Eternal True Realm Is Too Competitive

A month later.

Under the guidance of the Heart Demon Lord, Gu Qingfeng flew for an entire month before reaching the place where that great demon was imprisoned and tortured. This alone spoke volumes about the vastness of the Demon Realm.

Of course, the reason it took so long wasn’t just the distance—it was also because he had devoured every demon he encountered along the way.

Not many, just a hundred or so over the course of a month.

By now, Gu Qingfeng’s reserves of magical power had reached a terrifying one hundred billion years!

This inflated his confidence even further. A single month of cultivation equivalent to a hundred billion years of effort for other loose immortals—who wouldn’t get a little full of themselves?

Naturally, a hundred billion years’ worth of magical power didn’t actually require a hundred billion years to accumulate. It depended on one’s innate talent, the elixirs and spiritual medicines consumed, the blessed immortal lands cultivated in, and so on.

A person with exceptional talent could achieve in one year what an ordinary cultivator might take ten, or even a hundred years to accomplish!

Not to mention the effects of a single immortal pill that could grant ten thousand—or even a million—years’ worth of power, or the abundance of spiritual energy in those sacred lands.

"Master, ahead lies the forbidden land of the Demon Realm. It’s called forbidden not because it’s dangerous, but because the demons dare not approach, fearing the might of the one imprisoned there," the Heart Demon Lord said cautiously.

His fear of Gu Qingfeng had skyrocketed, leaving no room for even the slightest disrespect.

After all, he had personally witnessed Gu Qingfeng mercilessly devour nearly a hundred demons along the way. Each time, the sight had chilled him to the bone, terrified that his master might decide he wasn’t full yet and swallow him too.

"Hm."

Gu Qingfeng reclined lazily on his golden ancient war chariot, resting his chin on one pale hand, his eyes half-lidded. His demeanor was the very picture of languid, wicked charm.

Ahead of the chariot, several demons strained to pull it forward. It wasn’t that the chariot was heavy—they simply didn’t dare let it jostle even slightly.

Because every bump meant one less demon in existence.

Gu Qingfeng glanced at the so-called forbidden land. It was a desolate, lifeless expanse, a thousand miles of barren earth. Deep within lay a valley, its depths unfathomable.

"Lead the way."

"Yes, Master. That great demon is imprisoned at the bottom of the valley. Please follow this lowly one, and—Master, do watch your step for loose stones."

The Heart Demon Lord hunched over, diligently sweeping away any stray pebbles on the path, lest an unruly rock jostle the chariot and disturb his esteemed master.

Whenever they encountered boulders or small hills, he simply flattened them outright. Taking a detour? Unthinkable.

As the Heart Demon Lord put it—anything that dared stand in the master’s way had only one fate: death.

"Ahem."

Gu Qingfeng suddenly let out a light cough from the chariot.

The demons pulling it, including the Heart Demon Lord, shuddered and immediately halted.

The Heart Demon Lord scurried over, fawning. "Master, what are your orders?"

"This Emperor just thought of something. How many years’ worth of magical power must a loose immortal accumulate to reach perfection, condense a True Immortal’s body, and ascend?"

"To answer the Master, it requires the power of one kalpa—one hundred and ninety-six million years."

"Oh?" Gu Qingfeng’s brow furrowed. "One kalpa?"

"After achieving immortality through the Dao, one becomes undying and unaging—but must endure the kalpa tribulations. Each kalpa lasts one hundred and ninety-six million years. Failure to withstand it results in the destruction of both body and Dao, with all cultivation returning to the Eternal True Realm. Worse still, each kalpa grows stronger than the last.

From the very day one becomes a loose immortal, the countdown begins. After one hundred and ninety-six million years, the first kalpa—the Loose Immortal Tribulation—arrives.

The Loose Immortal Tribulation is devastating. Only by forging a True Immortal’s body can one hope to survive."

Gu Qingfeng was mildly surprised. "So, becoming a True Immortal requires accumulating one hundred and ninety-six million years of power, and the first kalpa also arrives after the same amount of time? That means loose immortals are racing against time, unable to pause their cultivation for even a second—or they’re doomed?"

"In truth, even if one cultivates without pause, it’s nearly impossible to amass that much power. Loose immortals are still living beings. No creature can sit motionless for one hundred and ninety-six million years, maintaining perfect focus and efficiency in cultivation the entire time. It’s simply unrealistic.

And even if one miraculously managed it, forging a True Immortal’s body isn’t as simple as reaching the required power. The process is far more arduous and time-consuming.

Those with exceptional talent have it easier—one year of their effort might equal ten, or even a hundred, for others. They at least have time to prepare. But for the average loose immortal? Without extraordinary fortune or the willingness to fight for resources, death is inevitable."

After hearing the Heart Demon Lord’s explanation, Gu Qingfeng felt a chill.

This was harvesting—plain and simple!

Immortals were nothing but crops!

If you wanted immortality, you had to merge with the Dao—but doing so subjected you to the kalpa tribulations. Fail, and you died, your billions of years of cultivation and your very Dao absorbed back into the Eternal True Realm.

Truly, there was no such thing as a free lunch.

Why would the Eternal True Realm grant you immortality for nothing? This was the catch!

Ordinary loose immortals had no choice but to fight tooth and nail for survival—like insects in a jar, where only the strongest lived.

The fallen were harvested by the Eternal True Realm. Even those who survived, if they failed to forge a True Immortal’s body, would meet the same fate.

The more he thought about it, the more horrifying it became.

This logic was so obvious that other immortals must have realized it long ago. Yet they still chose to merge with the Dao—because not merging meant they couldn’t live for one hundred and ninety-six million years anyway. Besides, there was still a chance of success.

It was a blatant, inescapable scheme.

And the worst part? The kalpas never stopped. They only grew stronger. Who could guarantee they’d survive every single one?

Merging with the Dao to become an immortal was a trap—a colossal, gaping pit!

There was no true freedom or transcendence. Instead, it was a never-ending race for survival. Stop running, and you died. Fall behind, and you died.

Damn it, the Eternal True Realm was brutal.

Well, whatever. Gu Qingfeng had no intention of merging with the Dao anyway. This had nothing to do with him.

The rules were set by the Eternal True Realm. Playing by someone else’s rules meant you could never truly win. To be victorious, you had to create your own rules!

With this realization, Gu Qingfeng grew even more determined to find his family. In this devouring Eternal True Realm, they were his only true refuge.

After all, with the help of his demon kin, he had amassed one hundred billion years of power in just a month.

What was a True Immortal’s measly one hundred and ninety-six million? Call it two hundred million if you wanted.

In raw power, he was already fifty times beyond a True Immortal. Sure, the quality of a True Immortal’s body was superior, but so what? If one hundred billion years wasn’t enough, how about a trillion?

"Full speed ahead!" Gu Qingfeng commanded.

"Yes, Master!"

The demons pulling the chariot roared in unison, surging forward with renewed vigor.