'Sigh'.

Wang Jixuan heard a sigh in a daze, and he followed with a sigh as well.

An inexplicable melancholy slowly grew in his heart.

The [Stone of the Past] in front of him flickered with light, and a scene slowly appeared before his eyes.

It was in this grand hall;

Outside was a constant flickering of light, which must have been the light of a fierce battle, and Wang Jixuan vaguely saw the purple flames reaching the sky.

This did not seem to be just a scene;

The scorching air, the turmoil of spiritual energy, the crying of souls, the fear of living beings, all could be sensed at this moment.

An ethereal figure sat on a cushion, filled with decadence and despair.

He appeared to be in his thirties;

The ethereal figure was a residual soul, and unless deliberately altered, the residual soul records the appearance of the body at the time of death.

He seemed to have made many preparations before his death, appearing very dignified, with a robe of silk embroidered with Immortal Cranes and white clouds, hair tied up with a Daoist hairpin, clean face, untouched by dust, even the seemingly ordinary boots seemed to be made with meticulous materials.

But his eyes, hollow, numbed, without any ripple.

As if completely dead.

Several figures rushed into the grand hall, almost crying as they clung to the back of the residual soul.

Wang Jixuan should not have understood the 'dialect' of this civilization;

Yet, magically, he completely understood at this moment.

"Pioneer! Pioneer Lord!"

"Please save us! The rebels have conspired with foreign enemies, Cloud City is on the verge of being breached, three out of six leaders have died in battle!"

"We have only you to rely on!"

The ethereal figure sitting there seemed to come back to his senses, took a gentle breath, his residual body trembled nonstop.

"I... cannot help you anymore..."

The voice of this ethereal figure was powerless and in anguish.

"Preserve the spark."

The figures behind couldn't help but bow their heads and weep, awaiting a miracle as in previous times.

Unfortunately, the ethereal figure was just a residual soul.

He had no ability to fight, could only 'live' here.

The scene gradually faded, the residual image in the hall slowly raised its head, looked towards the character of Tao, raised its hand wanting to touch, but the arm involuntarily trembled.

The residual image's eyes welled up with tears.

"Master... what is the meaning of being immortal, what exactly is the meaning of being immortal... ah..."

The scene gradually faded.

Wang Jixuan detached from the meditative state, yet did not open his eyes, for the next scene began to unfold slowly.

He fell into meditation again.

This was actually not meditation, but a certain 'magic power' inherent to this stone.

The second scene, still in this grand hall, but the scene became much more serene, that residual image had just failed to cross the tribulation, slowly condensing from the Stone of the Past.

Bits of light gathered from all directions, condensing into this residual image.

It seemed that the failure of crossing the tribulation this time, keeping the soul intact, was reliant on the magical effect of this miraculous stone.

Wang Jixuan sighed inwardly.

This object had saved his life.

The residual image collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily, while dozens of figures rushed over, continuously calling out Pioneer.

Their expression of concern was evident.

The residual image gazed vacantly for a while, then suddenly became excited, laying there, slapping the ground and shouting:

"Why! Why is the ninth heavenly tribulation stronger each time!"

"I was supposed to become immortal! I could've become immortal long ago! Yet why does the heavenly tribulation obstruct me! What is the reason for this!"

"Even Immortals, how can they withstand this blow, how can they withstand this blow!"

The residual image cried out in agony, continuously pounding his chest.

It was endless despair.

First cultivation, spanning over a hundred and twenty years, a prodigy in cultivation, a sect's glory, failed the heavenly tribulation challenge;

Second cultivation, spanning six thousand seven hundred and twenty years, checking for gaps, striving for perfection, still failed the heavenly tribulation challenge.

Unwavering Dao Heart, no use;

Meticulously refined Dao Body, no use;

Where is the way?

Where is the way ahead!

Why doesn't the gate to the Immortal Realm open!

He was already stronger than all recorded successful Mahayana Realm cultivators who ascended, yet what was still lacking? Over six thousand seven hundred and twenty years, he fixed everything that could be fixed, repeatedly becoming a Fallen Demon to temper his Dao Heart, constantly doing good deeds to accumulate virtue, wandering through the interstellar to experience life.

He did it all, he did everything...

But now.

The residual image started to silently shed tears, surrounded by constant sighs.

Wang Jixuan heard their discussion.

"Even the Pioneer failed."

"Shouldn't the Pioneer have easily reached the Upper Realm?"

"The Pioneer prepared for thousands of years, possessing abilities beyond our reach, yet the Pioneer failed."

"Is the path for individual ascension just an illusion?"

"Alas, the Pioneer must be in immense pain now."

"Is there anything we can do for the Pioneer?"

The discussions gradually faded.

Wang Jixuan's mental state gradually returned to normal.

That residual image was undoubtedly him, yet it seemed like another him, with another life, another experience, having cultivated a second lifetime but still unable to break through the final heavenly tribulation as himself failed.

Wang Jixuan now only thought of one thing;

Prepared for over six thousand years;

The starting point of the second lifetime should align with the starting point of this third lifetime.

Then why couldn't he ascend?

In the second lifetime, he built a perfect Tao Foundation, a perfect Dao Heart, everything ought to have reached the extreme, the Mahayana Realm's life expectancy is about three thousand years, with spiritual pills, it might be extended to at most four thousand.

His second lifetime carried the experience and memory of crossing tribulation in the first life, with Yina Civilization as aid, yet all...

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