Chapter 338: The Fighting Spirit of the Debtor Celestial, Bug in the Soul Pass? (11000)

My first entry into the ruins was in December of the third year of Yuanhou, tackling Qingyuzi’s challenge. It took me over fifty-eight years. This time, descending again, it was spring of the sixty-second year of Yuanhou.

As Qingyuzi was the eldest brother among the three and also the longest-lived, Zhao Xing could monitor the progress of Puta's and Fairy Su’s inheritance trials.

“Fairy Su’s soul trial also consists of three stages. Upon completion, she obtains a minor divine ability called ‘Three Deity Life Palace,’ rumored to be derived from the major divine ability, ‘Cycle of Rebirth Realm.’”

Having received Qingyuzi’s complete inheritance, Zhao Xing naturally knew about the other two friends. Similarly, if someone were to receive Puta’s or Fairy Su’s inheritance, they would also learn about Qingyuzi’s circumstances.

“What is the Three Deity Life Palace? Humans possess three souls: Heavenly, Earthly, and Life. These three are also known as the three deities: Heavenly Deity, Earthly Deity, and Life Deity. The three souls have alternative names as well: Rebirth Soul, Karma Soul, and Life Soul.”

“In the Xuanhuang Realm, only the Life Soul can be cultivated. The Heavenly Soul is for rebirth, and the Karma Soul is ethereal; neither can be cultivated directly. Their profundity only increases as the Life Soul strengthens.”

The Three Deity Life Palace integrates the Heavenly Soul and Karma Soul into the Life Palace, binding them closely to one’s true self. From then on, enemies can no longer capture one’s karma or trace one’s past and present lives. More importantly, it locks the three souls, preventing their erosion by spiritual energy, primordial energy, and various cosmic energies, thereby reducing soul weakening and depletion. It’s akin to transcending the Three Realms and being beyond the Five Elements.

The major divine ability, Cycle of Rebirth Realm, is a man-made non-material domain similar to the underworld.

Even the Qi Luck Dynasties in the Xuanhuang Realm can transform souls into Yin God bodies, and even elevate human souls from the ‘Yi’ level back to ghost form. In the versions Zhao Xing was familiar with, during spiritual energy revival, there were even cases of ghosts returning to life and the dead being resurrected.

Enemies in the universe are truly unkillable and inexhaustible. One moment they are slain, the next they are resurrected by others, making battles pointless.

The major divine ability, Cycle of Rebirth Realm, not only annihilates the enemy’s Life Soul but also casts their Rebirth Soul and Karma Soul into the Cycle of Rebirth Realm for endless reincarnation. Unable to be reborn and with no karma, they naturally cannot be resurrected.

Zhao Xing was relatively familiar with the minor divine ability Three Deity Life Palace and the major divine ability Cycle of Rebirth Realm. This is because the powerful being who created the major divine ability Cycle of Rebirth Realm was the founder of the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation. The founder of the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation believed that life and death in the universe represented a balance.

“Powerful beings are always dying and resurrecting—not just themselves, but also their relatives, friends, and even entire factions. This violates the grand cycle of life and death in the universe and interferes with universal truths.”

“It leads to the gradual imbalance of the universe, which is why the universe would head towards chaos and desolation. The mission of the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation is to help the universe restore this balance.”

Zhao Xing mused, remembering. How to restore it?

For example, if two ancient nations were at war, the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation would issue a ban on resurrection to both. If they disobeyed, the Divine Nation would assist the other nation, ensuring that those who died in the war truly remained dead.

“No resurrection!” This was the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation’s philosophy! Unfortunately, the ideal was beautiful, but reality was harsh.

As many eons passed, the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation gradually decayed. Many members, instead of upholding this purpose, intentionally undermined it. The sole reason countless individuals joined the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation was to master the divine ability—the Great Resurrection Art. This was because no one understood resurrection better than the people of the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation!

The minor divine ability, Three Deity Life Palace, was developed by this group, a clear violation of their ancestral teachings.

What role did the Divine Manifestation Stele play in this? It was originally a death monument in a holy land of the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation, used to suppress the Soul Abyss. Later, someone stole several of these steles, scattering them everywhere. Thus, it evolved into a method of soul cultivation.

Of course, the existing Divine Manifestation Steles are all rubbings, not the original steles. Zhao Xing had seen the original steles when he revived in his previous life; those lost Divine Manifestation Steles had been refined into artifacts. Especially in the hands of players, these things became mobile resurrection points. In battles, they would first plant a Divine Manifestation Stele, then it was “Brothers, charge!” After this function was developed, the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation became even more distraught; every faction wanted to steal their steles.

“The Divine Manifestation Stele was originally their ancestors’ tombstone! After being stolen and developed for resurrection, it caused many powerful factions to want to dig up the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation’s ancestral graves, and it was even put up for auction. How utterly outrageous!”

“To think Fairy Su could comprehend ‘Three Deity Life Palace’ from a rubbing. If her cultivation realm is even lower than Qingyuzi’s, then her soul talent must be incredibly strong. The value of this ‘Three Deity Life Palace’ divine ability, which allows one to transcend the Three Realms and be beyond the Five Elements, surpasses even ‘Eight Cycles Purple Light’!”

“If compared to the auction prices of skill books in my previous life, Three Deity Life Palace would definitely be more valuable than Eight Cycles Purple Light. Even with the worst effect, people would be clamoring for it.”

The effect of the minor divine ability, Three Deity Life Palace, varied from person to person, but its core effect remained unchanged: integrating the three souls into one. The Three Deity Life Palace was an essential method for the path to immortality.

Puta’s inheritance was equally remarkable. Anyone who could associate with Fairy Su and Qingyuzi was undoubtedly a genius. According to Qingyuzi, Puta followed the Dao Soldier stream, which usually involves master forgers.

Machinists like King Shenluo were not particularly skilled at *creating* Dao Soldiers, but they excelled at effectively deploying them, especially large ones. Puta, on the other hand, specialized in manufacturing Dao Soldiers with independent consciousness.

“Tianqi Soul Artifacts were created by a master from the Zishen Mansion of the Yuanhai Ancient Nation. I heard Puta once received this master’s inheritance. Puta should be capable of producing soul artifact fragments; otherwise, Qingyuzi wouldn’t have left so many behind. He even created Purple God Puppets, whose combat power rivaled those of the Origin Realm.”

“Puta’s remaining mechanical divine abilities…” Zhao Xing closed his eyes and sensed. He had already entered the interior of the Zishen Ruins. Now within the area covered by Qingyuzi’s dojo, as the inheritor, he could sense the progress of Puta’s inheritance trial.

“The fastest progress isn’t actually a machinist from my dynasty?”

Zhao Xing saw a scene: clusters of palaces where many bald machinists were meditating and crafting in different palace complexes. Some bald figures were deep in thought, while others flew up and down around a hundred-meter-tall mechanism, installing components.

“The second stage consists of nine palaces in total. Completing all of them means passing the second stage. And in the second stage, three individuals are already in the seventh mechanical palace.”

“They are Shao Sikong Chen Ju, Yu Feiyang of the Golden Feather Royal Court, and Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate of the White Bone Sect.”

“Among them, Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate’s progress is the fastest; he entered the seventh mechanical palace ten years earlier than the other two!” Zhao Xing was somewhat surprised. A total of sixty-five machinists entered the second stage, with the vast majority still in the first three palaces. Only nine were in the fourth to sixth mechanical palaces. Just three were in the seventh mechanical palace, clearly indicating a huge watershed between the sixth and seventh stages.

“King Shenluo is in the sixth mechanical palace, and Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate is already in the seventh? Wasn’t he bankrupt?” Zhao Xing was puzzled. With a thought, he magnified his view, focusing on the seventh mechanical palace where Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate was located.

He couldn't interfere with the other two inheritances, but observing was fine. Deep within the seventh mechanical palace.

“Click, click, click~” Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate jumped down from a high platform, looking at his masterpiece. “The object manifests its spirit, and the origin merges with the formation. It truly is exquisite.” Deep within the mechanical palace, the surrounding walls were embedded with countless gems emitting a faint blue light, illuminating the entire space as if in a dream.

Inside the palace, various exquisitely crafted mechanical devices were displayed, some rotating, some extending, emitting faint metallic friction sounds, like a unique piece of music. After observing for a while, Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate went to the display room, fully concentrating on studying a mechanical puppet.

The puppet was tall, made entirely of a mysterious purple-gold metal, shimmering with a captivating luster in the dim light. Tiny, intricate gears were embedded in the puppet’s joints, each covered with dense runes. As the runes flowed, a mysterious power seemed to surge.

“The core formation of this puppet is not perfect, but imperfection is precisely the key to passing this stage. The Purple God Puppet formation diagrams left by Puta contain a total of thirty-six thousand loose parts, and of course, these loose parts are imperfect!”

“Seemingly perfect loose parts are actually traps. Only imperfection can create the Purple God!”

Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate’s glowing eyes were fixed on the puppet, blazing with fanaticism and obsession. His hands moved like agile snakes over the puppet’s body, sometimes tapping, sometimes stroking, as if engaging in a silent dialogue with it. On the workbench beside him were various oddly shaped tools: a crystal chisel that could release strange energy, and spiritual threads that could detect energy fluctuations. “I owe so much debt, it’s a burden of karma. This pressure envelops me like an ocean, making me sink in a sea of suffering, unable to breathe.” “Now, no one can stop me from reaching the shore!”

“As long as I can obtain the final inheritance, I won’t have to return to the lava underground, forging day and night to pay off my debts!” Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate roared.

“I will reclaim everything I’ve lost!!” Zhao Xing listened and watched, unable to help but smile wryly.

“Does this guy give himself pep talks like this every day? Poverty truly makes one stronger.”

He himself was the one who caused Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate’s bankruptcy, leading to an insurmountable amount of debt accumulated during the Jing Emperor’s reign! Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate was originally slated to be the next sect leader of the White Bone Divine Sect, but after that incident, he lost the position to another successor. He didn’t even secure the vice-sect leader role, which was taken by his junior brother, Red Bone Heavenly Venerate.

However, unexpectedly, fifty-eight years ago, things suddenly took a turn! First, his junior brother Red Bone Heavenly Venerate died. Then, he received orders that he could temporarily leave the lava underground forging space to participate in the inheritance competition. Of course, this carried a certain risk to his life. His junior brother Red Bone had already died, and competing with the Great Zhou was like snatching food from a tiger’s mouth. Yet, Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate agreed without hesitation.

Rather than working 007 and paying off debts, suffering in the dark underground day after day, it was better to take a gamble and push himself.

And so, after the Great Zhou and the Outer Alliance signed a peace treaty, Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate entered the ruins. Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate chose Puta’s inheritance trial. Driven by the motivation to pay off his debts and escape his predicament, he progressed step by step to his current position, leading everyone! “One hundred sixty-eight thousand five hundredth time, stuck at the ‘Eye of Origin’ formation diagram, one of the crucial parts. I can do it this time, I must!”

Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate’s low voice echoed in the palace. He extended a slender finger, a purple glow blossoming at its tip, slowly injecting into the puppet’s core. Instantly, the puppet’s runes flickered more intensely, and its internal mechanical structure began to accelerate, but then a clunking sound followed. Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate frowned, muttering, “It seems I still need to adjust the path of the origin rules.” He re-immersed himself in improving the puppet, as if the entire world consisted only of him and this unfinished masterpiece, completely oblivious to the changing world outside, single-mindedly devoted to imbuing the mechanical puppet with true life and power.

“This guy.” Zhao Xing stared for a while. At this moment, Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate’s aura was completely different from when he had seen him in the Dragon Court. At that time, Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate was refining the bones of the Great Dragon King, and had just received a simple Dragon King trial mission. Soon, he was about to take over as Sect Leader, full of vigor and self-satisfaction. Now, Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate’s aura was like a restrained volcano, filled with anger – anger at this world, and unwillingness to accept his fate. But he had nowhere to vent, his only outlet was in crafting mechanisms and practicing formations.

“Chen Ju and Yu Feiyang don’t possess his fighting spirit.” Zhao Xing looked at Chen Ju and Yu Feiyang, who were also studying in the seventh palace. Both were relatively calm, exuding a sense of relaxation, taking breaks occasionally.

“Fifty-odd years, focusing on one thing, and still maintaining enough passion for the path of mechanisms day after day—it’s actually only Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate.” “Keep up the good work, Debt-ridden Heavenly Venerate.”

Even Zhao Xing couldn’t help but cheer for him. He was so driven! He truly liked people like that. In any case, if Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate could obtain the inheritance, he would be one of their own and would have to cooperate with him to fight the Southern Barbarians. Zhao Xing didn't care who received it. Setting aside their positions, Zhao Xing also hoped that someone like Purple Bone would get the inheritance, because Purple Bone worked harder than Chen Ju and Yu Feiyang.

“Yu Feiyang is royalty, and Chen Ju is the Shao Sikong of the pacifist faction. Neither of them is under any pressure. They might think they’ve tried hard, but their efforts are insignificant compared to Purple Bone’s.”

Zhao Xing deeply admired talent like Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate.

“I hope Purple Bone doesn’t give up when making his final choice and stands with me.” If Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate were to give up, the inheritance would then pass to the second-place candidate.

“This kind of fighting spirit manifests in one’s essence, qi, and spirit; they look different.” “Phew~ I can’t watch anymore, it’s a bit shameful.” “If he truly succeeds, I hope he can let go of past grievances.”

It was he who had ruined Purple Bone back then, causing his bankruptcy, but it was still too early to talk about that now. Currently, Purple Bone Heavenly Venerate was in the lead, but only in the lead; everything was still uncertain.

“Divine Manifestation Stele!”

Zhao Xing appeared before the Divine Manifestation Stele.

“The first stage of the path of the soul inheritance is largely similar to the other two paths: one must create a secret technique with the Life Soul, achieving ultimate power to break through a formation wall.”

“The Ultimate Soul Art is much more difficult than the other two stages.”

Soul inheritance was open to practitioners of all professions, and many came to attempt it. However, within the same timeframe, over a hundred people had already entered the second stage of Qingyuzi’s inheritance, and sixty-odd people had entered the machinist inheritance. But for the path of the soul, only eight individuals had entered the second stage. Of course, these eight had entered much earlier. Clearly, the polarization was much more severe in the path of the soul.

“Shattering Stars!” Zhao Xing attempted, unleashing the strongest secret technique from the second layer of the Divine Manifestation Art—‘Shattering Stars.’

Boom! Seven soul stars appeared before the Divine Manifestation Stele. “Go!” The seven soul stars collided at a single point, exploding instantly upon impact. Their sevenfold powers superimposed. Zhao Xing had used this very move to break through the rule protection in Wu Yuan’s mind.

“Bang!” The Divine Manifestation Stele remained motionless. After the explosion, not a single trace was left.

“This is the difficulty of the soul stage.” Zhao Xing took a deep breath, his head feeling a little dizzy. “Consuming soul power means I can’t try repeatedly. One attempt requires time to recover.” His soul attack had not reached the ultimate level.

“The seven-tier Three-Light Divine Water domain provides very little amplification to Life Soul secret techniques.” The increase in origin comprehension brought by the Tianqi Soul Artifact also couldn’t boost the Great Dao of Life or the Great Dao of Soul. “It’s a completely different path.” Zhao Xing diligently began his comprehension.

“I still have an advantage in comprehending the Divine Manifestation Stele. I’ve already achieved complete mastery of the second layer, with 500,000 soul fragments.” “My previous cultivation speed was also very fast; I even broke records.”

Phantoms drifted out from Zhao Xing’s body. In the blink of an eye, the area before the Divine Manifestation Stele was filled with souls. And indeed, things unfolded as Zhao Xing had anticipated. In just two and a half months, he entered the enlightenment state within the Divine Manifestation Stele. Entering the enlightenment state signified a breakthrough in his comprehension.

“Om.” Five hundred thousand Zhao Xings appeared beneath a starry sky. “These are Life Soul stars.” “When cultivating the first layer of the Star Palace, there were only seven secret-patterned stars. Here, there are countless secret-patterned stars.” “Every Life Soul star attracts me; each seems to contain infinite Dao principles and laws.”

Having an infinite number of choices was not necessarily a good thing. He had 500,000 soul fragments, but these Life Soul stars were also infinite! “The third layer of the Divine Manifestation Art focuses on quality, not quantity. Collect!” Zhao Xing’s soul fragments continuously flew back, merging with his main body. As Zhao Xing continued to recall them, the number of surrounding stars also decreased!

When Zhao Xing had only three primordial souls remaining, only three stars were left in the void. “The Sun Star, the Moon Star, and the Life Star.” “Representing Heaven, Earth, and Man.” “The Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things.” “The three souls represent Heaven, Earth, and Man. In the cosmic version, they usually correspond to the Moon, Sun, and Life Star.”

“For cultivators of the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation, the Life Soul is hidden within the stars. Moon and Sun stars are ubiquitous in the universe, and Life Stars are also infinite.” “The founder of the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation believed that a soul Dao cultivated to its extreme could use the entire universe as its Life Palace!”

“The Life Soul can merge into all the stars in the universe. The Heavenly Soul becomes the Sun Star, and the Earthly Soul becomes the Moon Star.” “Human activity depends on the Life Soul. As long as the Sun and Moon twin stars exist, a person can be resurrected from countless Life Stars; the physical body is utterly unimportant.” “However, this is merely theory. Most cultivators of the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation also possess only one Life Star. If that star explodes, it signifies true death.”

Zhao Xing watched for a while, then retracted the other two primordial souls. “The first stage is the Life Soul stage, which only tests the Life Soul’s ability to perform secret techniques. Therefore, I only need to comprehend the Life Star.” This was the advantage of broad knowledge; even if Zhao Xing had to start from scratch, his experience and insights from his past life allowed him to avoid detours.

“The Life Star is vibrant; it’s still a vigorous, growing life planet.” Zhao Xing looked at his Life Star. The Life Stars of Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation cultivators were alive. If a Life Star was utterly barren and pitted, it was a dead star, signifying the end of that person’s lifespan. “Countless stars exploding in the universe could very well be someone dying, their Life Star having exploded.”

“The creator of the Great Dream Spring and Autumn was also a genius.” Zhao Xing couldn’t help but recall the Dream God Sect’s techniques. In the Dream God Sect’s methods, it was mentioned that the Life Soul possessed life. One technique used to demonstrate this idea was the Sleepworm.

“By capturing harmful parasites within the Life Soul and retaining beneficial ones, the Life Soul can grow stronger and develop better.” “Thus, the spells of the Dream God Sect always have a very wide range, a single dream encompassing heaven and earth. This already shares a similar ingenious effect with the Cycle of Rebirth Realm. The Xuanhuang Realm truly produces a wealth of talents.”

Zhao Xing looked at his Life Star and began to refine it. “Refining the Life Star is not like the Dream God Sect’s method of ‘catching bugs’ in the Life Soul. The process of repairing it is the process of breaking through.” “I can reference the Sinuo True Self Method.” Zhao Xing pondered. The Four True Self Methods—Analyze Origin, Strengthen Foundation, Condense Essence, and Break Through Barriers—were the True Self school’s means of regulating the growth of plant life. The True Self school’s spells inherently referred to the self, and the Life Soul also carried this meaning. If this were likened to a difficult problem with many ways to solve it, then Zhao Xing was solving it using the Sinuo True Self Method.

…

Zhao Xing began the soul trial in spring of the sixty-second year of Yuanhou, and by autumn of the sixty-fourth year of Yuanhou, he had passed the first stage. “Soul Devouring Spear!” A black long spear appeared. Zhao Xing’s phantom gripped this black soul spear, thrusting it fiercely at the void stele. The spear, condensed from soul power, focused its might on a single point, completely unleashing it upon the void stele.

“Om!” A Dharma Body of Establishment appeared. It was a purple-haired woman in a black robe. Her features were not exceptionally refined, somewhat doll-like, yet her black-on-purple attire gave her a mature, commanding presence, a striking contrast.

“Congratulations, you have passed the first stage. Please enter.” Her voice was ethereal. Zhao Xing saw a crack appear on the Divine Manifestation Stele, and he followed the passage into the second stage.

At the end of the second stage, Fairy Su’s Dharma Body was waiting for Zhao Xing. “You are the ninth to pass the first stage. This is your reward.” Fairy Su produced a ring. “A soul artifact, the Secondary Life Ring.” “When you encounter a powerful enemy who kills your physical body, and even your soul cannot escape, you can parasitize your Life Soul within this ring, entering a state of void disguise.” Fairy Su explained.

“Its material is very ordinary, but its strength lies in its high concealment.” “After an enemy kills you, they will certainly search your Qiankun Bag. And precisely because of its ordinary material, they might simply sell this seemingly low-value ring.” “After five hundred years, the Secondary Life Ring will restore your soul from its void state to the ‘Yi’ state. Another five hundred years, it will restore to the ‘Xi’ state. And after another two hundred years, it can restore to the ‘Wei’ state.” “Finally, in the last fifty years, you will be able to recover your Life Soul.”

“Ah, it’s that.” Zhao Xing suddenly understood. The Secondary Life Ring was a means of self-preservation, somewhat similar to the Heavenly Soul Fruit, but more advanced and much more concealed. “If lucky, one could lie low for 1,250 years, becoming an ‘old man in a ring.’ If you encounter a low-level cultivator and mentor them, you might even revive.” Zhao Xing suddenly recalled a plot he encountered when he first got the Secondary Life Ring in his previous life. Some bored players would intentionally die to enter the Secondary Life Ring, then actively jump into certain star realms to play cultivation games.

“Transfer 5,000 Origin Crystals to me, and listen to my revenge plan.” Zhao Xing inwardly chuckled. “What revenge plan? Just gather all the exotic fires in the world, then kill a disciple who once betrayed me… Heheheh.” However, the Secondary Life Ring relied too much on luck. If lucky, one could survive. If unlucky, one would be found immediately and completely annihilated.

“Overall, the Secondary Life Ring’s value is comparable to a low-grade Star Dao Weapon, but in reality, it doesn’t sell for that price.” “This survival method is too uncertain. With the money for a Secondary Life Ring, it would be better to add a little more and buy a real low-grade Star Dao Weapon to enhance one’s escape ability.” “Add even more money, buy a mid-grade… uh.” As Zhao Xing pondered, he suddenly realized that the Secondary Life Ring’s existence still made a lot of sense.

“The second stage is called the Earthly Deity Labyrinth.” Fairy Su’s voice sounded, pulling Zhao Xing back to reality. “As long as you can walk out of the Earthly Deity Labyrinth, you will pass the stage. The time limit is one hundred years.” As soon as her voice fell, Zhao Xing found himself before a gray wall.

“The Earthly Deity Labyrinth, also known as the Karma Labyrinth, is infinitely high and infinitely long.” Zhao Xing immediately thought of death, and indeed, this was the only wall that was an insurmountable obstacle. “Only by discerning karma can the wandering Karma Soul be brought into the Life Palace.”

Zhao Xing passed through the gray wall. Inside the labyrinth were countless forks. Similar to the first stage, using soul fragments to explore here was useless. “The more soul fragments, the more forks.” Zhao Xing didn’t waste time; he simply chose a random entrance and started walking forward.

The walls were gray, but the ground was semi-transparent, with light flowing within. As Zhao Xing looked down, scenes flowed in the ground. “From today onwards, I will send you fifteen Heaven Origin Pears every month.” “Thank you, Lord Chen!” “This Flaming Mountain is too sinister, Zhao Xing. Is this my destiny?” “Old Chen, Long Xiao and I will lead. You stay behind. You must remember one phrase.” “What?” “My destiny is mine, not heaven’s!”

Boom! In the Eighteen Huai-Willow Courtyard, houses collapsed, and thunderclouds drifted from afar. “Why am I so unlucky?” “What a sin, my luck has dropped to Derived One.” “Old Chen, your investment wasn’t in vain. I ate a few of your pears in Gucheng, and now I’ve come to shoulder your fate for the Ten Suns in the Sky.” “Ouch!”

Zhao Xing walked silently. The path beneath his feet was called the Karma Path. With every step, the causes he had sown and the effects he had reaped in the past clearly appeared in his mind, constantly magnifying. “Unresolved karma makes it easier to get lost here. Even a small matter can make one doubt if they made a mistake.” “Burdened by karma, one cannot move forward.” As Zhao Xing walked, he found his steps gradually becoming heavy. At a certain corner, he saw a bald bird.

“Caw!” A sharp cry pierced Zhao Xing’s ears. Zhao Xing stopped. This was the Heavenly Mandate Profound Bird from the Great Dream Academy. “Zhao Xing, why haven’t you come to save me!” “You’re clearly in such a high position now, why don’t you keep your promise and let me out?!” The Heavenly Mandate Profound Bird questioned loudly!

“I haven’t had time yet.” “Liar! A deceiver! I’m going to eat you!” With that, the Heavenly Mandate Profound Bird flapped its wings and rushed over. Zhao Xing’s steps halted for the first time.

In the Juzi Palace, King Rahu and Lu Ying watched the scene in the Earthly Deity Labyrinth. “He stopped.” Lu Ying said nervously, “Grand Commandant, what’s wrong with him?” “I don’t know.” King Rahu shook his head. The second stage of the soul inheritance trial was the Karma Soul trial. Ji Si couldn’t detect what was happening. Once the second stage began, one couldn’t exit unless they chose to abandon the trial. Choosing to abandon meant forgetting what one experienced inside.

“Many people stop at a corner.” Just then, Ji Si suddenly appeared beside the two. “I guess this symbolizes a past experience that was a turning point in their destiny.” “Look, everyone encounters such corners, almost without exception, they stop and move slower and slower.” Ji Si pointed to the other eight individuals on the screen. “Some are standing still, weeping bitterly. I think they saw something, perhaps recalled some painful past event.”

“Are you saying they encountered illusions?” Lu Ying asked. Soul trials often made one think of illusions.

“Possibly. These illusions might be the truths they are least willing to face. If their soul will isn’t firm enough, they might not pass the trial.” After Ji Si answered, Lu Ying said with some surprise, “Didn’t you say you couldn’t calculate it?” Ji Si snorted, “Times change. I’ve had the Star Fate Scroll for over two years now. If I hadn’t made any progress, wouldn’t I be wasting Zhao Xing’s good intentions?”

“Do you know the key to breaking this stage?” King Rahu asked. Ji Si pondered, “I’ve received some enlightenment. This stage should be related to the Earthly Soul, which is the Karma Soul.” “Heavenly and Earthly souls wander outside, while the Life Soul dwells in the womb. But this stage tests the Earthly Soul?” King Rahu frowned. “I’ve broken through to the Rule Realm, and my physical body’s seven souls have only merged with the Life Soul. Is such a trial reasonable?” Heavenly and Earthly souls couldn’t be cultivated. How could they be tested? Even after breaking through to the Rule Realm, King Rahu had only managed to merge his Life Soul with his physical body’s seven souls. Such a trial truly exceeded his understanding.

“Outsiders cannot be judged by common sense.” Lu Ying shook his head. “Perhaps beyond this realm, Heavenly and Earthly souls can also be cultivated.” Ji Si answered King Rahu’s initial question: “I guess this stage tests a person’s past experiences.” “The heavier the past karma one has accumulated, the harder it is to move forward in this stage.” “When people are weak, how would they consider such matters?” “Perhaps they ignored or even missed them.”

Lu Ying pondered, “Does that mean this stage tests a person’s character? The fewer dark sides and selfish desires one has, the easier it is to pass?” Ji Si considered this. “One could say that, but of course, I’m only guessing.”

“Ji Si, calculate the background of the black-clad mysterious man who is moving fastest inside.” King Rahu spoke. “I can’t.” Ji Si looked at the black-clad man who had traveled the furthest on the screen. “This person is likely already a true Rule Realm cultivator.” “Then forget it.”

Lu Ying’s eyes suddenly lit up: “Look, Zhao Xing is moving again.”

…

Inside the Earthly Deity Palace, Zhao Xing walked forward, his steps faltering. Behind him, a phantom bird clung to his back, constantly chirping in his ear, while Zhao Xing’s vision became blurry, as if covered by a barrier of knowledge. “From a cultivation perspective, to bring the Earthly Soul and Heavenly Soul into the Life Palace, the less personal karma one has, the better.”

“Fairy Su’s comprehended divine ability comes from the Cycle of Rebirth Divine Nation. This trial is also set up to mimic that faction’s principles: the less personal karma one has, the better. After all, if one controls the power of resurrection and has heavy karma, there’s a high possibility of abusing that power for personal gain.” “Fortunately, I paid attention to this since I was weak.” Zhao Xing walked, pondering.

At this moment, his body was covered in scratches; these were from the Heavenly Mandate Profound Bird’s pecking earlier. “While advancing, illusions that directly target one’s heart will manifest based on karma.” After turning a corner, Zhao Xing saw another figure. “Zhao Xing, you have ruined me so terribly, this King!” “Three of my sons died because of you. You also obstructed my great enterprise! You even groundlessly insulted this King…”

Zhao Xing: “…” The person before him was none other than King Liang Ji Mingxian. “Sigh.” Zhao Xing sighed. The next moment, King Liang Ji Mingxian collapsed onto the ground. He had been directly killed by Zhao Xing. “Sowing evil causes leads to evil consequences, and it will create illusory troubles inside. But is King Liang considered my evil cause and effect?” “Hmph!” Zhao Xing snorted coldly, stepped over King Liang’s corpse, and continued forward. The illusions generated by the Karma Labyrinth were extremely prone to misleading challengers, which tested one’s spiritual will.

“Even if one has committed heinous sins and sown countless karma, if one’s Dao Heart is firm, one can still kill, kill, kill their way through the stage.” “Slaying karma—this is the most violent way to pass.” “However, it sounds easy but is very difficult to do.” Zhao Xing walked, and then he saw another challenger. “It’s Marquis Linghuan.”

At this moment, Marquis Linghuan was standing still, his arms wrapped around the air, as if embracing someone. His right hand continuously stroked the back of this non-existent person, muttering, “Xin’er, Xin’er, I won’t be an official anymore, I won’t go. I will never disappoint you again; I will always be with you…” Zhao Xing glanced at Marquis Linghuan and couldn’t help but shake his head. Marquis Linghuan had once been on a mission with Ye Yukong, Palace Lord Tianshi, Lord Longyuan, and King Shenluo in Tianhe Prefecture to deal with an assassination team targeting himself. Fifty-odd years ago, Zhao Xing had also met Marquis Linghuan, who at that time also harbored some doubts about war.

“Did the karma illusion he encountered involve having disappointed someone he deeply loved?” “Marquis Linghuan himself is an illusionist; this is truly like a swimmer drowning.” Zhao Xing tried calling out a few times, fearing it was also an illusion, but found it had no effect on him, nor could he wake Marquis Linghuan. After watching for a while, Zhao Xing shook his head and continued forward.

“Illusions generated by karma are the hardest to break. The kind Marquis Linghuan is suffering from is very much like a honey trap.” “The common understanding of a honey trap: fair skin, beautiful, long legs, young, good in bed, not clingy.” “The actual honey trap: Chongba, I’m back~” “What’s more, this Marquis Linghuan once disappointed his beloved, so this stage is truly a killer.” “Fortunately, I don’t have such troubles. Women only affect my spellcasting speed.” Zhao Xing felt somewhat fortunate.

…

There were a total of nine people in the second stage. Zhao Xing walked along the Karma Path. Not long after he entered, he quickly surpassed Marquis Linghuan. After walking for an unknown duration, he successively saw a young man in a Daoist robe. “Master, you can’t blame me!” “Blame yourself for not passing the Sect Leader position to me!” The Daoist man growled with a twisted face, “I was forced to cast you into the infernal prison…” But before Zhao Xing could hear clearly, the man’s expression changed again, and he wept bitterly: “Master, I’m sorry… Boohoohoo.” “You were the only one in the entire sect who was good to me. I’m not human, I deserve to die. I was greedy, I’m an animal…” “Boohoohoo.” “He’s the Sect Leader of the top sect, Qingyang Sect.” Zhao Xing glanced at the other’s attire, then continued forward. Although it was a labyrinth, it generally had a forward direction.

As he walked further and further, another phantom appeared behind Zhao Xing: Marquis Tian. He was Zhao Xing’s teacher in the Ten Suns Cave Heaven. “Marquis Tian never asked anything of me. In the eighteenth year of Yuanhou, he died of old age.” “At that time, I was challenging a secret realm. I had every ability to promote Marquis Tian and help him extend his life, but I didn’t get around to it, nor did I attend his funeral or ask for his last words and wishes.”

Zhao Xing shook his head, allowing Marquis Tian to pound his back. “You heartless scoundrel!” Even knowing it was a karma illusion, Zhao Xing preferred to endure such pressure, the oppression on his soul, rather than act against Marquis Tian in the illusion.

“Hoo~” “Hoo~” As time passed, Zhao Xing’s steps grew slower and slower, and the sense of oppression on his soul became increasingly heavy. The convergence of the Earthly Soul and Life Soul brought immense burden and pain to the Life Soul. At this point, Zhao Xing no longer saw anyone ahead. This meant he had surpassed all eight previous challengers. “Liar! Liar!” “Scoundrel! Heartless!” “Senior brother, do you know how long I’ve waited…” “…”

Zhao Xing felt utterly exhausted, a fatigue that originated from deep within his soul. By now, he could barely move half a meter a day. The karma illusions were already suffocating him. Yet, with every ounce of strength he had, he stubbornly continued to walk forward, absolutely refusing to use the method of severing karma to remove the obstacles behind him. “Fairy Su, this is my Dao! What other illusions can you create? Bring them on!” Astonishing willpower erupted from Zhao Xing’s eyes.

Just then, a light gate appeared before him. A figure waited at the entrance. Zhao Xing struggled to walk over and clearly saw Fairy Su’s figure. Fairy Su also looked at Zhao Xing’s back.

“Good, you are very unique.” Fairy Su nodded slightly. “Please enter the next stage.” Zhao Xing stepped through the light gate. Then, he felt a complete release. He felt as if his soul had undergone some kind of transformation. The surrounding scenery also changed. A vast expanse of white, with mist rolling.

Fairy Su, in black, smiled at Zhao Xing: “Congratulations, you are the second to pass. You have received the stage reward: the Earthly Deity Pill.” “Second?” Zhao Xing was startled. So he hadn’t surpassed everyone? There was still a master? But then again, he had arrived over fifty years later.

“The Earthly Deity Pill will make your Earthly Soul clearer. After taking it, you can clear away the karmic threads that bind your Earthly Soul. Any unfair Life Soul contracts you previously had will be erased upon consuming the Earthly Deity Pill.” Fairy Su explained. Zhao Xing took the gray pill.

“Indeed, it has this… The cosmic version of the Earthly Deity Pill, also known as the Karma Pill, is a treasure that can violate various Life Soul oaths. It is one of the reasons why everyone in the cosmic version is wary and distrustful of each other.” Zhao Xing put the pill away, not consuming it. He didn’t have many karmic bindings to remove anyway, so there was no need to take it now. Karmic ties like those with the Heavenly Mandate Profound Bird and Marquis Tian still had a chance to be mended. The Earthly Deity Pill was best saved for later use.

“The third stage is called the Heavenly Deity Stage.” “The Heavenly Deity Stage is also known as the Heavenly Soul Stage or the Rebirth Stage.” “By passing the Rebirth Stage, you can comprehend the minor divine ability ‘Three Deity Life Palace.’” “Once you comprehend the divine ability of ‘Three Deity Life Palace,’ even if you are burdened by the seven physical souls and suppressed by the origin of the Xuanhuang Realm, your Life Soul will immediately reach the Rule Realm!” “Once your soul breaks through, you will have comprehensively reached the Rule Realm with no bottlenecks whatsoever.” “Whether you can establish your Dao depends on whether your era allows you to reach the Dao Establishment Realm.” With that, Fairy Su waved her hand.

The surrounding mist immediately dispersed. As the mist cleared, Zhao Xing also saw the surrounding scenery. In front, there was an ancient black palace. There were thirty steps before the palace. Ahead, a tall figure in black robes stood with his hands behind his back on the fifteenth step.

As Zhao Xing looked over, the figure happened to break free from the stage’s restraint and ascended another step. As if sensing something, the black-clad figure looked back, and there seemed to be a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Upon seeing the black-clad man’s true face, Zhao Xing cupped his hands: “Palace Lord.” Qitian nodded slightly: “King Zhao, thank you for letting my brothers go.” “A minor matter,” Zhao Xing replied. This was none other than Qitian, the strongest being in the Heavenly Realm, the founder of Qitian Palace, known as “Immortal Qitian.” If there were no unforeseen circumstances, this person had already reached the true Rule Realm.

“I didn’t expect Palace Lord to be less than four hundred years old.” “You seem to know me very well.” Qitian’s gaze was deep. “Your strength is not as simple as it appears.” “Palace Lord’s strength is not weak either,” Zhao Xing said. “You haven’t left the stage, yet you already know I am King Zhao, and you spared your people.” “It seems we both have secrets,” Qitian smiled. “You once invited the Heavenly Realm to find you. It seems we can have a good chat this time.” “Precisely,” Zhao Xing nodded.

The two ended their conversation, and then Qitian continued his trial. Zhao Xing also stepped onto the first step, quietly awaiting the arrival of his trial.

“Hm?” After waiting for a moment, Zhao Xing realized that nothing happened after he stepped onto the first step. “The Rebirth Stage, shouldn’t there be illusions of reincarnation? What’s going on?” After waiting a bit longer, many pieces of information appeared in his mind. His expression changed dramatically. “This is enlightenment about the Three Deity Life Palace, but how did I just automatically comprehend it?” “Where is the trial?” Zhao Xing was utterly bewildered.

He tentatively took a step up. He found that he effortlessly ascended to the second step. After waiting for a moment, another part of the enlightenment regarding ‘Three Deity Life Palace’ appeared in his mind. “W-what the heck? Is it a bug?” Zhao Xing was startled. “Why are there only rewards and no trial?” He rubbed his eyes, suspecting he was already hallucinating. But the enlightenment felt incredibly real!

He walked up step by step, half in doubt, and soon arrived at the sixteenth step where Palace Lord Qitian had been. At that moment, Palace Lord Qitian had just passed the sixteenth stage and was stepping onto the seventeenth step. But his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a figure, so he instinctively turned his head to look.

Qitian: “???”