Energy Infusion, Heart Demon Avoidance, Space Transfer...]
[Newbie task: Jiang Yixing, relying on his status as the clan leader's son, has repeatedly bullied you. Please defeat Jiang Yixing.]
Jiang Li was full of question marks.
Jiang Yixing, that na sounds familiar, who was it?
Flipping through his mories to the ti he first crossed over, Jiang Li finally rembered who Jiang Yixing was.
Jiang Li's father was the previous clan leader. After his father's death, only an orphaned mother and child were left. His mother also passed away due to a severe illness, leaving Jiang Li without parents.
After his parents' death, Jiang Yixing, relying on his father's status as the current clan leader's son, bullied people everywhere, especially enjoying bullying Jiang Li. This gave him a strange sense of accomplishnt. Jiang Yixing was also the most talented in the clan, so no one could say anything. Jiang Li, being unambitious, did nothing after being bullied, always complaining about his fate, and eventually died from a fit of anger.
It was at that ti that Jiang Li crossed over.
After crossing over, Jiang Li judged that staying in the clan was harmful and unprofitable, so he left ho directly.
That was five hundred years ago.
From today's perspective, Jiang Yixing's so-called best talent in the clan would at most reach Foundation Establishnt in this life, and then with painstaking effort, he might reach late Foundation Establishnt. The probability of achieving Golden Elixir was minimal.
The lifespan of the Foundation Establishnt stage was the sa as that of mortals, at one hundred and forty years. The lifespan of the Golden Elixir stage varied from person to person, ranging from two hundred to three hundred years.
Whether Jiang Yixing ended up in the Foundation Establishnt or Golden Elixir stage, he was now dead beyond a doubt!
And the most crucial point was that this newbie task was clearly not for the current him to complete!
"System, what era is it now?"
[Fla Calendar 4300.]
"It's Fla Calendar 4800 now!"
Jiang Li finally understood where his unease and sense of discord ca from. This damn system had activated five hundred years late!
[Please refer to the system's recognized ti.]
Jiang Li was trembling with anger.
"I request to change the task."
[The task cannot be changed.]
"Jiang Yixing is already dead!"
[Please refer to the system's recognized ti.]
"I'm in the Mahayana stage now, fighting a Jiang Yixing who might be in the Qi Refining or Foundation Establishnt stage, is that appropriate? Is this called a counterattack?!"
[Please complete the newbie task.]
"Restart the system."
[Please complete the newbie task.]
"Uninstall the system."
[Please complete the newbie task.]
Jiang Li almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
He should have guessed when he saw the word "counterattack." This damn Counterattack System, as the contemporary Peoples Emperor and the strongest in the Nine Provinces, who was he supposed to counterattack?
"What a useless system, what's the point of having you!"
Jiang Li decided not to pay attention to the system anymore. It had activated five hundred years late and now wanted him to defeat a dead person. How was he supposed to do that, with a ntal victory?
...
At the foot of Thunder Accumulation Mountain, countless powerful cultivators were waiting for the Peoples Emperor to cross the tribulation. These people were either leaders of great sects, monarchs of empires, or old monsters who had lived for thousands of years.
These sect leaders and patriarchs had cultivation levels that could shake the heavens and earth. If the celestial realm were still visible, they would have long secluded themselves to seek tribulation crossing and ascension. So had even crossed the ascension tribulation, but none could compare to Jiang Li's number of tribulation crossings.
They were not here to see if Jiang Li could cross the tribulation but to see if there was any possibility of ascension after the tribulation.
However, this tribulation was destined to disappoint them. After the ascension tribulation, there was no legendary ladder to ascension.
The thought that ascension was far out of reach inevitably appeared in the minds of the sect leaders and patriarchs.
Although they had anticipated this, it still cast a faint shadow over their hearts.
Jiang Li flew down from the mountain peak. Even those who were not good at reading expressions could see the disappointnt in his heart.
If it were just one failed tribulation crossing, Jiang Li wouldn't be too disappointed. But the sudden appearance of a system made him think he had a cheat ability to help with ascension, only to find it was a useless one.
The sect leaders and patriarchs naturally noticed Jiang Li's unusual state of mind but still wore joyful expressions, congratulating Jiang Li.
"Congratulations to the Peoples Emperor for crossing another heavenly tribulation."
"Not at all."
"Just watching from the side was terrifying, yet the Peoples Emperor crossed it safely. Your cultivation must have improved!"
"Just a fluke, just a fluke."
"If the Peoples Emperor can ascend, you will surely be a dominant force in the celestial realm!"
"The path to ascension is long and arduous. We must all strive together."
"The Peoples Emperor must co to my sect to give a lecture to the younger generation. Please give this honor."
"How can you say that, Senior Zhang? Your teachings to are deeply rembered. After so ti, I will discuss cultivation experiences with you, allowing the younger generation to listen."
"Unfortunately, the celestial realm is too far from us, its location uncertain, and the boundary wall too thick. Otherwise, with the Peoples Emperor's cultivation, breaking through the boundary wall with force wouldn't be impossible!"
"Everyone knows that your Mount Suru lineage is best at spatial techniques. If anyone can locate the celestial realm, it must be you!"
Jiang Li was very polite to these sect leaders, thanking them one by one and promising to visit their sects in the future to share his experiences, making them very happy.
After bidding farewell to the sect leaders, Jiang Li summoned the system again. The words of the old Buddha from Mount Suru had given him an idea.
"System, can you send to the celestial realm?"
[The system will later unlock the space transfer function, allowing the host to go to the celestial realm.]
"Can you send there now?" Jiang Li was overjoyed. This system was still sowhat useful, worthy of being a cheat ability.
[Please complete the newbie task first.]
Jiang Li patiently explained to the system, "Send to the celestial realm first. Through the celestial realm, I can reach the underworld, find Jiang Yixing there, and then defeat him to complete the task."
[Please complete the newbie task first.]
"Can you make an exception, give credit? You can't expect to fight a dead person."
[Please complete the newbie task first.]
"Useless system!"
Jiang Li felt this wasn't a cheat ability but the heavens giving him the middle finger.
While cursing the system for being useless, he thought about how to complete the system's task.
For example, finding soone nad Jiang Yixing and beating him up, or forcing soone to take the na Jiang Yixing and then beating him up, or dancing on Jiang Yixing's grave...
Of course, these were backup plans. The first choice was naturally to go back ho and see if Jiang Yixing was still alive. Maybe he had obtained a longevity pill, or rather, several longevity pills, allowing him to barely live until now. Or perhaps he had received enlightennt from a master, breaking through to the Elental Infant stage, with the lifespan of the Elental Infant stage being around five hundred years, just enough to live until now...
In any case, talent wasn't the only determining factor. For example, Jiang Li himself was a good example. Without his diligent cultivation and a little help from his Heavenly Spirit Root and Infinite Dao Body, he wouldn't have reached the Mahayana stage.
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