One Two Three Four Five, Chen Yi Splits into Five

[You explained the situation to your five clones, telling them that they were in fact clones, but that their memories, abilities, combat power, etc., each separately inherited one of the simulations.]

[The clones immediately accepted what the original body had said.]

[Chen One: “Only five simulations? I thought after three days in reality you’d be invincible!”]

[You: “It wasn’t that many simulations, big bro! So you have to try to survive in each simulation—don’t waste the chances!”]

[Chen Two: “I only care one thing: is Feng Yucheng dead or not?”]

[You: “He’s inside the banner, making brothers with a bunch of villains.”]

[Chen Three: “Where’s the Old Monk now? I want to go have a chat with him.”]

[You: “Let’s go another day.”]

[Chen Four: “What about the Dragon Human Clan?”]

[You: “You can ask Number Five about that.”]

[Chen Five floated in the sky, hands clasped behind his back, chin raised high.]

["Don’t even talk to me about the Dragon Human Clan. As long as a sovereign-like Sword Holder like me guards the human realm, no clan can break through!"]

[The five simulated Chen Yis actually had plenty to talk about among themselves.]

[After all, each simulation had different regrets, and they all wanted to know if their later selves had made up for them.]

[Seeing that this tea party was never going to end, you had to interrupt them.]

["We can chat slowly another day. It’s time to get down to business."]

[You planned to leave one clone in the human realm for three purposes.]

[First, to give your family someone to miss—even if it was an elderly version.]

[Second, to keep an eye on key events and make sure they didn’t go off track—like the life experiences of your big brother, Li Lingyue, Li Chengqian, and the others.]

[Third, to absorb the clone back into yourself at the end of the simulation, letting it recount what had happened in the human realm over the past years, thereby achieving one simulation’s worth of information from two worlds.]

[After careful consideration, you decided to leave Chen Four behind.]

[The reason was that he was the healthiest in physique, and his Condensing Spirit realm cultivation wasn’t too low either.]

[Chen Five had the highest cultivation, but Chen Yi wanted to keep him close—he might come in handy in a pinch.]

[Chen One: “Ahem, boss, ahem! I think I can… ahem… stay. I, I, I…”]

[You: “Oh, cut it out! You can hardly take two steps without a struggle! Don’t go scaring people!”]

[Chen Two: “Boss, I’m only in my fifties! I’m young! Let me take your place in the human realm!”]

[You: “What can you do as a Gathering Spirit cultivator? You’d have trouble even leaving Baiyun County.”]

[Chen Three: “Boss, I…”]

[You: “You and Chen One are six of one, half a dozen of the other. I’ll still have to go find Senior Hua to detoxify you.”]

[Chen Five had no real desire to stay in the human realm; he was keener to see the Real Realm.]

[Chen Four found a stool in the courtyard, sat down, and sprawled out lazily.]

["So, starting today, I’m the master of this Chen Manor? Not bad, not bad—a comfortable retirement."]

[You spent some effort getting the Chen Manor servants and your third sister to accept the elderly version of you.]

[Your third sister was deeply distressed, saying over and over how you had aged so much.]

[Seeing her eyes brimming with tears, you had to reveal yourself and explain that Chen Four was your clone.]

["Even though he’s a clone, aside from the difference in age, he’s no different from me personally—still your fourth brother, Third Sister."]

["Fourth brother, you’re leaving too, aren’t you?"]

[Chen Yun guessed it in an instant.]

[You didn’t hide it, telling her plainly that when the Immortal Ascension Path opened next year, you would take that road too, following in the footsteps of the Great Demon, the Sword Master, and Shen Qingshan.]

["When you’re out there, take good care of yourself. No treasure is worth more than your own health, understand?"]

[Even though this was a farewell for ascending to immortality, the things Chen Yun said to you sounded like you were just taking a simple trip out of town.]

[You didn’t linger in Baiyun County.]

[You left both the Nine Provinces Cauldron and the Qiankun Mirror behind for Chen Four. With these two treasures, he could handle most problems.]

[In truth, who in the human realm would dare to cause you trouble now?]

[The Five Elements Root Vessels of the human realm would become a pile of scrap metal in the Real Realm and would also disrupt the Five Elements balance in the human realm, so naturally you didn’t bring them along.]

[Da Chun manifested from the Nine Provinces Cauldron and hugged you goodbye.]

["Brother Yi!!"]

["Da Chun, you’re a Grand Dao artifact of immortals, one of the foundations of a world, and you’re still sniffling?"]

["Da Chun will always be Da Chun! The Nine Provinces Cauldron vanished forever when it reincarnated as a human. All of us descendants must be the masters of our own lives!"]

["Da Chun is right… but those words sound strangely familiar?"]

[What Da Chun said was really true,]

[Strictly speaking, Chen Yi’s own body was also a descendant of the Nine Provinces Cauldron’s reincarnation.]

[So were Chen Yun, Chen Jing, and Chen Yue. Each of them was their own person—not the Nine Provinces Cauldron.]

["Stop crying. The clone I’m leaving behind is no different from me. He knows everything we’ve been through. Just think of him as me."]

["Da Chun understands. Brother Yi, take care. From now on, Da Chun can’t protect you anymore…"]

[You fell silent.]

[All this way, Da Chun had protected you so many times.]

[Now, as you were about to leave the Void Realm, you would finally shed this protective shell and face the unknown storms head-on.]

["Black Wind, stay here for now. Next year, Senior Hua will take you to the Immortal Ascension Path, and then come find me in the Real Realm… if you can find me."]

[Black Wind nodded firmly.]

["Boss! I will definitely find you!"]

[You left, riding the wind away.]

[Under the gaze of the people of Baiyun County, amidst Da Chun’s weeping and your third sister’s reluctance.]

[After leaving Baiyun County, you first went to the Da Qian imperial capital.]

[You let your aura out just a little, and the strong experts of the Li clan immediately came out to welcome you.]

["Ah, Martial God Chen has arrived! Hurry, let’s set up a banquet in the palace tonight, and drink to our hearts’ content!"]

[Li Yang, Li Lingyue’s third uncle, extended you a warm invitation, but you raised your hand to decline.]

["There are some things I never told you before. This time, I’m here to remind you."]

["Martial God Chen, please speak freely—we are all ears!"]

["There’s a Princess Baihua in the imperial clan named Li Lingyue."]

["Oh? Could it be that Martial God Chen plans to take her as a disciple? But a pity—she has no root bones, so she can’t practice martial arts."]

["Wrong. She can cultivate, and she is the top talent in the human realm. She bears a Dao Fruit, and her future achievements will be boundless."]

[Your words left the Li clan members exchanging glances in surprise.]

[They whispered among themselves about this Princess Baihua, realizing that at the top level of the imperial clan, she had no presence at all—no one had paid her any attention.]

[Li Yang, however, did frequently visit Princess Baihua’s household, since they were of the same bloodline.]

["Martial God Chen, is what you say true?"]

["Do I look like I’m joking?"]

["No, no, of course not… But we have indeed tested the qualifications of our clan members repeatedly. Li Lingyue definitely falls into the category of those who cannot cultivate."]

["The time just hasn’t come yet. After she comes of age, send her to the Southern Wastelands to find Hua Wuyan. Hua Wuyan will take her as a disciple."]

["Hua Wuyan? But she is a Guardian Pathsworn…"]

Doesn't that mean Li Lingyue has a chance to become the next Guardian?

This is too great a reward!

The Li Clan members were overjoyed.

When you left the capital, you took a distant look at Li Lingyue.

She was only ten years old, full of youthful energy—a daughter of the imperial clan, still unaware of what sorrow meant.

As she played, Li Lingyue seemed to sense something. She paused, turned, and glanced toward the spot where you had just stood.

But no one was there. You had already departed.