Chapter 260 : It Was Exactly as He Said
Chapter 260: It Was Exactly as He Said
At the same time, throughout every corner of the Northern Spirit Domain, as the cultivation method spread farther and farther, more and more people gained insight from it and successfully stepped onto the path of cultivation.
There were countless people like Zhang Yuande throughout the world.
After shattering illusion, they clarified their own hearts and saw the filth of those people.
In less than a month's time, sparks of fire ignited across every region.
As these people saw through the world's delusions, the power that had always belonged to them returned to their hands, and their gazes naturally fell upon those wealthy masters and cultivation families.
They also understood exactly what those people were doing.
Having awakened to the changes in the world and gained power, they naturally sought to completely shatter this world that turned people into ghosts.
Could it be that they were supposed to join them?
Become the same kind of people they were?
Inflict upon others everything that had once been inflicted upon themselves, while saying with righteous justification,
“This is for your own good. We all came through it ourselves.”
The path of cultivation had allowed them to see the light.
How could they stand by and watch that filth once again engulf reality?
They cultivated not to become another part of that mire after succeeding, dragging countless others down with them.
They cultivated in order to change everything— to understand principles, to comprehend their True Selves.
After seeing the light, they already had their answer.
They would absolutely never become people like them.
Their restraint during the early stages had merely been preparation for the explosion that would come afterward.
Once they possessed power, those landlords, wealthy masters, and local gentry scarcely managed to resist before being completely swept aside.
Only after those who had stepped onto the path of cultivation came knocking on their doors and hung them beneath the ceremonial archways in the streets did those wealthy masters finally understand something.
They finally realized why they themselves could never cultivate successfully.
This was precisely what Li Tianwei had been waiting for.
Only after reaching this stage could the path of cultivation truly spread throughout the entire Northern Spirit Domain.
“In that case...”
“Allow me to give you one final push.”
Through his connection with Spiritual Energy, Li Tianwei perceived every uprising taking place across the Northern Spirit Domain.
He also sensed more and more people spreading the Dao to one another, becoming increasingly enlightened regarding the principles of cultivation.
More and more people successfully entered the path of cultivation.
Power completely returned to the hands of those whom the wealthy masters had once dismissed as mud-legged peasants.
Having reached this point, how could they possibly accept their former fate?
Thus, the flames only burned ever brighter.
Everything unfolded exactly as Li Tianwei had anticipated.
Soon, Li Tianwei's power spread outward from the Sacred Land of Lingxu, extending throughout every corner of the Northern Spirit Domain.
Several Spirit Transformation cultivators attempted to interfere, only to immediately feel the terrifying pressure of Li Tianwei's aura.
In an instant, those Spirit Transformation cultivators withdrew their intentions, no longer daring to interfere.
From this, Li Tianwei could see that the path of cultivation had only just begun.
It had not yet gained truly decisive strength.
It still required more time.
In Li Tianwei's view, if upheaval had already erupted throughout the mortal world, then the cultivators within the immortal sects who had converted from immortal cultivation to cultivation would soon reach that point as well.
Because of Li Tianwei's overwhelming deterrence, they simply did not dare think too much about it.
Especially the more powerful cultivators, who still had not realized that crucial point.
With Li Tianwei hanging above the heads of those Spirit Transformation cultivators like the Sword of Damocles, they could only watch coldly as the cultivation method spread throughout the Northern Spirit Domain.
They even watched members of their own sects come into contact with the cultivation method.
To them, the cultivation method was simply too profound.
With such an enormous commotion taking place, none of them fully understood what Li Tianwei was actually trying to accomplish.
However, the decree proclaiming that everyone could cultivate immortality had struck directly at the fragile hearts of many old cultivators.
In their eyes, they had cultivated immortality all their lives precisely to stand above everyone else— to rise beyond the mortal world.
And now someone was telling them that everyone would be able to cultivate immortality in the future.
If that happened, then before whom were they supposed to display their cultivation?
How were they supposed to appear lofty and superior?
Within the Golden Light Sect, there happened to be one Spirit Transformation Ancestor who held precisely this way of thinking.
Unfortunately, he could do nothing to stop it.
He could only curse inwardly.
“Damn that Sacred Land of Lingxu...”
“And that fellow.”
“If they continue letting people cultivate like this, what will become of cultivators like us?”
“Where are our cultivation resources supposed to come from?”
The Golden Light Ancestor gnashed his teeth until his eyes practically burst with flames.
“Here, I am Heaven itself.”
“If everyone becomes a cultivator...”
“If everyone becomes even stronger cultivators...”
“Then how is my Spirit Transformation Realm cultivation supposed to awe others?”
“How am I supposed to appear superior?”
“You're already about to Ascend.”
“So why are you meddling in such worldly affairs?”
“Isn't the current era already good enough?”
“Think back to our own past.”
“There were Evil Demons everywhere.”
“Demonic cultivators threw the world into chaos.”
“Things are already much better now.”
“Why can't you simply be satisfied?”
He continued cursing inwardly, yet the anger within him refused to subside.
At that moment, the Golden Light Ancestor was already thinking about how to vent his frustration.
“Sigh...”
“I suppose I'll just go visit my grandson's wife.”
“She is still so young.”
At that thought, the Golden Light Ancestor immediately felt his Dao Heart become bright and unobstructed.
Wasn't cultivating immortality all about living freely and indulging oneself without restraint?
That was precisely what he enjoyed— doing whatever he pleased, ignoring morality and all forms of ethics.
After all, he was a Spirit Transformation cultivator.
He protected the entire Golden Light Sect.
Therefore, everything within the Golden Light Sect rightfully belonged to him.
Thus, he felt no guilt whatsoever regarding his methods of venting his anger.
Even after sensing Li Tianwei's warning aura earlier, he remained completely unconcerned.
Could Li Tianwei possibly interfere in such personal matters?
Just as he was about to leave seclusion, he suddenly sensed a familiar aura.
Wasn't it his favorite grand-disciple?
Seeing him arrive, the Golden Light Ancestor immediately opened the gates of his cave residence.
Standing outside was a handsome young man whose face was filled with gloom, though it could not conceal his exceptional appearance.
In comparison, the Golden Light Ancestor himself looked downright hideous.
As for the reason— he had cultivated a demonic technique, and something had gone terribly wrong, leaving him looking like a monster.
For that reason, he had never shown kindness toward handsome people.
Even his own grand-disciples were no exception.
So what if they were handsome?
So what if they married beautiful wives?
Before his Spirit Transformation Realm strength, weren't those women still forced beneath him?
That was power.
That was the law of the strong reigning supreme.
“My dear grand-disciple.”
“What brings you to visit your ancestor today?”
the Golden Light Ancestor asked with a smile.
Normally, his grand-disciple would already be kneeling before him.
Now, seeing him merely standing motionless outside the cave residence, he found it somewhat strange.
Still, he did not blame him.
At worst, he could simply have the young man's wife serve him later.
“Ancestor...”
“I came here...”
“To ask you to die.”
Just as the Golden Light Ancestor was imagining his coming pleasures, the man outside finally spoke.
His voice rang directly into the cave residence, and visible rage surged within his gloomy eyes.
“Do you know what you're saying?”
The Golden Light Ancestor was completely stunned.
He had never imagined that his always timid and submissive grand-disciple would utter such words.
“Ancestor...”
“Please die.”
His voice showed not the slightest restraint.
Instead, it grew even sharper.
The next instant, his aura exploded upward, instantly reaching the Spirit Transformation Realm.
“What?!”
“How could you possibly have reached the Spirit Transformation Realm?”
“Weren't you only at the Golden Core Realm?”
Sensing the aura erupting from him, the Spirit Transformation Ancestor immediately panicked.
“Comprehend the True Self.”
“The Great Dao of Cultivation.”
The young man slowly recited.
As his words fell, a terrifying Manifestation rose behind him.
“Die.”
Boom!
——
Scenes similar to those of the Golden Light Sect erupted throughout every corner of the Northern Spirit Domain.
Many cultivators who had converted from immortal cultivation to cultivation gradually understood the principles of the world and awakened.
Having reached this stage, how could they possibly continue enduring everything?
Ultimately, cultivation was merely one path among the countless paths of immortal cultivation.
There were many sects just like the Golden Light Sect.
In fact, the overwhelming majority of cultivators throughout the cultivation world had always been willing to do anything in order to cultivate immortality.
Likewise, after obtaining power through unscrupulous means, they naturally indulged themselves without restraint, believing they deserved every pleasure that accompanied their strength.
Precisely because of this, the cultivation world had remained stagnant for countless years.
Later, it had even become so weak that the Evil Demons could easily manipulate everything, dragging the entire cultivation world into ruin.
Although Li Tianwei had temporarily suppressed them, no one truly knew what terrifying existences still lurked among the Evil Demons.
That remained the greatest concern.
As more and more incidents like the one at the Golden Light Sect erupted, the terrifying nature of cultivation was finally laid bare.
People instantly broke through one or even two entire realms.
It was exactly as Li Tianwei had proclaimed when he first spread the cultivation method—
Everyone could cultivate immortality.
Everyone could become like dragons.
Many powerful cultivators and well-informed individuals already knew of Li Tianwei's extraordinary achievements.
From the moment he stepped onto the path of cultivation, only a little more than a year had passed, yet he had advanced from the Qi Refinement Realm all the way to the Nascent Soul Realm.
His combat power surpassed all common sense.
While only at the Foundation Establishment Realm, he had already slain Nascent Soul cultivators.
At the Golden Core Realm, he had exterminated Spirit Transformation cultivators, destroyed Union Realm cultivators, and after reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, he treated Tribulation Transcendence cultivators as little more than playthings, ultimately destroying the Three Sacred Lands.
Now, the entire Northern Spirit Domain had been unified.
Without question, it was all due to Li Tianwei's absolute power.
Thus, after witnessing countless cultivators who converted to cultivation rise to unimaginable heights in a single leap, everyone finally understood.
Li Tianwei truly had not deceived them.
The path of cultivation could genuinely allow one to attain power like his.
Although the entire Northern Spirit Domain had already fallen into complete chaos, more and more cultivators eagerly rushed toward the cultivation method.
Li Tianwei himself did not care in the slightest about their motives.
After all, the path of cultivation truly was open to everyone.
The only requirement was to clearly understand oneself—
to seek one's True Self.
In other words, even if someone had long been trapped within the countless delusions woven throughout the world, the path of cultivation would never reject them.
As long as they could shatter those illusions, they could step forward.
Once they awakened to their True Self, they would naturally realize that there was nothing wrong with allowing everyone to cultivate immortality.
Thus, Li Tianwei's cultivation method was not merely a technique allowing everyone to cultivate.
It was also an open strategy designed to completely transform the cultivation world.
Yes—
an open strategy.
If you refused to cultivate, you would inevitably fall behind those who embraced the path of cultivation.
But if you did cultivate, you would gradually discover just how extraordinary this path truly was, continuously deepening your understanding of yourself.
Eventually, you would abandon all the outdated ideas that had dominated the cultivation world for generations.
Therefore, the path of cultivation would slowly and completely replace every existing path of immortal cultivation.
Whether righteous cultivation techniques or demonic arts, all of them would ultimately transform into various branches of cultivation.
Li Tianwei had calculated everything from beginning to end.
Because it was an open strategy, breaking it had already become virtually impossible.
Those who stubbornly clung to the old cultivation methods would soon be eliminated.
Even if they somehow managed to suppress the cultivation method—
burn every manual, kill every practitioner, and even advance several more steps—
they would still discover that their chance of victory remained zero.
Because at that moment,
Li Tianwei himself would personally make his move.
Standing before them would be the man who had swept away the Three Sacred Lands, completely destroyed the Demonic Sect Territory, and become the First Seat of the only remaining Sacred Land—
the Sacred Land of Lingxu.
Li Tianwei.
Some perceptive cultivators had already buried themselves in studying the cultivation method, terrified of being eliminated in the future.
“Still far too shallow.”
Li Tianwei's consciousness had long since merged with the Spiritual Energy.
Almost no one's thoughts could escape his perception.
Naturally, he understood what many cultivators were thinking.
That was his evaluation of them.
Far too shallow.
If, after mastering the path of cultivation, people still remained obsessed with comparing strength, then the path itself had failed.
Power was merely one insignificant aspect of cultivation.
Far more important was the wisdom contained within it—
the ability to discern the laws governing the world.
Soon, more and more people would learn how to make use of those laws.
When that day arrived, cultivation would flourish in every field.
Talismans, magical artifacts, spiritual herbs, medicinal pills—
and countless entirely new systems could be constructed and expanded through Spiritual Energy.
Surely one could not spend an entire lifetime cultivating mindlessly.
Everyone possessed a True Self.
Everyone was unique.
Likewise, everyone possessed their own path.
“It seems everything is unfolding exactly as I predicted.”
“However...”
“Not a single Evil Demon has appeared.”
“Have they all died?”
Through his connection with Spiritual Energy,
Li Tianwei encompassed the entire Northern Spirit Domain within his consciousness.
Yet, not even a single trace of an Evil Demon could be found.
In Li Tianwei's view, there was no way they had all died.
They were undoubtedly preparing something enormous.
Or perhaps, they had all gathered within the other Spirit Domains.
That was the only explanation Li Tianwei could think of.
When he had extended his perception while controlling the Spiritual Energy of the Northern Spirit Domain, he had discovered that the three Spirit Domains beyond it were unimaginably vast.
He had even calculated that taking complete control of all the Spiritual Energy throughout the cultivation world would require an unknown number of years.
Thus, he had chosen not to do so for now.
Instead, he used the Northern Spirit Domain as a testing ground, planning to incorporate the remaining three Spirit Domains afterward.
“I wonder whether the other three Spirit Domains are any better.”
“They can't possibly be just like the Three Sacred Lands... can they?”
Meanwhile, outside the Northern Spirit Domain, the other three great Spirit Domains were each resisting the invasion of the Evil Demons.
Several months after the blockade imposed by the Evil Demons had been lifted, a gigantic crimson eye appeared above each of the three Spirit Domains, gazing upon everything beneath Heaven.
The Evil Demons no longer concealed themselves as they once had.
Instead, they secretly annihilated several major sects without restraint.
Countless cultivators perished.
Throughout the three Spirit Domains, powerful experts emerged one after another.
The conflict had already reached the point of open confrontation.
The war between cultivators and Evil Demons had fully erupted.
Instead, the Northern Spirit Domain had become a pure land.
As for the reason...
Perhaps Li Tianwei understood it best.
Within the Eastern Spirit Domain, the closest domain to the Northern Spirit Domain, wave after wave of figures crossed the barrier separating the two domains and entered its territory.
Those figures...
were the Evil Demons that had fled from the Northern Spirit Domain.