"At least four major opportunities were missed, which resulted in such an unfounded accusation that led to my death." Pei Xuanjing thought with displeasure.
Firstly, at the time of his rise at the frontier, he had enough time, which meant that he must join the contest.
In struggles, there is no place for fence-sitters. Especially in a fight over the imperial throne, where it's a deadly fight of winning or perishing, his decision to be an observer would make him the common enemy of the crown prince and many other princes.
Also, when the old emperor borrowed him to balance the many princes and the crown prince, even if he genuinely chose to be a bystander, he could seize the opportunity to strengthen his influence, ensuring himself to have enough self-protection power.
The second time was when the crowned prince ascended the throne and began to wield his butcher's knife towards many of his former competitors for the imperial throne. With his tremendous influence, he could have raised an army to quell the rebellion, which would have certainly gained the response of countless people, as these princes had nowhere else to go and could only rely on him to survive.
But he missed it again and gave up this choice.
The third time was when he was summoned back to the Capital. He could have also refused on the grounds of not accepting the imperial decree outside the capital for self-protection, but again he gave up and foolishly chose to abandon this opportunity, leaving the frontier, giving the emperor the opportunity.
The fourth time was when the emperor dared to frame him with unfounded charges. When faced with the actions of those people, he could have decided to fight back. As long as he could escape the Capital and return to the frontier, leading an army of hundreds of thousands to raise a rebellion, he wouldn't have ended up so disheartened.
At least this time, fate had handed him the opportunity, but he gave it up abruptly. Such decisions could only be described as foolish. Pei Xuanjing had nothing to say about the experience in this life simulation.
He had been surprised by some of his inexplicable decisions in the life simulator, but after seeing this simulation, Pei Xuanjing had to sigh that the bottom line was there to be broken.
With such a considerable advantage, he ended up failing so miserably in the end, not even having the will and courage to fight back. It was indeed incredibly foolish.
[Simulation Over: You can choose from the following options]
[Option 1: Acquire all the insights and knowledge from this simulation when the life ends.]
[Option 2: Re-project and possess to experience and dominate this life once again.]
"Is there even a choice? Definitely start again!"
Pei Xuanjing was very dissatisfied with this life simulation. Even at his level, he was still upset, so he decisively chose for projection possession.
[Life Simulation – Projection Possession Mode Activated:]
[Forty-Nine Heavenly Paths of the Great Tao, elude one! Therefore, all things in the world have a glimmer of hope!]
In an instant, Pei Xuanjing's surroundings fell silent as if time had stopped.
At this moment, his consciousness seemed to be as chaotic as Chaos. Then, a loud noise rang out, separating Heaven and Earth.
[Projection Simulation Starting: Please be aware host that death during projection simulation will prevent future projections.]
One Year Old: Pei Xuanjing was born into the royal family. Immediately after birth, before the Innate Qi in his body dissipated, Pei Xuanjing immediately operated Shenxiao Heaven's Intention, refining this Innate Qi, establishing an unmatched foundation.
Four Years Old: He grew up safely till the age of four. Though Pei Xuanjing still looked ordinary, after four years of cultivation, he possessed power comparable to a Third Level martial artist in this world.
According to Pei Xuanjing's rough observation, the Third Level of this world should be on par with the Upper Three Realms martial artist of the Daming World.
A four-year-old Third Level cultivator, whether in the Daming World or this current world he was inhabiting, would be enough to shock the world.
Still, Pei Xuanjing continued to maintain a low-profile, and with his powerful Yin Spirit force, unless he intended to reveal it, only a Sixth Level powerhouse could discover it.
But Sixth Level powerhouses are very rare in this world. How could such a limited number of powerhouses pay attention to a four-year-old child, even if the child was born into the royal family, they wouldn't bother to notice.
Pei Xuanjing thus spent his time cultivating, while studying the culture and knowledge of this world. He is like a black hole without boundaries, absorbing the civilization heritage of this world.
At Pei Xuanjing's level, he had embarked on his unique path of Great Tao. Therefore, no matter which world he is in, he primarily cultivates his foundation while the rest is used as references, integrated into his foundation, becoming his stepping stone to reaching the apex.
Eight Years Old: After years of learning, Pei Xuanjing had gained a clear understanding of this world. It is also a world of cultivation, the current power limit should be higher than the yet to be revived Daming World, but judging from the rarity of Sixth Level powerhouses, it seems to be weaker than the Sky Wasteland.
Besides that, this world had kingdoms and empires coexisting, countless empires and kingdoms warring against each other were the theme of this world.
Contrarily, the religious sects and holy lands present in the Daming World and the Sky Wasteland were not the dominant force in this world, they were dependents of the kingdoms and empires.
The nation where Pei Xuanjing resided was considered top-tier amongst many kingdoms and empires, although not leading the pack, it still possessed vast power. Otherwise in the original life simulation, he wouldn't have thought about invading other countries.
For Pei Xuanjing, he wouldn't face any bottlenecks in his cultivation. His original realm, even the weakest Refining Spirit realm, was the Spirit Realm Third Level equivalent to this world's Fourth Tier Powerhouses.
It can be said that his cultivation in this world had no hindrance before reaching the Fourth Tier, it was a smooth journey.
Of course, during his cultivation, Pei Xuanjing also discovered the difference of this world.
This world was strange. It had a complicated and diverse cultivation system. Apart from the Refining Essence, Refining Qi, Refining Spirit system similar to the Daming World, there were several other complex cultivation systems.
The key point was that Pei Xuanjing found this world seemly having a high limit, but it was extremely unfriendly to the cultivators.
Because in this world, even if a cultivator was powerful, the lifespan that they could extend was very limited.
It should be known that before Pei Xuanjing, whether it was his original Daming World or the world he was projected into, a cultivator's ascension in power also meant the evolution of their life, granting them a much longer lifespan.
Cultivators defied the heavens and endured immense hardships in their cultivation. Aside from their quest for immense power, their fundamental goal was to gain an even longer lifespan, allowing them to exist undyingly in the world. This is the true aim of practicing cultivation.
All actions are aimed at realizing this goal. If one cannot achieve longevity, what could be the significance of having great power, if not for engaging in destruction and battles?
Take the Daming World for example, where the continuous increase in one's strength also led to a continual increase in lifespan.
An ordinary mortal martial artist's lifespan would increase upon stepping into the Grandmaster Realm. Theoretically, a martial artist at the First-Grade Realm would have a lifespan equaling four cycles of sixty years, i.e., two hundred and forty years.
Upon entering the Spirit Realm, one's life evolves again. Even cultivators at the Spirit Realm Onefold have a lifespan of five hundred years. According to Pei Xuanjing's understanding, the maximum lifespan for cultivators from Spirit Realm Onefold to Threefold would not exceed one thousand five hundred years.
Those in between the Fourth Level of the Spiritual Realm and the Sixth Level have a lifespan ranging from three thousand to five thousand years.
After his own breakthrough, armed with his Qi Refining cultivation at the Fifth Order of the Spirit Realm, he had an even more horrifying lifespan of over four thousand years.
And as for the Seventh Level of the Spiritual Realm and above, although Pei Xuanjing has not yet broken through, his understanding suggests that even a powerful cultivator at the Seventh Level of the Spirit Realm would have a lifespan of at least ten thousand years.
This world's unfriendliness towards cultivators cast a shadow over Pei Xuanjing's heart. Only now did he realize why this world was fraught with so much war and slaughter: simply because cultivation in this world couldn't grant one eternal life. The cultivators with formidable powers could only indulge and vent their desires so they wouldn't feel like they were wasting their lives.
At sixteen, Pei Xuanjing entered the Fourth Order and then joined the army, starting from the rank of a common soldier.
In the borderlands, Pei Xuanjing started as a lowly soldier, achieving remarkable military exploits. He swiftly passed the ranks of Corporal, Decurion, Centurion, and Thousand Leader, eventually becoming a Colonel commanding five thousand men.
With his status, even if he didn't understand any military tactics or strategies, his exceptional strength alone would suffice to stand out amongst these soldiers. More so, as a royal family member, he was given instructions by many teachers.
Once Pei Xuanjing had control of the five thousand men, he generously taught these soldiers special skills, using countless funds from his own reward to exchange for resources, improving these soldiers' strength.
These soldiers originally didn't have any good background or innate talent. Some of them even joined the army as a last resort.
Pei Xuanjing's actions undoubtedly won them over, gaining their loyalty.
With his vast experience from traversing through various worlds and seeing countless cultivation methods, Pei Xuanjing's vision and insight were unparalleled. His modified skills might not have a high limit, be they were best suited for ordinary soldiers without any cultivation talents.
It's especially noticeable with the cultivation method he created, combining the Ten Thousand Spirit Body Forging Skill and Dragon Elephant Art. This method allowed cultivation through the brutal bloodshed and battles on the battlefield, similar to the legendary Star Absorption Method or Beiming Divine Skill he had heard about in his previous world, allowing for extremely fast cultivation rates.
And the troop alignment methods Pei Xuanjing had learned in the World of Myriad Manifestations now came in handy. Within three years, though he hadn't increased the number of soldiers under his command, these five thousand soldiers had been transformed into an ironclad cavalry by him, causing a stir in the empire and making many enemies tremble at the news.
At twenty-four, Pei Xuanjing stationed at the frontier and leading five thousand iron-clad knights, crushed an enemy army of sixty thousand. He captured ten cities, expanded the territory by a thousand miles, and shook the world. This prince finally entered the public eye, becoming an adversary in the eyes of neighbouring countries.
An old emperor, who had been vexed by the gradually intensifying power struggle among the crown prince and other princes, saw this rising royal son as a balancing force. He greatly lavished him with fiefs, catapulting his power and influence into the empire's upper echelons, making him a figure both the crown prince and the numerous princes were wary of.
However, unbeknownst to them, at the same time as Pei Xuanjing was being conferred his titles, several letters penned by him had secretly made their way into the capital, into the hands of the crown prince and a few princes aspiring to seize the throne.
Thirty: The emperor fell gravely ill. Heaven was not granting him more time, so he issued an edict to summon Pei Xuanjing back to the capital. Both the crown prince and the numerous princes surprisingly did nothing to obstruct this prince, whose name had been renown to all, from coming back to the capital.
However, Pei Xuanjing left his vast army under the command of his confidant. He returned to the capital with only a thousand ironclad knights, obeying the old emperor's order to take charge of the defense of the capital.
Since Pei Xuanjing spent most of his time on the frontier and was not closely associated with the court officials, the emperor's decree went unobstructed and was implemented smoothly. In turn, this allowed Pei Xuanjing to take control of the garrison troops in the capital.
In the ensuing period, he was cautious and reserved, living in seclusion and abstaining from involvement in any court disputes. He only responded to the emperor's orders.
Thirty-four: The emperor passed away. The crown prince, with a swift and forceful approach, defeated the other princes and was about to ascend to the throne when Pei Xuanjing suddenly emerged from the royal residence. He led his elite troops, took control of the city from inside and out, and wiped out the crown prince's faction.
The Fifth Order strength revealed by Pei Xuanjing at this moment sent shivers down everyone's spines. In confrontation with Pei Xuanjing, who was virtually in control, everyone except a few hard-liners chose to surrender.
Next, Pei Xuanjing ascended to the throne, reorganized the court, and several princes who had fled the capital urged the regions to rise up in rebellion against him, branding him a treasonous usurper. They vowed to restore order and retake the throne.
Little did they know, this was part of Pei Xuanjing's baiting scheme all along. He intentionally let these people go, aiming to annihilate all those who harbored dissatisfaction. Through this, he exterminated entire families, filling the state treasury in the process.
Thirty-five: Within a year, Pei Xuanjing swiftly crushed the rebellion and took control of the nation's military. Despite the decline in civilian life after consecutive wars, his era of powerful military strength marked the most prosperous time in the empire.
Thirty-six: Faced with the empire's continuous civil turmoil, everyone thought that Pei Xuanjing would choose to pause and revitalize the national strength. However, he made an unexpected decision.
During the empire's turmoil over the succession to the throne, several neighboring dynastic empires took advantage and invaded, taking cities and villages and plundering citizens. After Pei Xuanjing consolidated internal affairs, he deployed his troops in a fury and went on the attack again.
In one year, he annihilated two countries, causing fear among many dynastic empires. They began dispatching envoys to each other, apparently forming alliances.
Pei Xuanjing seized this as a chance to pause the war.
At the age of thirty-eight, Pei Xuanjing took two years to recuperate and implement the military merit system of the Pre-Qin era from the previous Daming World, ruling the country by law. This drew the dissatisfaction of countless noble officials. However, faced with his hundreds of thousands of strong soldiers, they were completely helpless.
Following that, Pei Xuanjing spread the method of cultivation, which was considered the foundation of each clan, throughout the world, allowing every citizen of the empire to cultivate.
This move undoubtedly touched upon the fundamental interests of the noble officials. They conspired to revolt, attempting to assassinate Pei Xuanjing. However, he easily suppressed them. Instead, Pei Xuanjing took this opportunity to once again sweep away the aristocratic families in the empire, gaining even more resources.
At forty-six years old, Pei Xuanjing has been on the throne for ten years, implementing reforms and recuperating. The strength of the entire empire has nearly doubled with almost all citizens becoming soldiers. Innumerable soldiers and generals seek for battle, aiming for meritorious service and entitlement for their wives and offspring.
Following the enfeoffment ceremony and worship of Heaven, Pei Xuanjing summoned the soldiers and gathered millions of troops, igniting the grand unification war of this world.
When Pei Xuanjing's slogan was proclaimed, no one believed he would succeed. The many dynasties and empires of this world have waged endless wars for countless years. There have been ambitious hegemonic rulers wishful to unify the world.
However, the final outcome is clear, no one has truly achieved it. The world remains the same, with constant battles among countries.
Ordinarily, in every life simulation he experienced, Pei Xuanjing's primary goal was to collect martial skills to nourish his cultivation and solidify his foundation.
However, in this world, he had a number of interests, as he curious why the world targeted cultivators and wanted to figure out the reason.
In the Daming World, under Pei Xuanjing's influence, he promoted the Daming Empire to the Divine Dynasty. Although he gained numerous benefits, the one who benefited the most was Emperor Zhu Houji of the Great Ming Divine Dynasty. This fact was unchangeable unless Pei Xuanjing ascended the throne himself.
Since he came to this world due to a fortunate coincidence through the life simulator and the figure he impersonated had ascended to the throne, he might as well attempt to build a divine dynasty in this world.
If this world discriminates against cultivators and restricts them from achieving longevity, would establishing a divine dynasty receive the Heaven's favor? Who had the divine position bestowed by the heaven's favor, held the authority of heaven and earth, and whether they would still be targeted by Heaven and Earth, able to have an enduring life?
For this reason, in addition to waging wars, he placed statues of himself throughout the empire. Whenever he conquered a place, he would erect a statue.
Right, in this world, Pei Xuanjing chose the fastest and most suitable way to increase his strength: the Incense Fire God Refining Skill.
Countless power of incense fire faith poured in.
At fifty years old: After two years of campaigning, Pei Xuanjing's empire defeated and destroyed three imperial dynasties. The world was shocked, and some far-distant empires started to pay attention to the region where he was.
As Pei Xuanjing's soldiers won battle after battle and the faith from the power of the incense fire that Pei Xuanjing received became more and more, his strength also continued to increase.
At fifty-five years old: Pei Xuanjing's empire has nearly destroyed ten imperial dynasties. Now, countless dynasties around him began to grow uneasy. A wave of fear had begun to spread, and countless people turned pale and terrified at the mention of Pei Xuanjing's name.
Using this opportunity, Pei Xuanjing's strength ascended to another level. Though he hadn't broken through to the Sixth Level, he was able to fight against a Sixth Level cultivator due to his proper mastery of the power of incense fire, thereby evading several assassination attempts.
At sixty-two years old: Pei Xuanjing had toppled a third of the world's imperial dynasties and occupied almost half of the world's territories. The remaining empires began to ally together to collectively resist this terrifying empire.
Unfortunately, it was already too late. Pei Xuanjing's empire, like the thriving Great Qin, was on the unstoppable path of swallowing the world. Their alliance only slightly delayed Pei Xuanjing's advance and was utterly meaningless. The end result was inevitable.
This moment was the peak of Pei Xuanjing's empire. Years of continuous wars have not led to the decay of the empire, but rather, because of the existence of the military merit promotion system, numerous people have the potential to ascend. Even for those whose countries were destroyed, after seeing the hope of rising in their former nations, they also began to strive for it.
As someone once said in Pei Xuanjing's original world: The collapse of the Great Qin was actually due to the military merit promotion system losing its function for expansion after the unification. Therefore, it meant that the lower class people lost their channels for promotion, and they became stagnant, leading to the collapse of the empire.
The saying goes, "Survive in adversity and perish in security." If the Great Qin had a strong competitor on its border, it absolutely won't have collapsed in such way, instead, it would have become even stronger. At least until its opponent was completely destroyed, Qin would not collapse.
Now, Pei Xuanjing's empire doesn't have this worry. There are still enemies in this world. The remaining imperial dynasties in this world are his opponents. Although he doesn't think highly of these opponents, they can undoubtedly serve to stimulate the initiative of his soldiers and citizens, encouraging them to bravely step forward.
At seventy years old: Pei Xuanjing's empire completely destroyed all of the empires in this world, becoming the first empire to unify this world throughout history. At the moment of this historic feat, Pei Xuanjing felt a long-lost sense of Heaven's will, as he had when the Great Ming Divine Dynasty ascended in the Daming World.
At that moment, Pei Xuanjing felt as if he had once again entered the Unity of Heaven and Man state. He seemed to merge with Heaven and Earth, easily perceiving the will of Heaven and Earth. His view seemed to have changed to Heaven and Earth's perspective. In his eyes, the true face of this world revealed itself. He could effortlessly observe the mountains, rivers, and the Earth's pulse within the world.
Taking advantage of this, Pei Xuanjing's cultivation progressed even further. His refining spirit cultivation path broke through again, undergoing three transformations in a row, almost reaching the Spirit Realm Sixth Level. Considering his previous breakthrough in the Path of Qi Refinement.
At this moment, Pei Xuanjing's Refining Essence, Refining Qi, and Refining Spirit had all reached the Spirit Realm Sixth Level. They all reached a true balance, not just a balance achieved by exploiting his entity's abilities.
If the timing wasn't wrong, Pei Xuanjing would have attempted to condense the Golden Core.