Chapter 873 - 868: Tribulation!
"In the Void Sea of Light, Ascetics have suffered for too long."
Lü Yang was startled by his own thought, but he quickly realized the truth. "It’s not me. It’s that fluctuation of karmic links!" he thought.
Why was that?
At this thought, he immediately formed a Daoist Hand Seal, rubbing sparks at his fingertips as he tried with all his might to sense that obscure fluctuation of karmic links.
He realized, "In the beginning, the Sea of Light was pure.
"Until in a certain Outer Realm, a mortal polished his physical body, went through countless hardships, and finally sensed the Dao of Arcane Body, becoming the first Cultivator in the Sea of Light.
"Soon, under the leadership of this very first Cultivator, that Outer Realm officially embarked on the path of cultivation. It began to expand at an astonishing speed. With the Dimension Reduction strike of Cultivators against mortals, if there were no Variables, the first Cultivator would inevitably achieve monumental feats.
"Then, the Variable arrived.
"Before long, the Sea of Light’s second Cultivator appeared. He learned from Heaven and Earth, comprehended the existence of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, and refined the first wisp of Mana.
"Thus, the Dao of Arcane Power was revealed to the world.
"Quickly enough, the Outer Realms led by the two Cultivators discovered each other through an invisible connection. Naturally, the first Tribulation occurred."
Lü Yang’s deductions abruptly stopped.
At the same time, a surge of enlightenment flooded his mind. "That’s right, the first Tribulation! It was triggered by a Variable, intended to destroy the newly born Cultivators!" he realized.
The Void Sea of Light disliked Cultivators.
Because whether it was the Dharma Body or Mana, as Cultivators grew stronger, their encroachment on these two native Great Daos became increasingly severe.
In the end, both the Dharma Body and Mana would no longer belong to the Void Sea of Light.
That was why the Sea of Light wanted to exterminate the Cultivators. This was not because the Sea of Light possessed sentience; rather, it was more like an automatic antivirus mechanism that activated when pathogens appeared in a human body.
However, it was precisely for this reason that the Sea of Light ultimately failed.
He mused, "If the Void Sea of Light had a consciousness, it absolutely would not have spawned Mana Cultivators to deal with Dharma Body Cultivators. Wouldn’t that be like putting out a fire with gasoline?"
And that was indeed the case.
Lü Yang began his deductions once more, and the Great Net of Karma Links immediately responded to him. He sensed, "The war between the Dharma Body Cultivators and the Mana Cultivators lasted for a full millennium. During this Tribulation, in order to achieve victory, Cultivators constantly researched and tried to become stronger, seeking to unleash their advantages more perfectly.
"Thus, the Dao of Arcane Arts was revealed to the world.
"Magic was born from Mana and the Dharma Body, disrupting the plans of both sides. No one expected a third party to join the battlefield.
"To maintain stability, the Dharma Body Cultivators and Mana Cultivators joined forces to eradicate the Magic Cultivators.
"As a result, Magic fled, retreating far to the desolate borders of the Sea of Light.
"Meanwhile, both the Dharma Body Cultivators and the Mana Cultivators suffered massive casualties and had no choice but to call a truce. Both sides spread their Dao Lineages while resting and recuperating.
"Gradually, everyone discovered that the Void Sea of Light was actually unfathomably vast. They did not need to fight to the death over a few Outer Realms. As the years went by, the hatred of the older generations was buried by time. More and more Cultivators chose to coexist peacefully and pursue the Dao together.
"Thus, the Cultivator civilization ushered in its second explosive leap forward."
Deducing up to this point, Lü Yang couldn’t help but shake his head. "An expected development. What happened next? Don’t tell me the Void Sea of Light created the Fruit?" he wondered.
Would it fall into the same trap twice?
Curious, Lü Yang continued to sense the karmic links and quickly received his answer.
The good news was that the Void Sea of Light was not stupid enough to create the Fruit to counter the Dharma Body, Magic, and Mana. The bad news was that it wasn’t that smart, either.
It chose to coexist with the Cultivators.
As the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them. Under the influence of the Cultivators, the Void Sea of Light gradually underwent a brand-new transformation and no longer resisted their existence.
Consequently, the Cultivators grew stronger and stronger.
During this period, the Fruit appeared, which further accelerated the exponential growth of the Cultivator population and simultaneously provided them with a fourth viable path.
Moreover, as the three great foundations of Cultivators, the native Great Daos of the Dharma Body, Mana, and Magic were already unimaginably vast, more than enough to accommodate all Cultivators.
As time flowed on, the first Cultivator to completely master a Great Dao finally emerged. That Cultivator was a junior, yet possessed transcendent Enlightenment. He created a method to devour the Fruit. By relying on devouring the Fruit to rapidly elevate himself, he surpassed his predecessors and mastered the Great Dao of Arcane Body.
"It’s Si Chou!"
Lü Yang’s heart stirred. He never expected to hear Si Chou’s name here. Devouring the Fruit—wasn’t that exactly the [Skill of Perfect Vitality]?!
"Completely mastering a Great Dao... that’s advancing to Great Perfected Lord, right?" he guessed inwardly. Now that he was on the verge of mastering the Dao of Arcane Body himself, he knew very well that mastering the Dao of Arcane Body and using it to reach the Other Shore were two entirely different concepts.
"This is a piece of forbidden Knowledge!"
His thoughts gradually took on a conceptual [Weight]. However, having already endured the torment of much forbidden Knowledge, Lü Yang could still withstand this level of pressure.
"What happens next? What is the next part?"
Lü Yang’s curiosity grew increasingly intense. After all, his actions of giving Enlightenment to the Heart Demon and guiding Minor Metal had resonated with a certain karmic link. This was a godsend opportunity.
Soon, a sensation transmitted from the Great Net of Karma Links.
He sensed, "Where there is one, there will be a second. Soon, the Dao of Arcane Power and the Dao of Arcane Arts also found their masters. They used their own understanding and comprehension to alter the native Great Daos.
"Then, they made a discovery: the path of the Dao was severed.
"The three native Great Daos were the three great pillars of the Void Sea of Light. To master them meant reaching the Peak of the Void Sea of Light. There was no further path upward."
This should have been a perfect environment.
All Cultivators possessed prolonged lifespans, and the most outstanding among them could even achieve immortality. Although the number of Cultivators continued to grow, the Sea of Light was equally boundless.
However, human ambition was like a boulder rolling down a mountain—once it started, it could never be stopped.
With the path of the Dao severed and no way to advance, no one was willing to accept this outcome. The three Lords of the Great Daos began year-round seclusions, painstakingly searching for a method to break through.
Until one day—
RUMBLE!
Accompanied by a deafening boom ringing in his ears, Lü Yang abruptly opened his eyes. His connection with the Great Net of Karma Links was violently severed, and the backlash instantly rippled into his own body!
SPURT!
In that split second, despite his lofty Position and the sturdiness of his Dharma Body, he still felt as if he had suffered a devastating blow. Every bone and sinew in his body shattered tens of thousands of times in an instant!
In that lightning-fast moment, he did not dare to hesitate in the slightest and hurriedly formed a Daoist Hand Seal.
"[Righteous Perseverance]!" he cried inwardly.
Instantly, the Fruit Position Profound Mysterious of the [Fruit of Pine-Cedar Wood] empowered his Dharma Body. The nameless Mighty Power that should have continued to shatter and utterly obliterate his Dharma Body was rapidly diminished.
At the same time, his severely injured Dharma Body began to recover at an inconceivable speed. Two streams of Mighty Power clashed and tugged at each other within his body. After a long while, Lü Yang finally gained the upper hand, dragging his life back from the brink of death.
"PHEW..."
Only then did Lü Yang exhale a breath reeking of blood, a look of profound shock surfacing in his eyes. "That strike just now wasn’t someone attacking me from across space," he realized.
"It was Knowledge!" he gasped out loud.
He continued to ponder, "The Great Net of Karma Links couldn’t bear the [Weight] of that forbidden Knowledge. That’s why it severed its connection with me, resulting in that backlash!
"Unbelievable..."
Just a mere fragment of Knowledge was actually so [Heavy] that even the Great Net of Karma Links couldn’t carry it. This indicated that this piece of Knowledge had long been buried at the very bottom of the Great Net of Karma Links.
Thanks to this, he failed to uncover that dust-covered past.
Of course, he didn’t walk away completely empty-handed.
At the very least, he had comprehended one thing.
He concluded, "In the Void Sea of Light, aside from the Dharma Body, Magic, and Mana, there is still one Great Dao that hasn’t been proven. It is the Void Sea of Light’s self-antivirus mechanism.
"It inherently stands in absolute opposition to Cultivators.
"However, because the other three Great Daos all had Cultivators while this one did not, the Void Sea of Light was forced to silence it and chose to coexist with the Cultivators."
As for this Great Dao, it had a name that invited boundless imagination.
"[Tribulation]!" he realized.