Chen Xu traversed the boundaries of the realm, feeling a sense of bewildering ethereality, unsure of what night it was.

He didn't know if his suspicions were right or wrong, nor if his understanding of the "world" was biased.

The immense power of merit guided him continuously upwards, "ascending"—

Chen Xu wasn't actually sure if this was "ascension," but the wondrous feeling of sublimation filling his mind made the term "ascension" surface unbidden.

However, this "ascension" should be vastly different from the mythical ascensions of deities in ancient legends.

In those ancient legends, immortals ascended on clouds, became part of the celestial rank, and were recorded in the celestial registry.

Upon becoming immortals, they naturally gained a lifespan of one hundred and eight thousand years.

They had celestial abodes, celestial titles, and specific domains.

There was even a saying, "One person attains the Dao, and all chickens and dogs ascend to heaven"!

Of course, in the Great Li, this legendary ascension has always remained just a legend.

Although there were many cultivators in the Li Kingdom, no one had truly seen a "deity."

The so-called "immortals" were merely cultivators who lived longer, being called immortals even at a thousand years old.

Most people, even those top scholars of their time, could only hope to live up to two hundred years.

Many great demons were not "thousand-year-old demons," and in truth, the lifespans of demons were generally shorter than that of the Human Race.

To live twenty or thirty years and attain spiritual intelligence was already an achievement among demons, and a monkey king who cultivated for a hundred years and did not die could be called a demon among demons, a star of longevity!

The Shimmering Star Lake Water Monarch, so formidable and nearly transforming into a dragon, had only cultivated for two or three hundred years.

As for true dragons, no one had ever seen one.

Interestingly, in the eyes of many demons, the Human Race was the long-lived species!

All of this seemed to be extremely logical, yet strangely contradictory to "mythical common sense."

Chen Xu had many questions about this and had been trying his best to understand the rules of the world.

But looking at it now, he might also be just like a frog at the bottom of a well.

No matter how much the well frog wandered within the well, it would never see the true world.

Unless he could leap out of this deep well.

And right now, Chen Xu truly was leaping towards that well's mouth!

He suddenly felt a sense of floating all over, the vast land beneath him growing more and more distant, so far away that the mountains and rivers seemed to all transform into a beautiful painting.

He saw vast deserts and boundless skies, golden streams of light.

Amidst them, green oases were like the most skillful embellishments, painting colors onto the desolate land, adding the finishing touch.

He also saw endless mountains and rivers, undulating like dragons.

It's said there are no true dragons in the world, but at this moment, Chen Xu, from his high vantage point, could vaguely feel that the mountain ridges were dragon bones, the cities were dragon claws, and the whole world was the dwelling of a divine dragon!

In the farther distance, were turquoise waves of the ocean, the four seas boundless.

Were there divine dragons in these seas?

It is said there are.

But of course, as the saying goes, things "rumored" shouldn't be believed.

However, it is true that within the seas dwell various aquatic tribes.

The most legendary among them are the Merfolk.

There are also the Dragon Turtle clan, always spoken of with great admiration as representatives of longevity.

In the eyes of the Little Demons like Fox Demons, Wolf Demons, and Deer Demons, the Human Race is a long-lived species, but to humans, only the Dragon Turtle clan, born with an eight-hundred-year lifespan, could barely be called long-lived.

Among all living creatures, there will always be layers of longing and admiration.

Just as "people" will always envy what they cannot have.

Chen Xu began to feel the True Essence, Mana within his body, and the ever-expanding Literary Qi in his Sea of Literature were all boiling and burning.

Indeed, although merit paved the way ahead, to actually break through the world's membrane required his own strength.

If his strength was inadequate, Chen Xu believed there was a real chance he could exhaust himself to death during the "ascension" process!

So, in this moment, would he continue to "ascend" upwards?

Actually, considering just the pros and cons, Chen Xu could very well return to the Great Li right now.

Returning to the Great Li, with his current level of cultivation and the accomplishment of feats such as diverting water from the south to the north, he could easily be conferred as a Prince or Duke within the Great Li.

No, what's truly in a Prince or Duke?

If Chen Xu is the star, who in the world now dares claim to be the sun or moon?

Even the Emperor of the Great Li, upon seeing Chen Xu, would probably have to rise in personal greeting, showing utmost respect.

Otherwise, it wasn't impossible for the throne to be occupied by someone else.

Although these had not actually come to pass, they were not mere fantasies of Chen Xu.

These were reasonable conclusions drawn from facts.

Thus, if he returned to the Great Li, he could live a carefree life, traversing the world.

Even the issue of longevity that troubled many cultivators was not unresolvable for Chen Xu.

Since achieving the Golden Core, his lifespan had increased.

Now, his lifespan balance was:

[Lifespan: 18/340]

Three hundred and forty years, if he truly lived that long, Chen Xu could even witness the rise of a new dynasty, or even its fall...

Compared to the hundred-year lifespan of ordinary people or the average age of around forty for common folk, with this lifespan, Chen Xu could live a leisurely life in the Great Li.

He did not really need to gamble his life for "ascension"!

Besides, with the Food Cauldron Celestial Book in hand, Chen Xu could continually enhance his Essence and improve his life essence, achieving greater longevity.

Ultimately, a lifespan of a thousand years was not impossible.

By that time, Chen Xu would be the Immortal from the Great Li of myth and legend!

Yet faced with the "world beyond the well's mouth," Chen Xu was still resolute in his decision to surge upwards.

If he missed today's guidance of immense merit, he didn't know if another "ascension" opportunity would come.

Opportunities in life vanish in an instant.

Knowing there is a sky beyond the sky, how could Chen Xu be content to remain just a "king" at the bottom of this well?

Even if he could be called the greatest at the well's bottom, he would still just be a well frog.

He must see a broader world, seek more possibilities, find the answer to longevity, and the end of the Dao path.

Since he had cultivated, how could he not fully explore and understand?

To learn of the Dao at dawn, and to die at dusk, how acceptable it would be.

Charge!

At this moment, the Golden Core in Chen Xu's Dantian spun swiftly, combining his Innate True Essence with the vast Literary Qi in his Sea of Literature, transforming into a surging force.

Moreover, even all the previously accumulated Free Attribute Points were now completely applied to his body.

He charged from the beautiful and boundless lands into a dark, mysterious passage.

In this indescribable passageway, he transformed himself into a raging flame, from which an arrow shot forth, he surged upwards!

Boom—

All these actions, whether real or mental shifts, were battles during the breakthrough.

At this moment, Chen Xu had no other opponents.

The opponent was himself.

And finally, at the brink of exhaustion, he broke through the last barrier.

Pfft!

Chen Xu emerged across the worlds.

Before him lay a hazy brightness, his heart raced, and he quickly surveyed everything around.

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