The Protagonists' Chat Group: Beyond the Boundaries — Chapter 357

Chapter 357: Shi Jian Achieves Immortal Ascension, Chat Group Upgrades

After the surprisingly jovial barbecue gathering concluded, the members scattered back to their duties or cultivation.

Shi Jian, however, once again entered deep seclusion. He chose a silent, desolate corner of the universe, far from any inhabited star domain, filled only with the shattered remains of long-dead stars – dim, cold, and utterly empty. Here, he aimed to break through the final barrier: the True Immortal Realm.

[Inorin’s Note: The ‘True Immortal Realm’ (Zhēn Xiān Jìng) is the first realm of immortality in Perfect World, signifying transcendence beyond the limitations of mortal life and time.]

Shi Jian sat cross-legged amidst the cosmic graveyard, his presence a silent disturbance in the eons-old stillness. He began to cultivate, absorbing the faint, residual Qi from all directions. Infinite starlight, traveling across unimaginable distances, surged from afar, drawn by his immense gravity, entering his physical body like rivers flowing into an ocean.

Using the refined Qi of several slain Immortal Kings as his primary energy source, Shi Jian began his final attempt at breakthrough.

He slowly refined the potent Immortal King’s Qi while simultaneously immersing his consciousness in relentless battles within the Heavens’ Projection function of the chat group.

He sought enlightenment between life and death, comprehending the Dao amidst endless, bloody battles against projections of legendary figures.

He slowly underwent a painstaking process of accumulation and transformation, pushing his limits, breaking them, and rebuilding himself stronger each time.

With the Immortal Dao Law of this era being fundamentally incomplete, achieving Immortal Ascension under such circumstances required far more than just accumulating energy. It demanded profound combat experience and an unyielding comprehension of the Dao, strong enough to forge one’s own path where the universal path was broken.

Shi Jian spent almost every waking moment immersed in the Heavens’ Projection during this period.

He continuously fought, surviving hundreds of near-fatal battles, remaining undefeated through tens of thousands more, often fighting until his energy was completely, utterly depleted, his virtual body shattered countless times.

Only after almost completely exhausting himself, pushing his spirit to the brink of collapse, would he return his consciousness to reality. There, he would refine the potent Immortal King’s Qi to rapidly recover, his physical body growing stronger with each cycle.

Then, without pause, he would immediately re-enter the Heavens’ Projection to continue the brutal cycle of fighting and comprehension.

This was a terrifyingly brutal cultivation method, bordering on self-destruction.

Everything was for the sake of that final leap, soaring upwards. Shi Jian aimed to cross this insurmountable chasm, the broken Dao of the era, through this hell-like tempering.

Under circumstances where the Immortal Dao Law was incomplete and hostile to new Immortals… he sought a heaven-defying Immortal Ascension.

Tens of thousands of times, he teetered on the brink of true death within the projections, experiences almost equivalent to actually dying. This became his routine, every year, every month, without cease.

Shi Jian comprehended the Dao amidst the most terrifying confrontations, engaging in frantic, life-or-death battles against projections, against himself, against the limitations of the broken world.

Only one or two years passed in the real world outside his secluded star domain.

But within the time-anchored dimension of the Heavens’ Projection, he spent nearly a hundred subjective years in constant, high-intensity combat and cultivation.

To take this final, impossible step, the time he spent felt almost equivalent to all his previous cultivation years combined.

The crippling disadvantage of the incomplete Immortal Dao Law in this world became starkly apparent during this final push. With the Immortal Dao Law fundamentally broken, Shi Jian could never truly touch that final barrier in the conventional sense. The path was simply not there.

All he could do… was to constantly become stronger, and stronger, and stronger.

Strong enough to bypass the path entirely. Strong enough to not require the recognition of the incomplete Immortal Dao Law. Strong enough to force his way through.

Finally…

After a hundred subjective years of intense battles, after refining the essence of numerous Immortal Kings, Shi Jian completed his ninth and final transformation.

He took the most crucial step.

“Boom!”

A monstrous, indescribable light surged from the desolate depths of the universe, causing all surrounding star domains, even those light-years away, to dim in comparison.

“What… what is that?!”

Across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, many were shocked. Ancient beings slumbering in various Forbidden Lands were abruptly awakened, their powerful wills opening spectral eyes to gaze towards the distant, brightly lit star domain.

“The Light of Immortal Ascension! Illuminating past and present!”

“Someone… someone has achieved Immortal Ascension in this Age of Dharma Decline!”

[Inorin’s Note: The ‘Age of Dharma Decline’ (Mò Fǎ Shídài) is a common concept in cultivation settings, referring to an era where the laws of the world are damaged or incomplete, making cultivation, especially to higher realms like immortality, incredibly difficult or impossible.]

Countless hidden experts watched this scene with extreme solemnity and disbelief.

The Immortal Dao Law was incomplete. Yet, someone could actually achieve Immortal Ascension under such hostile circumstances?

Some people, particularly those within Emperor Pass and Original Emperor City, had already guessed the identity of this heaven-defying achiever.

At this moment, in this entire era, the only one truly capable of taking this impossible step… was Shi Jian.

Even before achieving Immortal Ascension, he possessed terrifying Immortal King-level combat power.

Now that he had truly achieved Immortal Ascension… how terrifying would his strength become?

The Light of Immortal Ascension illuminated the universe, seeming to mend the broken laws momentarily. In an instant, countless shimmering light particles scattered from the source, like seeds of hope, heading towards the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, bringing subtle nourishment to the damaged world.

This was the Age of Dharma Decline. Achieving Immortal Ascension now was an unimaginable feat!

Achieving Immortal Ascension in a place where it was merely difficult to do so, and achieving Immortal Ascension in a place where it was deemed impossible, were completely different concepts in terms of foundation and potential power.

At this very moment, celestial phenomena bloomed across the Nine Heavens. Sweet, spiritual dew descended from the empty sky, divine springs gushed from the barren earth, and countless golden lotuses materialized and bloomed in the void.

The various auspicious phenomena were indescribable; the entire world felt sacred, cleansed.

People of all races were utterly shocked, looking up at the sky in awe.

This was a first in recorded history. Someone achieving Immortal Ascension in the Age of Dharma Decline—how incredibly difficult must that have been? It broke all common sense, shattered all known limitations.

However, when they thought about who had achieved Immortal Ascension, they didn’t feel quite so shocked anymore.

Compared to achieving Immortal Ascension in the Age of Dharma Decline… suppressing actual Immortal Kings without even achieving Immortal Ascension seemed even more exaggerated. For Shi Jian, perhaps the impossible was just another Tuesday.

“Brother…”

In Original Emperor City, Shi Hao gazed into the depths of the universe, watching the distant light. His eyes gradually became resolute, burning with his own ambition.

He was not far from Immortal Ascension either.

After the climactic battle at Emperor Pass, the drop of quasi-Immortal Emperor Blood within his physical body had dissipated, but that drop of blood had left him with a portion of its residual power, a seed of transcendence.

That was true Immortal King-level power, sharing the same origin as him. With the support of that power, and his own heaven-defying talent, he too would soon be able to achieve True Immortal status.

“I will also achieve Immortal Ascension very soon…”

Feeling the terrifying thunder light beginning to emanate from the distant star domain, Shi Hao slowly closed his eyes.

That was Chaos thunder light, the tribulation lightning. It was extremely terrifying, causing even him to feel palpitations and dread from such an immense distance.

However, Shi Hao did not think for a moment that this thunder light could cause much trouble for Shi Jian.

…

“Immortal Ascension… in just over a hundred years!”

Shi Wang stood on the walls of Original Emperor City, looking into the depths of the universe, his ancient eyes filled with complex emotions.

Achieving Immortal Ascension in roughly a hundred years of cultivation… This truly opened his eyes, shattering his understanding of cultivation speed.

“After this kid achieves Immortal Ascension… his strength will probably completely surpass mine, right?” Shi Wang felt a little melancholic, a feeling unfamiliar to an Immortal King.

The current Shi Jian’s combat power was already so terrifying before achieving Immortal Ascension. What would happen once he truly became an Immortal? He would probably leave him, an ancient King, far behind in the dust.

Thinking back to the scene at Emperor Pass that day, Shi Jian casually summoning multiple spears after An Lan broke one…

Shi Wang’s expression froze. “Wait… It seems that even without achieving Immortal Ascension, his strength already surpassed mine back then…” The melancholy deepened.

…

Some cheered for the rise of a new hope.

Some grieved for the potential end of their own eras.

The people on the foreign land’s side felt the commotion here even across the barrier of the Heavenly Abyss. They were completely silent, an oppressive gloom falling over their realm.

“Could this generation… truly be our great calamity?” Kun Di murmured, looking at the distant Light of Immortal Ascension, then feeling the subtle, unbreakable seal that Li Qiye had placed upon him.

A look of profound confusion and despair appeared in his ancient eyes. He truly saw no hope at all.

He couldn’t even defeat them to begin with. Now, the other side was progressing at an impossible rate, while his own strength was locked, stagnant. The gap would only continue to widen.

…

World-shaking thunder light descended upon Shi Jian’s location, bolts of pure Chaos energy capable of erasing Immortals. But Shi Jian’s expression was incredibly calm.

This was his Immortal Ascension Heavenly Tribulation.

His tribulation was very unusual. Forget a True Immortal’s Heavenly Tribulation; his Immortal Ascension Heavenly Tribulation was probably even more terrifying than an Immortal King’s Immortal Tribulation.

However, he was not afraid. After all, the current him was arguably stronger than an ordinary Immortal King.

Billions of rays of thunder light descended. The familiar, terrifying phantom of the Immortal Slaying Saber appeared once again within the tribulation clouds, aiming to sever his newly formed Immortal Dao foundation.

But Shi Jian was fearless.

The Five Emperors’ Canopy, the Dominator Domain, and the Divine Robe of the Gods—various defensive Divine Abilities were unleashed, forming impenetrable layers. Endless Divine Light fell upon him like a waterfall.

Wherever the chaotic thunder light passed, all things were annihilated. However, after striking his layers of defense, it simply dissipated into nothingness.

The Dominator Domain glowed brightly. Every time a bolt of Divine Thunder descended, it was caught, analyzed, and refined by the Dominator Domain into pure energy!

The descending Divine Thunder wasn’t even a threat; it served only to temper his physical body further.

This was not a trial for him. It was a benefit, a final tempering.

Shi Jian was simply too strong. The Heavenly Tribulation could not harm him.

A roaring sound emanated from within his physical body as he absorbed the last of the tribulation’s power. He successfully underwent the tribulation, transforming completely into an Immortal Dao expert.

Nine Transformations into Immortality – after completing the ninth transformation and surviving the tribulation, his current strength was unimaginably powerful, capable of sweeping away all enemies in the world, possessing unfathomable Divine Might.

“Finally… Immortal Ascension!”

Shi Jian spoke softly, his voice echoing across the star domain. He washed away the last traces of mortal Qi. His body glowed with an internal radiance. Immortal Qi suffused the air around him. He possessed unfathomable combat power.

His physical body was flawless, without impurity. His Primordial Spirit was indestructible, merged with the Great Dao. His magical power flowed endlessly, regenerating faster than it could be spent.

In this Age of Dharma Decline, he had successfully achieved the Immortal Dao Fruit against all odds.

For this day, he had waited too long.

…

“To attain the Immortal Position in an era where Immortal Ascension is impossible… how strong must his power be now? He must surely far surpass other True Immortals!” A voice filled with emotion came from one of the deepest Forbidden Lands.

Countless hidden experts once again deeply remembered Shi Jian’s name.

He had contended with Immortal Kings before achieving Immortal Ascension. Now that he had achieved Immortal Ascension… his strength was even more terrifying, perhaps truly reaching the level of a King.

Countless ancient beings listed him as an unprovokable, peerless figure.

Shi Jian became a True Immortal, standing proudly among the heroes of his generation. From then on, he no longer had to worry about the erosion of time and could live eternally between heaven and earth.

Henceforth, he alone would probably be the taboo, the legend, of this entire epoch.

Looking across the Heavens, who could compare to him?

Starlight was brilliant around him, and auspicious light radiated in billions of rays. Shi Jian broke through the Dao and achieved Immortal Ascension amidst countless divine lights.

He emerged from his seclusion and returned to Emperor Pass.

“Achieved Immortal Ascension?” Shi Wang scrutinized Shi Jian from head to toe upon his return. The terrifying Immortal Ascension Heavenly Tribulation just now had made even him, an established Immortal King, apprehensive.

Shi Wang estimated that if he were to undergo such a tribulation now, he would probably also lose a layer of skin, suffering significant injuries.

However, looking at Shi Jian now, his tribulation seemed to have been… remarkably easy.

Shi Jian nodded calmly. “Indeed. Immortal Ascension.” He displayed a minuscule fraction of his current aura.

Shi Wang felt the overwhelming pressure and took an involuntary step back. “A breakthrough is good! Very good!”

He added with emotion, “Just now, the Great Bloodline Technique fed back a terrifying power to me… I can’t even imagine how strong your True Immortal Realm truly is!”

Through the feedback of the Great Bloodline Technique, he already knew Shi Jian had made a breakthrough. With the technique, after Shi Jian’s breakthrough, Shi Wang’s own cultivation also improved significantly, consolidating his recovered realm.

The feedback from Shi Jian’s breakthrough to the True Immortal Realm could allow him, an Immortal King, to advance further. It was enough to imagine how incredibly high the ‘value’ and ‘quality’ of Shi Jian’s True Immortal Realm truly was.

“The title ‘Shi King’ of the Shi Clan has always been held by the strongest person in the clan,” Shi Wang continued with emotion, looking at Shi Jian with pride and a hint of resignation. “The current you are far more qualified than I am to hold this title.”

Shi Jian listened to his words and shook his head firmly. “No, Old Ancestor. Your title of Shi King is not just a symbol of strength, but also a manifestation of responsibility. Someone who single-handedly blocked the foreign land for an entire epoch… you are the one truly suited for this title.”

“Although we may end up doing similar things, I am not inherently someone who sacrifices himself solely for others.”

He added with a slight smirk, “And frankly… your title doesn’t sound very good either.”

Shi Wang raised an eyebrow, also starting to joke after hearing Shi Jian say that. “Is it worse than your childhood title of ‘Ba Ba’?”

“And also ‘Unrestrained’?”

Shi Jian was speechless upon hearing this retort. Can a joking childhood nickname really be compared to a formal title like ‘Shi King’?

He quickly changed the subject. “What is the current situation in the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands?”

“There hasn’t been much movement from the foreign land’s side currently, after their defeat,” Shi Wang replied, his expression turning serious again. “However, traces of dark matter have appeared in various parts of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. The true dark turmoil is probably about to arrive.”

“The Immortal Domain side is probably also about to emerge fully. I also received some fragmented news… that there are disturbances in the Boundary Sea.”

[Inorin’s Note: The ‘Boundary Sea’ (Jiè Hǎi) is a chaotic, dangerous region beyond the Nine Heavens, filled with broken worlds and terrifying creatures, where many ancient experts went.]

Shi Jian nodded upon hearing this, his expression turning grave. “Immortal Domain and the foreign land are minor matters in the grand scheme. The Boundary Sea side… that is the real trouble. The experts hidden in that place are all unimaginable, heaven-defying beings who have survived from the long river of history. If true turmoil occurs in the Boundary Sea and they return… that will be the true great catastrophe.”

“It seems I still need to continue improving my cultivation,” Shi Jian concluded.

Shi Jian and Shi Wang discussed some other issues concerning the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, sharing intelligence and making plans.

Then, Shi Jian went to see Shi Hao, sharing all his breakthrough insights and experiences regarding Immortal Ascension with his younger brother.

After a hundred subjective years of hellish tempering, Shi Jian finally had some rare free time. He lived a rare period of relative leisure within Original Emperor City.

During this time, Liu Shen also brought the people from Stone Village in the Lower Realm up to the Nine Heavens. Before heading fully to the Nine Heavens, a part of Liu Shen’s roots had remained in the Lower Realm to protect Stone Village.

Shi Jian and Shi Hao had long wanted to bring the people of Stone Village up. However, they had leveled up too quickly, and the situation had always been too unstable. They never had the time or the security.

Moreover, the constant threat from the foreign land hung over their heads. Bringing the relatively weak people of Stone Village up would only cause them unnecessary worry and danger.

But now it was different. Now, with Shi Jian and Shi Wang providing overwhelming power, bringing the people of Stone Village up was purely for their enjoyment and safety.

The people of Stone Village were stunned when they arrived in the vibrant, spirit-rich environment of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, within the protected Original Emperor City.

With the abundant resources Shi Jian had left behind years ago and Liu Shen’s careful guidance, the Old Village Chief Shi Yunfeng and the rest of the Stone Village people had all made great strides in their cultivation. Almost all the adults had become Array Formation Venerable-level existences, powerful figures in their own right compared to the standards of the Lower Realm.

When Shi Jian and Shi Hao had left the village all those years ago, it felt like a final farewell. Knowing that a large number of powerful enemies were targeting the Shi Clan in the Upper Realm, the people of Stone Village were extremely worried when sending the two children off.

But now, nearly a hundred years later, these two “children” had not only pacified the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands but had also almost completely pacified the foreign land.

This rapid, unbelievable progression was a bit beyond the comprehension of the simple Stone Village people.

Upon learning that the people of Stone Village had arrived, Shi Hao specifically came out of his own seclusion to meet Grandpa Chief and the others.

The Stones (Dazhuang, Ermeng), Pihou, and others, who used to run around naked with him as children, now even had grandchildren of their own.

Even more heaven-defyingly… his own parents, Shi Ziling and Qin Yining, had given birth to… a sister!

Shi Hao was completely stunned when he saw the delicate little girl, barely a toddler, clinging to his mother’s leg. It was said that she was born after a pregnancy lasting several decades, nurtured by immense resources.

At an age when his childhood friends were already grandfathers, Shi Hao barely became an older brother.

With family reunited, Emperor Pass and Original Emperor City were once again filled with a lively, hopeful atmosphere.

After several peaceful years passed like this…

The Heavens’ Chat Group… finally…

Upgraded!

[Chat Group upgrade successful. Please select the Chat Group Owner as soon as possible!]

Shi Jian’s eyes lit up as he saw the message flash across the chat group interface.

Even before the climactic war with the foreign land, the members of the group had already met the cumulative requirements for the chat group’s upgrade.

It was just that, for some unknown reason, previous chat group upgrades had always been completed relatively quickly, often within a year.

But this time’s chat group upgrade had inexplicably lasted for several decades.

And it had only now been completely upgraded.

【Xiao Yan: “Finally! An upgrade that took decades! I really want to see what’s so special about it this time…”】

【Shi Hao: “This upgrade feels… very unusual. The delay was strange.”】

【Lin Dong: “No kidding. Previous upgrades only took maybe a year. This one took almost a hundred years!”】

【Meng Qi: “Interesting. Before, it was just selecting group administrators. Now it’s selecting the group owner. The difference between a group owner and a group administrator should be huge, right?”】

【Lin Feng: “Indeed. Increased authority, perhaps new functions exclusive to the owner?”】

【Xu Que: “Ahem! Humble as I am, modest as I appear, I feel I, Xu Que of the Exploding Heavens Faction, can reluctantly take on the heavy burden and responsibility of being the group owner…”】

【Li Changshou: “I think you didn’t get enough beatings last time, Xu Que. If you were the group owner, would this chat group even be usable? Who knows what kind of chaotic mess you’d make of the chat group…”】

【Xu Que: “Slander! Pure slander! You are slandering me! How could I, a pillar of righteousness and stability, cause chaos?”】

【Yang Qi: “There’s no need to fight over this group owner position. Let’s continue to vote for Shi Jian. He has made indispensable contributions to the chat group’s development and our strength until now.”】

【Shi Hao: “If Big Brother becomes the group owner, I have no objections.”】

【Xiao Yan: “I agree with Shi Jian being the leader. He’s got the cheat sheet, after all.”】

【Lin Dong: “+1 for Shi Jian.”】

【Fang Han: “Logical choice.”】

【Xu Que: “Nepotism! Blatant nepotism! You’re choosing the group owner without even giving others a chance to campaign! How unfair… Although, admittedly, Shi Jian is handsome and charismatic, and clearly the most suitable person to be the group owner…”】

Seeing that he had absolutely no hope of becoming the group owner, Xu Que immediately switched tracks and started flattering Shi Jian shamelessly.

Everyone was already completely used to his erratic behavior.

After some brief discussion, everyone quickly reached a unanimous decision. To let Shi Jian be the group owner.

After the formal voting process concluded…

[Shi Jian has been elected as the Chat Group Owner.]

Shi Jian successfully became the group owner.

[You have been promoted to Chat Group Owner. Permissions are being enabled!]

[Ding! You have joined the Heavens’ Channel.]

[Ding! Chat Group member invitation permission enabled!]