Despair on the Cultivation Path

The phantom was dumbfounded. The Sole Palace coming to see him? What was he thinking? The Sole Palace had no self-awareness and sat high upon the Seventh Heaven. Ordinary living beings avoided it like the plague, dreading being assimilated into variant spirits by it. Yet this man actually expected the Sole Palace to come to him. "This is beyond my power as well," the phantom said, shaking his head. "Is there a deep connection between this Immortal Palace and the Sole Palace?" Qi Yuan asked. "If I destroy this Immortal Palace, would the Sole Palace be willing to meet me?" The Sole Palace was an existence at the fourth tier of the Yang God realm, devoid of self-awareness, just like Heitian. Yet since Taihuang Palace had managed to establish a connection with the Sole Palace and oversee the Linya Molt, it meant there might be beings within the Sole Palace akin to Heitian and Heitu. The phantom fell silent, at a loss for how to respond. After pondering for a long while, he finally said, "The Immortal Palace is a Realm Lord curious treasure. Ordinary people... could hardly destroy it." "How would we know without trying?" Qi Yuan gave an enigmatic smile. The Immortal Palace was indeed a Realm Lord curious treasure, but merely an ordinary one, far inferior to the Mankind-Kindled Light forged from primordial cosmic rules. He extended a single finger and pointed toward the sky. "Get... pregnant!" A chaotic aura unfurled. The aura radiating from Qi Yuan turned bizarre and inexplicable. The phantom's eyes widened, utterly bewildered. What in the world was this Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns doing? And pregnant? What was that supposed to mean? As a being clinging to the spirit of the Immortal Palace, the phantom suddenly clutched his stomach. "What did you do to me?" He stared at Qi Yuan, a horrifying thought dawning in his mind. "I suddenly felt that destruction isn't as good as creation, so... let's try making the Immortal Palace pregnant. Once the Immortal Palace is pregnant, the Sole Palace, as its parent, will have to come out and take a look, right? After all, no betrothal gifts have been offered, and no banquet has been hosted yet," Qi Yuan said in all seriousness. The phantom was on the verge of tears. "Madman! You're a lunatic!" He couldn't fathom what his being pregnant had to do with whether the Sole Palace would meet Qi Yuan. Of course, it was only natural that his train of thought could never keep up with Qi Yuan's. "Don't be like this! I'm a grown man... I don't want to be pregnant!" "What's wrong with being pregnant? I have a friend who can even lay eggs! Don't tell me you're discriminating against him? Keep this up and watch out, he won't let you eat the eggs he lays!" "No, it's just... why would the Sole Palace meet you over this!" Clutching his stomach, the phantom was baffled. Right then, Qi Yuan looked up at the sky, amusement twinkling in his eyes. "Looks like the Sole Palace cares about you after all. Look, hasn't it arrived?" The moment Qi Yuan's voice fell, the phantom froze as an extraordinary aura descended upon him. "Rules, all things, Heaven-Opening... strength of this caliber is enough to awaken me and grant you an audience." The phantom's own cultivation was weak, so he had failed to realize that Qi Yuan's strike had demonstrated the power of the Heaven-Opening Realm. Yet that single display was enough to awaken this presence and draw him down into the phantom's form. "To think that after so many years, someone within this Immortal Realm could still break through the limits and reach the Heaven-Opening Realm," the new phantom remarked with deep emotion. Ever since the future was severed by the sword, the ceiling of the Immortal Realm had been capped at the second tier of the Yang God realm. To step into a higher realm, one had to open up the Immortal Realm's Seventh Heaven. Yet exceptions always existed in this world. He had seen many such anomalies. Even so, he had never encountered one who reached the Heaven-Opening Realm. Moreover... the man seemed to be in the Heaven-Opening Realm, yet at the same time did not. To attain the Heaven-Opening Realm, one had to merge with the Will of the Immortal Dao and master the rules of myriad daos. Yet this man's Dao did not appear to be the Will of the Immortal Dao. Only a visitor from the outside world could explain this. A Heaven-Opening powerhouse from beyond stepping into the cage of the Immortal Realm was a matter that filled him with boundless wonder. "Who are you?" Qi Yuan asked. "Sword Guardian Wuming of the Sole Palace," Wuming replied. "Hey, what's the deal with your Sole Palace?" Qi Yuan questioned bluntly. "Helping Taihuang Palace and targeting me, aren't you?" Sword Guardian Wuming looked dazed for a moment before a vast flood of information surged into his mind. A smile touched his eyes. "The one from Taihuang Palace was merely lucky, barely obtaining a Sole Token, which allowed him to govern the Linya Molt," Wuming answered. He had remained asleep all this time. Had he not sensed Qi Yuan's aura, he would never have awakened. After all, every being capable of breaking the realm's limits was worthy of winning over. Wuming added, "You and I are not enemies." "Can the Linya Molt be brought to an end? The atmosphere in this cultivation world is already bad enough as it is. Adding a Linya Molt with all this fighting and killing is just awful." As a lawful good individual overflowing with righteousness, Qi Yuan had always paid close attention to the moral climate of the cultivation world. "The beginning and end of the Linya Molt... is not for me to decide. It was decreed by my revered master," Sword Guardian Wuming said. "You have a master?" "Yes... he is the Sole Palace," Sword Guardian Wuming said, his voice laced with profound reverence. "Perhaps you know him by another name." Sword Guardian Wuming looked at Qi Yuan and said slowly, "Mingzun." "Mingzun, the one who severed the future with a sword?" Qi Yuan asked in surprise. Back at the Ultimate Principle Society, Qi Yuan had inquired about many things. According to the Society, the Immortal Realm had originally possessed Nine Heavens. Back then, an extraordinarily brilliant powerhouse named Mingzun had emerged, severing the Immortal Realm's future with a single sword strike. Qi Yuan had been quite astonished at the time. To sever the future with a single strike—just how powerful was that? Even Qi Yuan would find it exceedingly difficult to accomplish such a feat now. Mingzun had severed the future with his sword, and ever since, the Immortal Realm had lacked Nine Heavens. "Why did Mingzun sever the future?" Qi Yuan asked. This was another question lingering in his mind. Most other universes possessed a future. As far as Qi Yuan knew, only the Immortal Realm and the world where the Mother of Abstinence once resided lacked one. "You already know the path of the fourth tier of the Yang God realm. Do you know... the path of the fifth tier?" Sword Guardian Wuming asked. "The fifth tier is Dao Lord, the lord of a Dao," Qi Yuan replied. The path of the fourth tier stripped one of their true spirit, turning them into something incomprehensible. Even if there were a one-in-ten-thousand chance of revival, the one who revived would be a newly born being. Because the moment one stepped into the fourth tier, their true spirit was obliterated. Qi Yuan had no desire to walk this path. Skipping the fourth tier to step directly into the fifth tier was the road Qi Yuan was currently exploring. If it proved feasible, he could adapt and draw inspiration from it for his own Yang God path. "The end of the Yang God realm is indeed the fifth tier—the lord of a Dao." At the mention of this, Sword Guardian Wuming's expression filled with awe. "The universe may perish, but a Dao Lord does not. In a single thought, the creation, destruction, and reincarnation of the cosmos are held within their grasp. That is what it means to be a Dao Lord." Qi Yuan listened quietly. He knew just how powerful a Dao Lord was. One could say that a Dao Lord stood at the pinnacle, the supreme sovereign of the present era. They could draw together timelines and pull the true spirit of anyone they wished to revive straight from the Cosmic Mother River. Once a Dao Lord emerged within a given Dao, a second Dao Lord could never appear in it. Within their domain, a Dao Lord was invincible, completely unassailable. "A Dao Lord is formidable, but did you know that the day a Dao Lord attains the Dao is also known as the Day of Recurrence?" Sword Guardian Wuming's voice turned desolate. Qi Yuan listened in silence. The Day of Recurrence? The term evoked unsettling associations. "A Dao Lord possesses endless lifespan, enough to control the life and death of living beings across an entire universe, or even multiple universes. "Within their domain, they are invincible. "However..." Sword Guardian Wuming paused, his eyes bleak and sorrowful. "Once a Dao Lord attains the Dao, time within their domain reaches its conclusion at that very moment, and then... begins... an infinite recurrence. "The day the Dao is attained is also the day the recurrence begins. Everything in the world... is permanently frozen in place!" Sword Guardian Wuming's expression turned slightly twisted. This meant that in a world where a Dao Lord attained the Dao, time reached its final destination and would advance no further. Time would enter a loop, cycling endlessly from origin to the day of attainment. Within that span, minor variations or changes might occur due to the Dao Lord's intervention. Yet... everything had a fixed end. When time marched back to the day the Dao Lord attained the Dao, the next cycle would begin anew. If two people agreed to meet on a date after the attainment, they might set out to meet each other every single time, yet they would never, ever cross paths. "To think the end of the cultivation path is like this—how ridiculous, how utterly laughable!" Sword Guardian Wuming's face was fraught with indignation. Such a Dao Lord was indeed magnificent and matchless. One could even say the life and death of every living creature rested in their hands. Perhaps many were willing to become such a Dao Lord. Yet there were also cultivators who refused to accept such an existence. Qi Yuan also fell silent. "So this is the end of the cultivation path." He imagined the perspective of someone before attaining the Dao. Without becoming a Dao Lord, there would be no Cosmic Mother River. Dear friends who had fallen in ancient battles or family members who had grown old could never be revived. One could only watch helplessly as the companions and loved ones at their side aged, their divine hearts shattered, and they perished. Lonely and desolate. Yet upon becoming a Dao Lord, everything was frozen. A child who could never grow up, a tree that could never bloom, a river that could never reach the sea... "Is it not full of despair?" Sword Guardian Wuming asked, sighing. "Indeed... It might be fine for the Dao Lord, but for everyone else... it is sheer despair." "There was once a Dao Lord in the Immortal Realm," Sword Guardian Wuming suddenly revealed another chilling truth. "There was a Dao Lord in the Immortal Realm?" Even Qi Yuan felt a tremor of shock. If the Immortal Realm had a Dao Lord, did that mean time would inevitably march toward the day that Dao Lord attained the Dao, only to cycle endlessly? "Do not worry. That Dao Lord... ceased to exist long ago," Sword Guardian Wuming said. These words landed like a bolt from the blue. It sounded as if an invincible Dao Lord of the present era had fallen. "Though the Dao Lord is gone, the world still marches toward the future, bound to initiate the next cycle. "My master, Mingzun, strayed into the Immortal Realm by accident and could not bear to witness this. "Thus, he chose to step into the fourth tier of the Yang God realm. At the very instant he crossed that threshold, he underwent a supreme sublimation and severed the Immortal Realm's future with his sword." At this point, Sword Guardian Wuming wore a look of profound reverence. "From then on, the Immortal Realm had no future and could see no future. No Yang God could ever manifest a future body again." "Mingzun was truly incredible," Qi Yuan said with genuine admiration. "Coming from the outside world, yet willing to sacrifice his own true spirit just to sever the Immortal Realm's future." It was clear that Mingzun had reached the absolute peak of the Heaven-Opening Realm. He might even have had the chance to bypass the fourth tier and step directly into the fifth. Yet he chose to enter the fourth tier, undergoing supreme sublimation in that fleeting moment to cut off the Immortal Realm's future. "The Linya Molt... rebuilding the Nine Heavens of the Immortal Realm means reshaping its future," Sword Guardian Wuming said. "Do you know of the variant Dao fruit?" the guardian asked next. "I've heard of it, though I've never seen one." Ancestor Ziyuan had been injured by a variant Dao fruit. "As the saying goes, when a whale falls, myriad creatures thrive. The variant Dao fruits are the manifestations of the rules comprehended by that fallen Dao Lord." "How did that Dao Lord... die?" Qi Yuan asked, deeply curious. By all rights, a Dao Lord was the pinnacle of cultivation. Such a being should have been unkillable. Sword Guardian Wuming shook his head. "I do not know either. Perhaps... only Master knew." Qi Yuan pondered this. Generally speaking, a Yang God's lifespan was virtually limitless, but boundless lifespan did not guarantee eternal life. Even if a world perished, a Yang God endured. Yet when an era ended, all things withered, and the cosmos collapsed, none but a Realm Lord—who could hide within the cosmic rules—could survive; all other Yang Gods would perish. Even after becoming a Realm Lord and transcending the universe, one might still die from the collapse of their rules after living too long, say, through trillions of epochs. "Cultivation is just too hard. Even if I'm currently a Yin God with boundless lifespan, who's to say I won't die after witnessing trillions of cosmic destructions? "Reaching the fourth tier of the Yang God realm means immediate death; the fifth tier is just as hopeless. "Cultivating this immortality is making me depressed." Qi Yuan was speaking from the heart. Reflecting on Sword Guardian Wuming's words, he couldn't help but fret over the distant future. What was to be done about tomorrow? Cultivating immortality was far too difficult! Sword Guardian Wuming fell silent for a moment. As expected, everyone who lived too long had something wrong with their head. This Supreme Venerable Ten Thousand Suns was probably another old monster who had witnessed thousands of cosmic collapses and had lost his marbles. Nonetheless, he spoke slowly, "Since you possess the strength of a Realm Lord, this Mingzun Token belongs to you." Sword Guardian Wuming handed a Mingzun Token to Qi Yuan. "Master stepped into the fourth tier of the Yang God realm and transformed into the Sole Palace. "Having endured endless eons of time, the Sole Palace is nearing the final stage of the fourth tier, turning into a curious treasure. "Master once said that if he became a curious treasure, it would not be a bad thing for someone of later generations to wield him. "However, he hoped that the future bearer could take the Sole Palace to the Ninth Heaven of the Immortal Realm and seal the Dao fruit of the Immortal Realm's Dao Lord. "Otherwise, if the Dao fruit leaks entirely, the Immortal Dao may cease to exist in this world. "Including this one, I have given out seven Mingzun Tokens in total. I hope that in the future, you will have the chance to wield the Sole Palace." Sword Guardian Wuming shared many more details. Qi Yuan accepted the Mingzun Token. "It just so happens that my home is missing a house. The Sole Palace looks quite suitable." Sword Guardian Wuming said nothing. The other six who possessed a Mingzun Token were all more or less mentally deranged as well. "Right... I have one more question. Why does one die upon leaving the Immortal Realm?" Qi Yuan recalled the ancestor of the Black Demon Abyss and the various rumors. Any creature that departed the Immortal Realm would perish instantly. Sword Guardian Wuming shook his head. "I cannot answer this question either." "It seems there are still many unknowns about the Immortal Realm that I have yet to grasp. Alas, cultivating immortality is just too difficult," Qi Yuan sighed. ... Qishan Market. Shen Wushen wore a puzzled expression. "Strange. For several days in a row, not a single streak of flowing light has flown out." He had promised to help Lian Mei gather enough flowing lights to step into the late Purple Mansion realm. Yet during this period, no light had emerged at all. How could he not be surprised? "Could it... be related to the upheaval in the Immortal Palace?" Lian Mei guessed. Not long ago, right after they parted ways with Shen Wushen's friend, an inexplicable powerhouse had suddenly appeared and forced open the Immortal Palace. Afterward, several Yang God powerhouses had flown out of the Immortal Palace. At that time, Qishan Market had been lively for a while. However, those Yang Gods had not lingered, departing one after another. Only then had Qishan Market quieted down. Yet now, after so many days without another streak of flowing light, the Purple Mansion cultivators gathered here were growing disappointed and anxious. "Perhaps," Shen Wushen said. Right then, a sorrowful voice drifted over. Woven into the sorrow was a faint hint of despair. "Cultivating immortality is so hard! Shen Wushen, drink ten jin of wine with me! I need to drown my sorrows!" As the words fell, the handsome Qi Yuan appeared. Now, however, his face was weighed down with gloom, looking anything but cheerful. Shen Wushen said, "Brother Qi, don't you never drink?" Qi Yuan paused. "Alas, my excessive grief made me forget. How about this: I'll substitute juice for wine and drink with you." As Qi Yuan spoke, a bottle of juice appeared in his hand, and he downed it in a single gulp. Beside him, Shen Wushen also tipped wine into his own mouth. "Why is Fellow Daoist so heartbroken?" Lian Mei asked curiously. The earlier Qi Yuan had been lively and unpredictable, very different from the way he appeared now. "Cultivation is too hard; despair lurks around every corner. "Even if I cultivate to the fifth tier of the Yang God realm, what awaits me is still despair. "If I don't reach the fifth tier, I might die. Even if my loved ones reach the third tier with my help, they might still perish when the rules collapse one day. "And those who don't work hard at cultivation might die at the second tier of the Yang God realm. "Full of worry... hard, hard, so very hard!" Qi Yuan said earnestly. After speaking at length with Sword Guardian Wuming, the more he understood the end of the cultivation path, the more despair he felt. "Sigh, look, I've worried so much that I've even grown white hair." As Qi Yuan spoke, he plucked a single white strand of hair. Of course, he had actually dyed this strand white just moments ago. It was solely to match his current mood and express his pain and worry. Though he fretted deeply about the future, his appetite was unfortunately still tremendous—he could easily devour several cows in a single sitting—and his hair remained pitch black. He had no choice but to dye one strand white. Beside him, the smile on Lian Mei's face froze as she listened. What had she just heard? The fifth tier of the Yang God realm? And something about the third tier? Was this human speech? Is this guy... sick in the head? Lian Mei was utterly speechless. It was as if someone back on Blue Star suddenly heard their Asian classmate fretting over all the troublesome burdens they would face once they became the President of the United States. Had Lian Mei been close with Qi Yuan, she would have slapped him across the face long ago. Shen Wushen, on the other hand, remained calm. Furrowing his brows, he comforted, "Brother Qi, there will always be a way." He knew Qi Yuan possessed terrifying strength. The worries Qi Yuan harbored might involve profound cosmic secrets. It was simply that his own cultivation was too weak to empathize. "Let's hope so. Alas, the Yang God realm is so hard. How does one even break through to it? "What kind of Yang God counts as a true Yang God?" Qi Yuan drank his slightly sweet juice, his face draped in melancholy. Beside him, Lian Mei rolled her eyes at Qi Yuan. Just a moment ago, he had been talking about breaking through to the fifth tier, and now he was wondering how to break through to the Yang God realm at all. Utterly deranged. "The hardships of life are like an unceasing great river; though it yearns to flow east into the sea..." Qi Yuan began plagiarizing poetry again. Given how heartbroken he was, the original author surely wouldn't blame him, right? And if they did... well, would there be any harm in killing someone to silence them while he was so sad? "In this life, everyone faces difficulties to some degree. It's only normal," Lian Mei said, unsure whether she was truly comforting Qi Yuan. "Sigh, you're right. If I destroy the world and kill everyone, wouldn't all these troubles vanish?" Qi Yuan muttered to himself. Lian Mei chuckled lightly. At that moment, Shen Wushen's expression tightened. "Brother Qi, don't think like that!" He was acutely aware of how terrifying Qi Yuan was. If Qi Yuan genuinely took a wrong turn and upended the Immortal Realm, the realm would truly face an unprecedented catastrophe. Right then, an arrogant voice rang out. "All your troubles stem from having too few spirit stones and too poor a background." A young master who looked every bit the spoiled playboy strolled over, his expression lofty and haughty. Seeing the newcomer, Lian Mei tensed. It was Young Master Qi Tan! In Qishan Market, the strongest faction was the Qi family. The Qi family had an ancestor who was a Yang God in Biluo Heaven. Backed by the Qi family, Young Master Qi Tan was tyrannical, domineering, lecherous, and base. Every Purple Mansion cultivator who visited Qishan Market knew to keep a wide berth from this spoiled dandy. At the sight of Young Master Qi Tan, Lian Mei instinctively covered her chest, her face pale with worry. Could this Young Master Qi Tan have taken an interest in her? Yet to her surprise, Young Master Qi Tan merely cast a disdainful glance in her direction, his face filled with disgust. "I've seen plenty of goods like you. You think this young master would look twice at you?" As he spoke, he stepped toward Qi Yuan, his eyes glowing. "Now this is a peerless beauty. A trace of melancholy between the brows, three parts drunken charm—it evokes such tenderness, a sight to melt any heart. "Little beauty, don't you have plenty of troubles on your mind? Come with Young Master Qi..." As Qi Tan spoke, he reached out toward Qi Yuan. Qi Yuan froze, an expression of profound disgust washing over his face. "Fuck your mother. What tier are you, and what tier am I? You dare try to hit on me?" Qi Yuan couldn't hold back a curse. How many years had it been? To think he would still encounter some lowlife picking a fight. Yet the moment the words left his mouth, Qi Yuan felt a twinge of regret. He cast a discreet glance around, relieved that Horned Sis wasn't present. Otherwise, she would definitely chime in: 'Don't you always preach that all people are equal? Why are you ranking people into tiers now?' Beside him, Qi Tan was equally stunned, not expecting the other party to react so violently. "Heh, I never thought someone in Qishan Market would dare speak to me like this!" Young Master Qi Tan oozed dominance, brimming with self-assurance. The Yin God guard at his side sized Qi Yuan up, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. "Hmph, posturing? Who doesn't know how to do that?" Qi Yuan said calmly. "From now on, this market is getting a new name. It shall be called... The Market Where Playboy Young Master Qi Tan Was Slain by Qi Yuan! "Consider it my gift to you—a chance to leave your name across eternity!" Back on Blue Star, Qi Yuan had watched countless dramas, along with stories of Dragon King matrilocal sons-in-law, Security Guard Great Emperors, and overbearing CEOs falling in love with menopausal ladies. When it came to posturing, he was an absolute master. Though showing off before a nobody was beneath him... well, all people were equal. Besides, he was currently distressed over the fifth tier of the Yang God realm. Slaying a lowlife would help restore moral order to the cultivation world. "How audacious!" Qi Tan raged. Beside them, Lian Mei looked anxious and worried, desperately racking her brain for a way out. The onlookers around them turned their attention to the scene, eager for a good show. "I..." "This..." These spectators prepared to whisper among themselves, lamenting the grim fate awaiting Qi Yuan. Suddenly, however, they discovered that they couldn't speak, nor could they send divine sense transmissions. They stood baffled, having no idea what was happening. Naturally, they didn't know that Qi Yuan simply couldn't be bothered to listen to the bystanders' mockery, so he had muted them all. Everyone looked thoroughly perplexed, some terrified, others staring blankly at Qi Yuan. "Look, who is this?" Qi Yuan reached out and made a casual scooping motion into the void. All at once, an old man tumbled out of thin air, his face filled with terror and bewilderment. He had clearly been deep in secluded cultivation when a colossal hand abruptly grabbed and hauled him away. "This is..." Qi Tan's eyes bulged, his expression frozen in sheer shock. This was... the Old Ancestor! He had seen statues of the Old Ancestor! Yet the Old Ancestor was a Yang God—how could he suddenly appear here? In the next instant, something that terrified him to his core unfolded. Slap! The handsome young man before him delivered a resounding slap straight across his ancestor's face. A bloody, bright red handprint bloomed across the Yang God ancestor's cheek. Qi Tan stood dumbfounded, gripped by sheer dread and terror. Qi Yuan remarked calmly, "Do you see that? Now that is what you call posturing!" Qi Tan seemed to grasp something. The moment the words fell, Qi Tan's body shattered into pieces. As for the Qi family's Yang God ancestor, he trembled violently, staring at Qi Yuan in utter terror, opening his mouth to speak but finding himself unable to utter a sound. Beside them, Lian Mei's eyes went wide, filled with disbelief. What just happened? Who am I? Where am I? The surrounding spectators remained muted, unable to make a sound, yet the shock in their eyes was unmistakable as they gasped repeatedly in their hearts. At this moment, Qi Yuan looked at the old man before him with a faint smile. "Renaming Qishan Market to... The Market Where Playboy Young Master Qi Tan Was Slain by Qi Yuan—how does that sound? Do you have any objections? If you do, feel free to speak up. I'm a very reasonable person." Qi Yuan had always been very reasonable; he just really liked throwing hands.