On the peak of the Jiu Province, Jilei Mountain...
Dark clouds covered the sky, lightning flashed and thunder roared. Bronze-colored celestial thunder flickered in the clouds like dragons and serpents crawling behind the dark clouds, appearing godly and ghostly, the celestial might pressing down like a mountain, causing people to tremble in fear.
The thunderous sound was like a drum beating right next to the ears, deafening.
Majestic celestial thunder slanted down, turning into plasma, rushing towards the figure standing on the top of Jilei Mountain with hands behind their back, as they stood motionless, allowing the celestial thunder to fall upon them.
After the thunder calamity, Jiang Li, full of anticipation, looked up at the sky.
However, the sky was clear after the dispersal of dark clouds, without the golden ladder to ascend to immortality that he had hoped for.
"So, I still can't ascend."
Jiang Li lamented, full of regret. This was his fifteenth time crossing the tribulation to ascend to immortality.
Crossing the tribulation to become an immortal was not a vague legend, but had clear evidence. The Jiu Province still had immortal traditions, immortal tools and methods, as well as the old folks who had seen the ladder to immortality.
According to those old folks, several thousand years ago, there were many great cultivators in the Jiu Province who ascended to immortality. As long as one crossed the heavenly tribulation, the ladder to immortality would descend from the immortal realm to meet the cultivator.
However, for some unknown reason, the ladder to immortality no longer descended from the immortal realm, severing the path to ascension, causing numerous great cultivators to regretfully pass away.
After crossing into the cultivation world 500 years ago, Jiang Li had no cheats at all. Relying on hard work, wisdom, and luck, he rose from obscurity, overcoming various difficulties and obstacles, finally reaching the highest realm in the Jiu Province - the Mahayana period - becoming the contemporary emperor, the unequivocal number one person of the Jiu Province.
It was truly regrettable not being able to ascend in the immortal realm.
Jiang Li had also thought about whether he would have walked a smoother path if he had cheats, such as a system or a grandfather by his side.
However, he immediately felt relieved. What was the point of thinking about these things now? With or without cheats, he had still reached his current position. Looking back now, those detours were also a kind of pleasure, weren't they?
[System information detected, reversal system activated.]
[Name: Jiang Li]
[Age: 518 years old]
[Identity: Contemporary Emperor]
[Cultivation: Mahayana Period]
A mechanical voice sounded in Jiang Li's ears.
Jiang Li subconsciously opened his spiritual awareness in a guarded stance, but after hearing this voice clearly, he was stunned, feeling a mixture of excitement and helplessness, and said with a laugh, "Isn't it a bit too late for the system to come now!"
Laughing, Jiang Li opened the system.
[This system is the Reversal System, assisting the host in defeating anyone who looks down on the host.]
[Please accept the novice gift package.]
Upon hearing the word "reversal", Jiang Li felt a deep sense of unease, but still suppressed his uneasiness and said, "I accept."
As soon as the words fell, a large pile of things appeared in front of Jiang Li.
He sat cross-legged and carefully counted these items.
Upon opening a small medicine bottle, a refreshing fragrance filled the air, uplifting the mood. This was the fragrance only found in the best elixirs.
Twenty top-quality Qi-gathering pills with superb effects for the Refining Period.
One top-quality Foundation Building Pill, which could help the Refining Period reach perfect foundation building.
Ten low-grade talismans, including two Strengthening Talismans, two Speed Talismans, two Concealment Talismans, and four Calming Talismans.
One hundred and fifty pieces of low-grade spirit stones.
A damaged cultivation technique book, "Move a Ton With Four Ounces," with a thoughtful note from the system on the side.
["Moving a Ton With Four Ounces" is a secret of the Daoist Sect. Upon learning the incomplete version, one is invincible in the Refining Period and can spend one hundred thousand source points to complete it.]
[Current source points: 0]
Jiang Li looked at this huge pile of things and fell silent.
Was this novice gift package a little too beginner-friendly?
Jiang Li carefully examined these items, among which the most valuable was probably this tattered and incomplete cultivation technique; not only was it shabby, but it was also incomplete.
"Moreover, 'Four Two Manipulates a Thousand Jin'..." Jiang Li pondered for a moment, then pulled out a brand new book from his storage ring. The book was also called 'Four Two Manipulates a Thousand Jin'.
This book was copied by the Patriarch of the Dao Sect and presented to Jiang Li. It also contained the insights and annotations of the predecessors of the Dao Sect.
Generally, powerful Taoist techniques have threshold levels. For example, the 'Overlord of the Earth' from the Thick Earth Sect can only be activated with the mana of the Golden Dan stage, and similarly, the 'Butterfly Transformation of Yin and Yang' from the Heart Demon Sect also requires the mana of the Golden Dan stage to activate.
The biggest advantage of 'Four Two Manipulates a Thousand Jin' is that it has no restrictions on spiritual energy. It focuses on using strength with flexibility, winning with weakness, and is very suitable for reversing battles. It is a rare technique without threshold levels.
After carefully comparing these two books and confirming that the contents were the same, Jiang Li couldn't help but be puzzled. "Indeed, they are both good things, but why are these things meant for Qi Cultivators?"
"System, what is my level?" a mechanical voice sounded.
[Great Vehicle Stage.]
"Did you give me the wrong novice gift? It's not a novice gift for Qi Cultivators, it's a novice gift for the Great Vehicle Stage?"
[Upon inspection, no mistake.]
"What level is the novice gift suitable for?"
[Qi Cultivation Stage.]
"Did you make a mistake?"
[Upon inspection, no mistake.]
"My level..."
[Great Vehicle Stage, no mistake.]
"Fine," Jiang Li was speechless, "too quick to answer."
Jiang Li did not know whether to call this system rigid or intelligent.
[Announce novice mission, this mission cannot be refused or avoided.]
[Failure punishment: unable to activate remaining system functions.]
[System functions include: Shop, Infusion of Spiritual Energy, Avoidance of Heart Demons, Spatial Movement...]
[Novice Mission: Jiang Yixing, relying on the status of the clan chief's son, has repeatedly bullied you. Please defeat Jiang Yixing.]
Jiang Li was full of question marks.
Jiang Yixing, a very familiar name, who could it be?
Flipping through the memories of when he first transmigrated, Jiang Li remembered who Jiang Yixing was.
Jiang Li's father was the previous clan chief, who left behind an orphaned mother after his death. His mother also passed away due to a serious illness, leaving Jiang Li without parents.
After his parents' death, Jiang Yixing, relying on the fact that his father was the current clan chief, bullied people everywhere, and Jiang Li was his favorite target of bullying. This made him feel inexplicably accomplished, and Jiang Yixing was also the most talented in the clan, so no one dared to say anything. Jiang Li was also powerless and did nothing after being bullied, harboring resentment against heaven and man every day, and ultimately died of a heart attack.
He transmigrated at that time.
After transmigrating, Jiang Li judged that staying in this clan was more detrimental than beneficial, so he left home directly.
This was five hundred years ago.
Looking at it from the current perspective, Jiang Yixing's so-called greatest talent in the entire clan would at best reach the Foundation Establishment stage in his lifetime, and then struggle to reach the later stages of that phase, with a very low probability of achieving the Golden Dan stage.
The lifespan of the Foundation Establishment stage is the same as that of an ordinary person, at 140 years, while the lifespan of the Golden Dan stage varies from person to person, ranging from two hundred to three hundred years.
Regardless of whether Jiang Yixing eventually reaches the Foundation Establishment stage or the Golden Dan stage, he was already dead beyond dead at this moment!
And the most crucial point is that this novice mission doesn't seem suitable for my current self to complete!
"System, what era is it now?"
[Year 4300 of the Flame Calendar.]
"It's the year 4800 of the Flame Calendar now!"
Jiang Li finally understood where his unease and discordance came from. This darn system started five hundred years late!
[Please adhere to the time determined by the system.]
Jiang Li was trembling with anger.
"I request to change the mission."
[Mission cannot be changed.]
"Jiang Yixing is already dead!"
[Please adhere to the time determined by the system.]
"I am at the Great Vehicle Stage now. Is it appropriate to fight Jiang Yixing, who I don't know whether he's at the Qi Cultivation stage or the Foundation Establishment stage? Is this called a comeback?"
[Please complete the novice mission.]
"Reboot the system."
【Please complete the novice mission.】
"Uninstall the system."
【Please complete the novice mission.】
Jiang Li almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
When he first saw the words "counterattack," he should have guessed that damn counterattack system. As the contemporary emperor, the strongest in the Nine Provinces, who was he supposed to counterattack?
"What a useless system! What's the use of you!"
Jiang Li was determined not to pay attention to this system anymore. He was already late for five hundred years in starting up, and now he was asked to defeat a dead person. How could he win? Through a moral victory?!
...
Under Mount Jilei, there were countless powerful practitioners waiting for the Emperor to pass the calamity. These people were either the leaders of the major sects, the masters of the imperial dynasty, or ancient monsters who had lived for thousands of years.
The cultivation of these sect leaders and elders was earth-shattering. If it were not for the fact that the immortal realm was not visible, they would have long secluded themselves in order to seek ascension. Some had even ascended to become immortals, but their number of ascensions paled in comparison to Jiang Li's.
They were not here to see whether Jiang Li could pass the calamity, but to see if there was a possibility of ascension after passing the calamity.
However, this calamity was destined to disappoint them. There was no legendary ladder to ascension after the immortal calamity.
Ascension was out of reach, and this thought unavoidably appeared in the hearts of the sect leaders and elders.
Although they had anticipated this, a faint cloud of gloom still shrouded their hearts.
As Jiang Li flew down from the mountaintop, even those not good at reading his emotions could see the disappointment in his heart.
If it was just a failure to ascend after passing the calamity, Jiang Li would not be too disappointed. However, the sudden appearance of a system made him think he had obtained some golden finger that could help him ascend. It turned out to be a useless finger.
The sect leaders could naturally see Jiang Li's unusual state of mind, but they still wore delighted expressions and congratulated Jiang Li.
"Congratulations to Emperor Jiang for passing the celestial tribulation once again."
"Where, where."
"Just watching from the side was terrifying, but Emperor Jiang passed it safely. I believe your cultivation has progressed once again!"
"It's just luck, it's just luck."
"If Emperor Jiang can ascend, he will also be a lord in the immortal realm!"
"The road to ascension is long and arduous, and we must all work together."
"Emperor Jiang, you must come to my sect and share your cultivation experiences with the next generation. Please give me this face."
"Where did you get such an idea, Senior Zhang? Your guidance is deeply appreciated, and I will share my cultivation experiences with you at a later time for the benefit of our younger generation."
"Unfortunately, the immortal realm is too far away from us, with an unpredictable location and a thick boundary. Otherwise, with Emperor Jiang's cultivation, you could break through the boundary with your strength!"
"Who doesn't know that your sect is best at spatial techniques? If anyone could locate the immortal realm, it must be you!"
Jiang Li was very polite to these sect leaders, thanking them one by one and promising to teach at their sects in the future, which made them very happy.
After bidding farewell to the sect leaders, Jiang Li called out the system again, drawing inspiration from the words of the old founder of Mount Jilei.
"System, can you send me to the immortal realm?"
【The system will open space teleportation function in the future, which can take the host to the immortal realm.】
"Can you send me there now?" Jiang Li was overjoyed. This system was still somewhat useful, truly a golden finger.
【Please complete the novice mission first.】
Jiang Li patiently explained to the system, "First, you send me to the immortal realm, and from there, I can go to the underworld, find Jiang Yixing, and then defeat him to complete the mission."
【Please complete the novice mission first.】
"Can't we come to an agreement? Can't I have a tab, you can't expect me to fight a dead person."
【Please complete the novice mission first.】
"Damn system!"
Jiang Li felt that this was not a golden finger, but rather the heavens giving him the middle finger.
As he cursed the system as useless, he pondered on how to complete the system's mission.
For example, finding someone named Jiang Yixing and beating him up, or finding someone and forcing them to call themselves Jiang Yixing, and then beating them up, or dancing on Jiang Yixing's grave...
Of course, these were all backup plans. The primary plan was to go back to his hometown to see if Jiang Yixing was still alive. Maybe he got a longevity pill. Oh, one pill isn't enough, he needs a dozen. Then he could barely survive until today, or maybe get some enlightening advice from an expert, break through to the Yuanying stage, with a lifespan of about five hundred years. That's just enough to live until now...
In short, aptitude was not the only determining factor. For example, Jiang Li was a good example. Without his diligent cultivation, as well as a little help from his spiritual root and immeasurable dao body, he would not have been able to reach the Mahayana stage.