Chapter Fifty-One: Earthly Fiends

News quickly spread that beside Immortal Master Lan Yi, another young immortal had descended from the heavenly realm to undergo tribulation. This little immortal, however, was not particularly capable. If it hadn’t been for Lan Yi’s timely restoration of Jinling, the grand formation he set to shift the heavens and draw spiritual energy from all directions, transforming it into a celestial lotus of thunder above the Jinling Power Plant, this young immortal would likely have perished and returned to the upper realm ahead of schedule.

What does it mean to return ahead of schedule? Simply put, it means death. According to Lan Yi, the secrets of the upper realm are profound: if an immortal descends for a tribulation and lacks ability, dying in the mortal world truly means annihilation—body and soul erased. A true return, on the other hand, is surviving the tribulation and earning a chance to ascend home. But if one fails, the risk of destruction remains ever-present.

Of course, Immortal Master Lan Yi was a different story! Our revered master possesses vast powers and a lofty immortal rank, untouched by fire or water, immune to calamity, and his descent is not to face some minor tribulation, but the great ordeal of mortal warfare! Following such a master to establish merit and achievements—surely, one day, our path to immortality will open. Who knows, we might even emulate Master Zhang of Mount Wudang, achieving enlightenment through martial arts and soaring into the clouds!

Just look at him—Li Shuwen, the Divine Spear. A towering figure in northern martial arts, famed for his invincible spear. Even such a grandmaster, once a distant legend, now demonstrates his skills before Lan Yi, seeking the gift of martial enlightenment. If even he is eager, who wouldn’t be? Nowadays, everyone is curious: how many moves could these yet-ungifted martial grandmasters last against our cultivators? It’s a rare spectacle, offering a direct sense of the chasm between the new innate martial way and the old forms. It also reveals how rare and tremendous the opportunity is to receive the Immortal Master’s martial blessing.

Such fervent discussions echoed throughout the military training grounds. Martial artists drawn by the news flocked in droves, as numerous as carp swimming across the river. These cultivators moved like wild geese, swift as tigers and lions, transforming the modern landscape into the budding world of martial cultivation.

“What is all this?”
“The imagination of these people is truly something.”
“A return mission in the War Realm, and they manage to imagine so many wild things—while flattering the big boss, no less. Incredible.”

Xiao Hongzhuan realized something profound: backwardness does not always equate to ignorance.

Even in this era, where most people struggled with survival and hunger, the inhabitants were fiercely adept at scheming, currying favor, pleasing superiors, and seizing opportunities. In fact, without Lan Yi’s intervention, Xiao Hongzhuan, whose origins had been exposed, would have been in grave danger—likely detained for study, or perhaps even used by some to test if immortal flesh could cure all diseases and grant immortality.

Thus, Xiao Hongzhuan was deeply grateful to the formidable Lan Yi. When questioned by Lan Yi, he answered everything, even matters of his own privacy. The great Lan Yi, after all, was kind-hearted—he even cared whether Xiao could return to his home world.

Under Lan Yi’s gentle probing, this new cultivator unwittingly revealed the details of his first artificial divine realm trial: survive seven days, then choose to either remain in the artificial realm or return to the original world. If one chooses to stay, the limit is one month; barring the triggering of a War Realm designated mission, after a month, one is forcibly returned to the original world.

Lan Yi’s own task was the same. In fact, this was the standard for every psionic cultivator from the original world during their first trial in the artificial divine realm, whether or not they were among the first to enter. Otherwise, given the dangers of the artificial realm, the mortality rate for the initial batch must have exceeded ninety percent. Even so, the numbers were staggering: in Dongyang, for example, a nation once plagued by aging, the population structure was reversed overnight, with young men suddenly dominating.

Thanks to Xiao Hongzhuan’s cooperation, Lan Yi confirmed one crucial fact: their reincarnated group had not interfered with the War Realm’s initial deployment, which meant the terrifying beings of the previous era would not appear ahead of schedule. The second artificial realm trial, however, was sure to be much tougher.

Moreover, among the reincarnators, there were high-level figures from organizations like Umbrella, Titan Corporation, and the Trauma Group, who were likely to bring their super-corporations into existence early. Such chaotic times were fertile ground for these giants. Meanwhile, on the side of the River Civilization, all sorts of institutions and sects were bound to spring up like mushrooms after the rain.

A true era of a hundred schools of thought contending, a hundred flowers blossoming.

Yet what Lan Yi found most threatening was still the elusive “Destiny Cluster Psychosis.” Lan Yi and another psionic cultivator had long suspected that there were inhuman entities manipulating matters from behind the scenes. Some cultivators—though their destiny cluster compatibility was within safe limits, showing no signs of madness—would suddenly break down without warning.

Before his reincarnation, Lan Yi had secretly investigated the origins of the Destiny Cluster Psychosis. Yet every time he drew close to the truth, the trail would be cut off for some reason, leaving him with nothing. That was the most terrifying part—before his rebirth, Lan Yi was already among the very elite of psionic cultivators. If even he could not uncover the truth, it spoke volumes about the gravity of the situation. He could not even be sure how many in the two great factions of civilization were fully trustworthy, let alone the nonhuman side.

Lan Yi even suspected that, during the apocalypse he unleashed, those entities might have been fanning the flames from the shadows. Yet they surely hadn’t expected that, by sealing the artificial divine realm and forcing the end of the world, he would still gain one last chance for a complete restart. This secret, this ultimate opportunity, Lan Yi had told no one—not even himself, for part of his memory was erased in the process.

For this reason, Lan Yi himself was a little curious: how had he truly managed to reset everything? If he retraced the memories before his rebirth, perhaps he could reclaim that lost part of himself, but a full restart was likely impossible. Even in games, one cannot truly play with infinite continues.

Lan Yi’s calm, colorless eyes swept over the scene before him, feigning interest in the martial exhibition soon to unfold, while his thoughts drifted far away. Was it truly the Destiny Cluster Psychosis that was insane, or was it Lan Yi, clinging to his blue dreams?

“Boss, I’ve made up my mind. I want to trade you the ‘Earthshade,’” Xiao Hongzhuan said cautiously from beside him.

“What do you want in exchange?” Lan Yi’s thoughts returned.

“I… I want to learn the Daoist arts,” Xiao replied, giving an answer that surprised the surrounding martial artists.

“No problem,” Lan Yi nodded. “After the ‘Earthshade’ trade, if you can find a new destiny cluster before you return, I can help you activate it.”

“Great, I already have one!” Xiao exclaimed in delight.

“Oh?” Lan Yi’s eyes flashed with interest. What a coincidence?