Chapter 9 - 49

later.)

—---

"I see this is your main body. Did you finish your retreat?" asked Wang Wei.

"Yes," nodded Wu Hong with shining eyes. However, they quickly dimmed as worry felt her eyes.

"What's wrong? Is the method not feasible?"

Wu Hong paused for a moment before waving her hands to seal the surroundings. Then, she talked to him only through Divine Sense.

"I did finish the method of casting a Perfect Foundation. Well, a better name for it would be Transcendent Foundation."

"You mean, it can help people become detached?" asked Wang Wei with shock; he only thought this method would drastically increase his strength, make his cultivation path smoother, and maybe allow him to intervene in the perfection taboo.

"It's not as Heaven-Defying as you think. It only increases a person's chance of becoming Half-Step Detachment by a few percent."

"Even then, it's style a technique that could cause chaos and disaster in the entire Chaos Universe."

Wang Wei knew his Wu Hong, Sword Empress, Qiyuan, and many of his ancestors were peerless talents who reached the pinnacle of the universe. Yet, none of them could find a path forward to transcendence.

Finally, Qiyuan planned a heaven-shaking plan to gather the luck and power of sentient beings to summon the Ultimate Taboo–giving the entire universe a chance or path toward detachment.

But even then, he still technically failed even though countless Half-Step Transcendent Beings suddenly appeared in the universe.

(AN: Half-Step Detach will now be referred to as Half-Step Transcendent. I like the name better.)

But this [Transcendent Dao Foundation Technique] could increase the probability of someone reaching this realm pursued by countless Paragons, Fiengods, Dao Monarchs, and even Immortal King.

Wang Wei took a moment to inhale and exhaled, calming down, "So, what exactly is this method? How does it work?"

"Grand Dao forbids the existence of [Perfection] because only Transcendents are perfect. You can say the process of becoming detached is a process of becoming the perfect being."

Wang Wei frowned, "I always felt Grand Dao wanted more powerful beings to appear in the universe–including Transcendents. Was I wrong?" He could not think why perfection would become taboo if Grand Dao wanted all sentient beings to reach higher realms.

"You're correct, hence why the Perfection Taboo is divided into Mortal and Perfection, allowing people to slowly study this taboo. However, how could becoming Transcendent be so easy?"

"So, the process of becoming Transcendent is a Hell-Level Copy, but by making Perfection a taboo, Grand Dao elevated it to Nightmare-Level?"

According to the game analogy he used to understand the cultivation world, players began their journey with the Mortal Copy, where their objective is to reach the peak of mortality or the Quasi-Emperor Realm.

The copy has different maps (Great Thousand World or Heaven Will World] and based on the maps and the player's luck, the Mortal Copy has different levels of difficulty. But as their level (cultivation) rises, the difficulty will also increase.

Afterward, it is the Immortal Copy where they have to become eternal by proving the Dao. Once that copy is finished, they have to change the setting (Eternal Ascension World.)

The end of the Immortal Copy is the highest level (Paragon Realm.) Finally, it's the Transcendent Copy, where they have to go beyond the level ceiling of the game.

Unfortunately, the Game Master or Artificial Intelligence (Grand Dao) who controls the game raised the difficulty of the Transcendent Copy from Hell Difficulty to the Nightmare Level by making Perfection a taboo.

Wu Hong was momentarily speechless as this was the perfect analogy to summarize the situation.

"You can think of it that way," she replied.

Wang Wei nodded, "Can you briefly describe this technique?"

"I used the Three Flower Condensing Method to sublimate the Dao Foundation to a sense of perfection," she explained. "Upon success, your three flowers should reach the Zero Level."

She succeeded so quickly because she remembered how he complained about going beyond the First Level Flower and thought of using this method as the foundation for her research.

"Is there something wrong with your method?" asked Wang Wei, remembering her worried look.

"Yes," nodded Wu Hong. "Grand Dao will not allow someone to easily condense such a foundation, and most likely will directly kill you or lower a tribulation even worse than the Supreme Outlaw Trial.

Wang Wei shuddered thinking about these words; he almost died during the Supreme Outlaw Trial, so he could not imagine how terrible the Perfection Trial would be.

"Could we condense the Transcendent Foundation in a place where Grand Dao's power does not exist or is weakened?" freewёbnoνel.com

"That's the only way to deal with this problem," replied Wu Hong. "However, the places that fit these criteria are few, and most are Forbidden Lands in Primordial Chaos; they are as dangerous as Grand Dao itself."

Wang Wei frowned, "With the Eternal Ascesion's current situation, we will have to deal with the parasites before searching for these places. No, even if they were not present, I would need to reach a high enough cultivation realm to enter these Forbidden Lands."

He looked at his wife," Do we have to postpone cultivating the technique?"

Wu Hong did not answer him for a moment before looking into his eyes, "Do you trust me?"

"With my life," he replied without hesitation and with a brilliant smile.

"After completing the technique, a sudden message popped into my mind: we need to enter the Dark Truth to establish the perfect foundation?"

"Dark Truth? What's that?"

"Another taboo," replied Wu Hong. "It's a fog that has existed since the beginning of the Chaos Universe, and even Grand Dao cannot get rid of it. It can be found throughout countless Normal and Chaos Worlds.

"Typically, the fog will only remain in these worlds with no purpose. However, once someone enters, they will suffer three fates: die, nothing happens, or be blessed by the fog with treasures, cultivation techniques, increases in talent, and many more."

"Why is that?"

"That's the mystery of the fog: no one knows the criteria which decide whether someone will be blessed and die."

"You said the fog normally remains peaceful. What about other times?"

"It will destroy everything in its path. And it did not matter how many Paragons or Fiendgods tried to stop it–they all died. I believe even Half-Step Transcendent like Maitreya is only bigger ants before the Dark Truth."

Wang Wei frowned, calming down to analyze the situation, "Does our world has a Dark Truth?"

"Yes, at the Extremity Sea at the end of the Endless Void."

"In that case, I will set foot in the Dark Truth after proving the Dao to set up the perfect foundation."

"Are you sure?" asked Wu Hong, worry oozing out of every pore of her body. "You could die."

"Or, I will succeed," he countered with a smile. "I have long understood that certain things do not require logic, calculations, or intelligence: they need a leap of faith.

"Since I trust, I will take that leap."

Wu Hong sighed before putting her head on his chest, "Good. Anyway, there are advantages to using the Dark Truth instead of the others."

"Oh?"

"Resources. According to my calculations, the Transcendent Dao Foundation requires numerous materials–some of which are as rare as the Limit Breaker.

"But if nothing unexpected occurs, the fog should grant you these materials."

"More reason to use it," commented Wang Wei.

"Maybe," muttered Wu Hong lost in thought. She was worried about Wang Wei's safety, but there was nothing she could do. However, her other worried was her main body.

'Will she also take a leap of faith? Very unlikely.' She groaned.

'Whatever: let nature take its course.'

"I will go prepare before we go on our vacations."

"Okay."

Wang Wei left the manor as he summoned Wang Ju to Tianwei Peak. He wanted to deal with the sect's affairs while being updated on the things that had occurred since his seclusion.

According to his calculation, 225,000 years passed, and with the 10 times Time Acceleration Formation he set, he experienced over 2 million years. However, the time he spent more than 730 million years comprehending the laws, tempering his body, and so on.

'My Primordial Spirit allows me to divide my mind into trillions, drastically increasing my comprehension. So, I spend at least a few trillion comprehending the law: no wonder my Dao Tree turned purple gold," pondered Wang Wei, realizing how awesome and broken he was.

"However, this generation is probably only 300,000 years, but it's already time for the final battle: it's really short." His father's generation lasted more than 600,000 years before the current one began, Of course, most of the people in that generation were Saint and had to seal themselves to live this long.

Wang Wei looked in the distance as he noticed something with his Divine Sense.

"Why are there so many Alchemists at the foot of the mountain?" The main city of the sect, located at the foot of the mountain, contained an abnormal amount of Alchemist or Pill Refiner.

"Could it be?" he muttered as he thought of something. The power of fate flashed in his eyes.

"Liling became the first Pill Refiner to create an Immortal Pill, and Heavenly Dao rewarded her with immense merit. Then, countless alchemists from all five continents came to worship the sect; they wanted to see her, worship her as a master, or learn from her.

"Not bad; she did not shame her status as my little sister."

Wang Wei then flew to Tianwei Peak.

Wang Wei flew to Tianwei Peak as he waited for Wang Ju. He took this moment of quiet to think about the Dark Truth and the previous conversation he had with Wu Hong.

'It's only a 33% chance of death for a higher chance at Transcendence,' he pondered. The cultivating world has always been about opportunities and taking risks, determining whether it's worth it. And in this situation, the stakes are worth it.

There have been countless geniuses thought the Chaos Universe, including people like him, who are Dao Overlords, born with Paragon Souls, cultivated Nine Extremity Foundation, or even a combination of the three.

Wang Wei knew he had three advantages over others: his recent Ten Supremacy Foundation, his Willpower, and the knowledge from Earth, which is another civilization.

'The Ten Supremacy Foundation should only help me until the Empyrean Realm. My Willpower and sealed spiritual power until the Paragon Realm, and finally, my greatest advantage should be Earth.'

Wang Wei has read many stories about how many protagonists reached Transcendence, and he can use them as references. Although there is a high chance these methods are nonsense or pure fantasy, it does not matter.

The power of cultivation allowed people to turn fantasy into reality and nonsense into truth. So, after reaching the peak of Paragon Realm, he can try all these nonsense ideas one by one. After all, he will be immortal and has an infinite lifespan to try them all.

Regardless, his Earth advantage is not as absolute as he would like since there are others. First, there is the Human Emperor, who is very likely to be the First Emperor of China, the ruler of the Qin Dynasty–Qin Shihuang.

Furthermore, Wang Wei believes he was not the only one Hongjun reincarnated. Even worse, there is a high chance he was in an accident and was not part of the latter's original plan.

'So, the danger of the Dark Truth is worth the risk to increase my chances at Transcendence,' pondered Wang Wei. 'Furthermore, there might be no danger at all.'

The idea of using the Dark Truth would not appear in her mind for no reason.

'So, there is a high chance future me or future her sent the information, planning across space-time,' he pondered, deep in thought. 'I should also consider the possibility my future enemy is calculating me across time. But if my future self cannot prevent such a method, he's a waste.'

Wang Wei suddenly groaned; he did not like that his future self was planning his current self. If he had the power, he would revolt against his future self.

"The ancients did not deceive me when they said weakness was a sin," he muttered with a sigh. Then, he chuckled as he realized his future self was speechless right as he realized his younger self wanted to rebel. His mood improved after thinking about this as he relaxed.

'Wang Ju is late. Did something happen?' he thought as he looked at the time. Since she did not ask for help, it must be something minor. So, Wang Wei took this time to further analyze his Ten Supremacy Foundation; he felt there might be more mysteries to unravel.

'I wonder whether there will one day be Eleven Hegemony Foundation or Twelve Ultimate Foundation. Well, the names need some work.'

He theorized whether these two foundations would require a mortal to have Empyrean and Paragon Strength; that would be terrifying and probably impossible.

'Most like, Eleven Hegemony Foundation would require Second Class Emperor Strength, and Twelve Ultimate Foundation would require First Class Strength. And if there is a Thirteen Transcendent Foundation, it would require Eternal-level power.'

Wang Wei shook his head as those requirements were also crazy–especially knowing the vast strength difference between each Class. He could not fathom what it would take for a mortal to meet these requirements.

As for himself? He only pondered briefly about these foundations before giving up. There were only 500 years before the Heaven Will Battle. Furthermore, he has yet to discover the missing link to his Ten Supremacy Foundation, let alone have any ideas on higher ones. So, he shook his head to remove these ideas from his mind.

Wang Wei waved his hand to manifest his Fate Palaces. Oddly, there were not nine but ten; unfortunately, the last one was transparent and not completely condensed.

'I previously thought the Fate Palaces would be useless after proving the Dao,' he thought. 'I plan to see if I could create a few unique techniques using them. However, after seeing the tenth one, my intuition tells me they will be extremely vital to me in the future.'

His intuition told him after condensing the twelfth palaces–most likely after becoming a Paragon–something magical would happen, and the true brilliance of these Fate Palaces will manifest.

"Sect Master, I apologize for my tardiness."

Wang Wei put away his palaces before gazing at the kneeling Wang Ju.

"Get up."

"Thank you."

"What happened?"

"The traitors tried to use the increasing number of Alchemists to infiltrate the sect. I was hunting down their people."

"Did you get any information or capture anyone?"

"Unfortunately, no. They committed suicide as soon as I was about to catch them."

"I see. Well, forget them for now," replied Wang Wei. "Did anything change with your strength after my retreat?"

"No, I still retain the peak 7-Leaf battle prowess," explained Wang Ju. "However, I discovered I could enter a special state where my strength reached the Dao Ancestor level. However, the state will not last long and place a severe burden on my body afterward."

"As expected, Heavenly Dao or Grand Dao nerfed the technique," muttered Wang Wei to himself. 'I guess it's better than nothing.'

Then, he asked Wang Ju, "Tell me the important information that happened during the past 200,000 years."

"Yes. Firstly, the Dao Burial Ground disappeared right before you entered seclusion."

Wang Wie nodded as he remembered hearing this news. However, he was dealing with Di Tian, followed by the Spirit Genesis Sect, so he did not pay too much attention.

"I have tried to investigate the cause of this disappearance, but nothing has been found after so many years."

"That's fine. Anything else?" Wang Wei did not care about these rats since he could find them anytime after becoming an Emperor.

"Wu Meng from the Origin Rune Palace hunted down someone with an Entrance Token. He has hinted that he has no desire to compete in the final battle and wants to become our ally. According to our analysis, there is a 70% chance he's telling the truth and a 30% chance he's lying and want to backstab us."

"I see. Continue."

"Many sealed Heaven Chosens have awakened and hunted these weak individuals with Entrance Token."

"These wastes," muttered Wang Wei. "I saved them and placed karma on them for nothing."

He looked in the distance as he sensed the disappearing Karma threads. With a flick of his fingers, he placed these threads on these people's descendants, families, and loved ones. As for the ones who were true loners, he plans to pass the debts to their factions after he becomes an Emperor and is more powerful.

"What else?"

"We have infiltrated deep into this world's branch of the Corpse Selling Sect."

"Oh, what happened?" asked Wang Wei with intrigue. Wang Ju explained how she used the conflict between Wang Wei and Yu Zhou–who wanted a new body–to justifiably attack the Corpse Selling Sect. Then, in the chaos, she sent more of her Fate Shadow Guard to infiltrate the sect.

"Excellent work," said Wang Wei, genuinely surprised; he did not think Wang Ju was this capable. "Do you want any reward?"

"Sect master's praise is more than enough," replied Wang Ju–who spoke from the heart. As the sect master's shadows, she did not lack any resources or power. However, she feared her work would not be satisfactory, so she was more than happy with these words of praise.

"If you say so," nodded Wang Wei, not inisting. "Anything else, or is this the end?"

"No, the most significant event in the past few years is Feng Heng becoming a traitor to the Taiyi Profound Gate. They denounced his status as the next heir and even hunted him down.

"The event shocked the world because many Immortal Tier Powerhouses and even Insurgents betrayed the sect with Feng Heng."

"So, he was found out in the end?" commented Wang Wei with a frown. "How was our situation?"

"The Profound Gate discovered many of our upper-level spies and killed them. Only a few escaped."

"This Feng Heng is becoming a pain in the ass and a terrible associate," groaned Wang Wei. It was because of his people that Feng Hend was not discovered sooner. But now, all his works seemed in vain.

"Whatever. I've done my part to repay my Karma with Buddishm," he added. "Do we still have people inside?"

"Yes, but they are few in between."

"That's more than enough. What happened to Feng Heng?"

"He disappeared, and no one can find him," replied Wang Ju. "I guess he is hiding inside the Western Pure Land. Sect master, do you want to contact him?"

"No, leave him alone. In the current situation, he needs us more than we need him."

Jian Wushuang is now completely healed," said Wang Ju. "However, it seems he has no desire to compete in this generation."

"It makes sense. He lost too much time and is way behind the others. Furthermore, it will not be easy to heal such a broken Dao Heart," commented Wang Wei. "Did anything happen to the Spirit Genesis Sect? Or our people in the Commerce Hub and other World Communities?"

"No, everything has been peaceful recently: we now have a stable foothold in the Commerce Hub. However, the other groups do not want us to reach the core of power, so they've restricted our actions."

"It doesn't matter. With the stable foothold, I can overthrow the entire table and forcefully take over," said Wang Wei with a sneer, revealing his late-stage capitalist mentality. "Anything else?"

"The last thing to report is there have been three auspicious signs in the past 200,000 years. One was from Great Elder Yan Liling, the other from the Di Clan and the Great Talisman City."

"Tong Ruobing? What has she been to?"

"She made an Immortal Talisman," said a beautiful voice. Wang Wei looked over and saw Yan Liling walking in the hall.

"Oh, so a similar situation must have happened with Talisman Masters all over the world."

Yan Liling shook his head, "The Great Talisman City refused to acknowledge the truth. They most likely want Tong Ruobing to keep the news as a surprise in the final battle."

"Is that so?" muttered. "This generation is truly a Glorious Age: two talents who achieved something all professions have been a pursuit for countless eras."

"Indeed."

"What's wrong?" asked Wang Wei, who felt her voice contained some weird emotions.

"I used the special array from the ancestors to condense Immortal Qi to make the Immortal Pill. Although I had to design the formula and divine runes, the most significant reason for my success was the Immortal Qi. My method is not universal, hence the reason I have not made it public to gather merit.

"However, Tong Ruobing should not have access to that array. And having an Immortal Venerable gather Immortal Qi for her is not enough to create an Immortal Tier Talisman."

Wang Wei gave her a weird look as he guessed the strange emotion was envy and competitive nature; Yan Liling did not want to lose to Tong Ruobing in her achievement.

"Our spies gathered some scattered aura when her Immortal Talisman underwent Tribulation," continued Yan Liling as she handed him a talisman. "Over the years, I have theorized how she made the talisman, but I wanted your opinion to confirm."

Wang Wei used his Divine Sense to sense the aura from the talisman. "There is a small aura similar to Emperor Artifact." Although it was feint, he could detect it.

"Her method is probably similar to how most Emperor creates an artifact. She made a Talisman Embryo before borrowing the power of an Emperor Artifact to elevate from the Quasi-Emperor Tier to the Immortal Tier."

"That's what I thought," said Yan Liling with squinted eyes.

"Tong Ruobing is truly a talent," commented Wang Wei with admiration. After learning some of his ideas from Wu Meng, she seemed to have opened her mind and begun to think from outside of the box; in other words, she was not limited by the thinking logic of the people of this world.

"She's not better than me," said Yan Liling.

"Oh, did you think of countermeasures to make your method more universal?"

"Yes," replied Yan Liling. "I've begun the study of Immortal Runes: the purpose of these runes is to turn Innate Qi into Immortal Qi so that all professions can create Immortal Tier creations."

"Ambitious," said Wang Wei with brilliant eyes. "Although less than five people in each generation will have the talent to portray these Immortal Runes, the creation of such a system is enough to grant you the title of Dan Ancestor."

Wang Wei's statistics were wrong: it would be a blessing to have someone in every five generations have the talent to use Immortal Runes. However, if his new era is as brilliant as he envisioned, the Myriad Emperor World's destiny will drastically increase, thus giving birth to more geniuses every generation.

Regardless, he was right about Yan Liling's capability of receiving the title of [Dan Ancestors] as her Immortal Runes are not less of an accomplishment than the Danyuan Emperor's creation of Divine Runes.

"To be honest, I have even bigger hopes for the Immortal Runes," said Yan Liling with a smile.

"Oh? Do tell," replied Wang Wei; he was quite intrigued."

"I hope the Immortal Runes could resonate with the Source Qi Space and summon Immortal Qi to temper the pills."

Wang Wei squinted his eyes.

"What do you think? Is it feasible?"

"I don't know," he said with a sigh. "In the upper dimension, it's normal for Quasi-Emperors to find ways to become Immortal Venerable or Dao Ancestors without the aid of a Great Emperor.

"However, things are different in the lower dimension. And since your Immortal Runes involved Immortal Qi, True Heavenly Dao might not allow it to happen."

"But I should have a chance, right?" continued Yan Liling. "True Heavenly Dao has become less strict because of the current situation. Furthermore, you told us the Pursuong Longevity World has an Immortal Source, so it's not Immortal Qi is completely banned in the lower dimension."

"You're right, and I'm not trying to dissuade you. I just want you to realize this path will not be easy," nodded Wang Wei.

"I never thought it would: as long I have a chance, I would pursue it."

"Good. Let me see your preliminary research," asked Wang Wei, and Yan Liling gave him an Information Transmission Talisman. The research on the Immortal Runes turning Innate Qi into Immortal Qi is proceeding smoothly due to the Miscellaneous Emperor's array.

Although it is far from the success stage, things are proceeding smoothly. However, things cannot be said to be the same for one related to the Source Qi Space.

"Do you need Innate Qi?" he asked.

"No, the ancestors provided them to me for my research."

"That's good. After becoming Emperor, we will explore the Source Qi Space to see if your research can succeed."

"I had the same idea."

"How is the Automatic Pill Cauldron?"

"I've basically succeeded," replied Yan Liling. "The cauldron can refine pills from the lowest Profound Tier to Quasi-Emperor. I began my research on the Immortal Runes because I wanted to upgrade it to be able to refine Immortal Pills."

"Excellent," nodded Wang Wei with satisfaction; he was happy with Yan Liling's talent and accomplishment. Although he was also an Alchemist, he only cultivated it as an auxiliary Dao.

'With the merit from the cauldron and the Immortal Rune, Liling should be able to condense a Golden Body of Merit–just like mom,' thought Wang Wei, pondering about the Merit Proving Dao Method.

"You should not give up on perfecting the Innate Pill Technique. After all, Innate Pills are on par with Emperor Pills," he added.

However, Yan Liling shook her head, "You created that technique, so you should complete it. The merit should be enough to benefit you." She understood that Wang Wei allowed her to finish that technique because he wanted her to have merit and ensure her future cultivation.

However, she no longer lacks ways to gather merit, so he should use it on himself.

"Alright. I guess I can no longer be lazy," nodded Wang Wei. "By the way, where is Li Jun?" He sent someone to call him, but he had not arrived yet, which was odd. "Is he still in retreat?"

"He went to see his son," replied Yan Liling.

"I thought he wanted to leave them sealed until after the battle?"

"The final battle is dangerous, and anything can happen. So, he wanted to see them just in case."

"That's not a bad idea," he muttered. In this glorious generation, anything can happen. So, he won't relax or be careful until he holds the Heaven Will in his hand and absorbs it.

"Are you jealous?" asked Wang Wei with a smile.

"Do you think it's wise to poke at my sore spot?" rebutted Yan Liling with a speechless look. However, Wang Wei only chuckled.

"If you're jealous, you can have a little one of your own after becoming Emperor: give birth to an Emperor Child for the sect."

Yan Liling was even more speechless, "With our current cultivation, it's already a statistical improbability to have children–let alone after we become Emperor."

"Don't worry. I will bless you with the fate of having children. If you guys plan it at the right time when the generation is changing, you should have a higher chance of conceiving."

"Is that possible?" asked Yan Liling.

"Although not guaranteed success, it should increase your chances," replied Wang Wei with excitement in his eyes.

"Why do you seem happier than me?"

"According to my plan, I won't have children until I reach beyond the Dao. If it's a daughter, I plan to spoil her. But if it's a son, I will train him with the harshest method possible," explained Wang Wei with brilliant eyes.

"So, I need to practice on how to spoil my daughter. Plus, I always wanted to be the fun and doting uncle."

Yan Liling did not know how to answer, so she only shook her head with a wry smile.freeweɓnovel.cѳm

You can't spoil our child," said a deep voice."

"Why not?" asked Wang Wei, looking at the red-haired Li Jun. "You can't take my Heaven-given rights as an uncle."

"Don't you despise Heaven?"

"Even then, this does not give you the right to destroy my dream for no reason."

"It is my child, so I have the right. Plus, I have valid reasons."

"They will be my nephews, so I also have the right. What good reason would you have?" Wang Wei said with a sneer.

"If you must know, I plan to spoil my children, too," said Li Jun, sneering as well. "If we both spoil them, aren't they going to be rotten?"

"You have a point," nodded Wang Wei with great seriousness. "We don't want them to turn into second-generation Young Master who terrorizes people's livelihood and steal other people's daughter and wives."

"Exactly. With these kids' background, they would become a nightmare to the world if we spoiled them rotten," nodded Li Jun with fear in his eyes as he imagined how he would protect his children regardless of their faults. And if you add their overpowered and invincible uncles who did the same, these kids would bully the entire lower dimensions and become the ultimate menace between Heaven and Earth.

"I have a perfect solution that allows us to both spoil them," said Wang Wei with shining eyes.

"Oh, I'm all ears."

"We let their mothers be the boring parents that disciples and control them. Meanwhile, we become the fun parents that spoil them."

"Great idea," replied Li Jun, unable to contain his excitement. "We can spoil them without worrying them turning into second-generations Young Master.

"Honey, isn't this a good idea?"

"In your dream," replied Yan Liling.

"What's wrong?"

"Do you want me to be the villain to our child while you get to be the favorite parent? In your dream."

"No, no. You have it all wrong," he explained. "Our child will thank you for being strict with them. So, although it will appear as if I'm their favorite, it's only temporarily."

Yan Liling did not say anything but sneered at him. Li Jun gritted his teeth, "What about him?" he said, pointing at the smiling Wang Wei, who seemed to be enjoying the drama.

"Are you going to let him spoil our children and be a bad influence?"

"Don't pull me into this."

"As he said, it is his right as an uncle," said Yan Liling. "Plus, we can't stop him even if we want to."

'Damnit,' thought Li Jun, who did not want to be the only one who suffered. "You know his personality; he might go too far."

"If he does, this old lady will fight with him to death and ban him from seeing our children."

"What? This has to be against the law or some form of abuse," argued Wang Wei.

"When it comes to the child that I will probably spend a couple of hundred thousand years carrying–I am the law."

'Danm it, she's right,' thought Wang Wei with gritted teeth. Then, the three looked at each other with an intense aura, fighting for their rights on how to raise this nonexistent child properly.

"Hahahhahhahaha."

"Hahahahhahaha."

"Hahahahahhahahah."

They suddenly laughed aloud, ignoring their exalted status or power. The three sat in a circle as they served tea to each other.

"How was your retreat?" asked Wang Wei, and Li Jun briefly released his aura.

"Peak 6-Leaf Strength?" he asked with surprise. According to his calculation, Li Jun should have reached the peak 5-Leaf with the Slaughter Heart, with a small chance of early 6-Leaf.

But his current strength was one tiny step away from reaching the mortal limit of 7-Leaf.

"Yes, and with that weapon, I can skip grades to fight."

"What happened?" Wang Wei asked.

"A lot of things," he replied with a sigh.

225,000 years ago:

Li Jun took the War Talisman and the Slaughter Heart, prepared to enter seclusion. He teleported to a secret realm overseen by Supreme Elder Miscellaneous One. He walked to a place with numerous formations.

"Are you prepared?" asked Miscellaneous One.

"Yes."

"The first step is to line your Proving Dao with the Weapon Embryo. Later on, you have to conquer it with your own Willpower."

"As you wish." A weapon rack with 18 weapons manifested above an illusory spear at the center of the multiple arrays. Under his control, Li Jun create a subtle connection between the two.

"Done," he muttered. "Supreme Elder, how is the gathering of baleful aura?"

"The sect has sent people throughout the Myriad Emperor World and the Lower Realm to gather aura for you. Furthermore, the sect master also used his incarnations for the search."

Li Jun nodded as he knew his brother's incarnations were very effective in the search–especially the Karma, Space-Time, and Luck Incarnations. The Space-Time Incarnation can travel to different timelines–especially the ones where the world suffered killing disasters–to gather a baleful aura. Meanwhile, the Karma Incarnation can use karma throughout space-time to leave baleful aura-related resources for the future.

As for the Luck Incarnation? He only needed to travel around randomly, and he would find the thing he needed since baleful aura was not some high-level or rare resource.

'Big brother said he even sent a mission to his Chat Group to help me gather baleful aura. So, I do not need to worry about this weapon for now.'

Li Jun nodded in satisfaction before entering seclusion. His first step was to absorb the War Talisman. The process of refining the War Talisman was an exhilarating experience.

Every second, he could feel his understanding of War Dao drastically increase. It was as if someone had taken the Dao of War from beginning to end and condensed it into the shape of a talisman. And while refining it, he got to experience this Dao from beginning to end.

So, Li Jun comprehended this Dao and fused it with his own. In the process, nine shadows appeared behind Li Jun; they were not Dharma Bodies but his [Future Buddha Self]. Unfortunately, even talented people like Wang Tian can only condense 12 [Future Buddha Self] due to restrictions.

'Done," muttered Li Jun as he looked inside his body. A quarter of his Dao Tree had turned silver.

'Due to the restraint of time, this should be my limit. However, I should be able to achieve complete Silver before I become Emperor.'

The next step of his cultivation was to fuse with the Dharma Body. However, Li Jun planned to follow Wang Wei's example and condense his Dharma Body into human size before the fusion.

Li Jun tried and was successful. However, he sensed the process was as slow as a turtle. However, the benefit was he discovered the process helped him cultivate the Force Control Skill.

'After success, I should reach the Immortal Control and even peak at the Dao Control Level.'

Li Jun then focused on tempering his body and absorbing the Slaughter Heart. The heart helped reinforce his foundation and temper his body.

Over the years, he used different body tempering techniques. However, the most recent was one called [Slaughter Mind Tempering], which he acquired from the Battle Maniac Ancestor; he felt his technique suited him perfectly.

The technique allowed him to condense a unique physique called [Slaughter Mind Physique], which significantly boosted his strength.

"Previously, I only half condensed this physique. However, I can complete it with the Slaughter Heart,' thought Li Jun as he continued to absorb the heart.

"Done," he muttered before cultivating the second stage of the [Slaughter Mind Tempering]. The technique allowed him to create a world of Slaughter in his Sea of Consciousness. As such, the deeper his understanding of Slaughter Dao, the better the world he can make.

Then, he will use the power of Slaughter to condense in that world to temper his body; the power of Slaughter contains negative emotions that can corrupt the flesh. However, it also included vitality to revive the flesh, thus achieving a state of tempering through destruction and revival.

The core of this technique is the transformation of Spirit into Essence; in other words, using the mind to elevate the fleshly body.

'This technique is quite ingenious, requiring little to no resources,' thought Li Jun, gritting his teeth to bear the pain. 'If I guess correctly, it should be a precious Innate Technique.'

The Slaughter World in his mind will temper his flesh, soul, and willpower. Li Jun gritted his teeth until he reached his limit.

Bang!

He punched the air, feeling the power flushing through his veins.

"52 Primordial Dragon Force: excellent," muttered Li Jun. Then, a ruthless light flashed in his eyes. "Next step."

Li Jun immediately underwent the Flesh Tribulation.

"The tribulation is composed of seven levels, corresponding to the skin, muscles or tendon, bones, organs, blood, meridians or veins, and soul," muttered Li Jun. "Most people cannot pass one, genius can survive two simultaneously, and unparallel genius will survive three."

He squinted his eyes. "Compared to talents, I am nothing compared to the ancestors or sister-in-law. However, I will never lose to them regarding Willpower.

"No, I must surpass them. So, I chose four tests."

As soon as he made a choice, he prepared. A terrifying and unknown power descended on his body, and Li Jun screamed, destroying his lung and vocal cords.

He felt his mind being broken due to the immense pain. However, he endured.

Li Jun remembered his family waiting for him, his big brother and his wives. He remembered his childhood when children looked down on him because he was born with weak luck compared to others.

More importantly, he remembered the goal he had made for himself:

'I am no worse than anyone.'

Li Jun kept screaming, and his life aura reached an all-time low. Regardless, he persisted. His conviction and beliefs allowed him to push behind his limit.

After an unknown amount of time, after rushing on the verge of death numerous times, he finally succeeded.

"I…survived," he muttered after everything ended. He stood up from the cultivation mat as he sensed the power from his flesh: 56 Primordial Dragon Force.

Li Jun exhaled deeply as he looked in the distance; he muttered, "I am a Heaven Chosen."

His state of mind sublimated as he felt the shackles in his mind lifted. From now on, he knew his Dao Journey would be smoother.

After that, I shrunk my Dharma Body and fused with it," explained Li Jun.

"Did it help with your Duyi Realm?" asked Wang Wei.

"No. I guess because it was your idea and method," replied Li Jun. "However, I'm satisfied with the result." His Dao Body was more powerful after using this method.

"I spent a lot of my cultivation time training my Duyi Realm," added Li Jun.

"That's a good idea. What about that weapon? Have you subdued it yet?"

"You can say I barely subdue it," Li Jun said, shaking his head. He created an ominous weapon, so the thing kept trying to kill him every time he used it. So, he had to continue training to use it.

"You should be careful," warned Yan Liling. "Even if you subdue that thing, it might counter-attack when you're at you're weakest."

"That's indeed possible," he uttered. Li Jun could foresee the final battle would push him to his limit, and he will also have numerous moments of weakness. So, the ominous weapon might use those opportunities to counter-attack and kill him.

"Place a self-detonating seal on it," uttered Wang Wei. "If it does revolt, don't hesitate to blow it up; you can even use it as a bomb on the enemy."

Wang Wei has always disliked weapons with intelligence or consciousness. So, he never allowed his Proving Dao Weapon to grow sentience even though it would be more powerful. And wherever he encountered an artifact with sentience that tried to resist, he did not hesitate to obliterate their consciousness.

"Yes, I should place counter-measures in case something goes wrong," nodded Li Jun; he also realized the possibility of the enemy inducing the weapon to rebel against him. So, he needed to prepare for all possibilities.

"Do you need my help?" asked Wang Wei.

"No need."

"Fine. What happened to Tie Gang?"

"He failed to break the barrier between Mortal and Immortal," explained Li Jun.

"Although I knew this would be the case, I'm still a little disappointed," Wang Wei shook his head. He knew Tie Gang did not have the talent for such an achievement. More importantly, he did not have the destiny.

"You don't have to worry about him," added Yan Liling. "He's been practicing secret techniques that grant him Immortal Strength. He collaborated with the sect to create a perfect system involving formation, weapons, and pills. So, he'll be a great general."

She participated in his training, so she knew best about Tie Gang's current situation.

"That's good. What about Cai Song? Is she ready?" asked Wang Wei.

"She is."

"Excellent. In the final battle, she can show the world the importance of Puppet Dao, thus encouraging other factions to revitalize this field," nodded Wang Wei with shining eyes.

Once more people began to create Puppet Legions, it would be easier for him to lead the Myriad Emperor World to expand through the entire Endless Void.

The three chatted for a few hours before Wang Wei left, leaving the two lovebirds to themselves.

"What are you going to do next?"

"I will continue to subdue the weapon, train my Duyi realm, then spend more time with Ai'er and the child."

Yan Liling did not say anything.

"You should understand that I could experience an eternal parting with them during the final battle," he hurriedly explained.

"I'm not unreasonable, so I understand," said Yan Liling. "I will accompany you." Li Jun was shocked after hearing this; then, he smiled.

Wang Wei teleported home to his wife.

"Ready?" asked Wu Hong.

"Yes. Let's go."

"So, where first?" she asked.

"Let's stop at the foot of the mountain first."

Wang Wei and Wu Hong flew to the city nearest the sect. They landed outside and walked like a normal couple. Besides casting a little spell that prevented people from noticing them, they resembled any ordinary young mortal couple.

As he walked in the streets, he saw numerous Flying Horse Carriages, which were this world's version of a car. As of now, most mortals can earn enough money to buy one. Furthermore, there were different designs based on demonic beasts. For example, dragon designs were more expensive and considered luxury brands.

The city had lanes for the Flying Horse Carriages and for pedestrians to walk.

"Do you want to take a Running Elephant Carriage or a call for a Flying Horse Carriage?" asked Wang Wei.

Wu Hong looked at the large constructs in the distance carrying multiple people.

"Don't you mean bus?" she asked with a smile.

"Don't break the fantasy," he warned.

"You're taking this young lady on a date. Shouldn't you have your own private Flying Horse Carriage or even a Soaring Phoenix Construct? After all, you're a second-generation Young Master."

"You have a good point," muttered Wang Wei. As rich as he is, he should have a private plane to flirt with a beautiful woman.

"Well, consider me a poor scholar for today. So, let's walk."

The two continued to walk as they observed the surroundings. Wang Wei saw many young people walking with a circle rune floating next to their ears.

'Is this how the Void Storing Flute evolved?' he thought. The Voice Storing Flute or MP3 concept was created during his Qi Luck Trial to meet the spiritual needs of the citizens. It had evolved after countless years.

"It's beautiful," commented Wu Hong. "You've created a perfect mortal civilization that combined science and technology with cultivation."

"Indeed," nodded Wang Wei as he looked at the civilians of this city. Full of life and light of wisdom. Ordinary citizens can live between 150 to 160 years due to enough food and nutrients, shelter from the harsh environment, access to a well develop medicine system, and, more importantly–martial arts.

This civilization created a set of basic movements that allowed people to passively absorb Spiritual Qi between Heaven and Earth to nourish their bodies. Although they cannot store Spiritual Qi, it still provides them with many health benefits–including a centennial lifespan.

Subsequently, there are Extraordinary Citizens—people who access their spiritual power. These Extraordinary Citizens are the driving force of this civilization, using their spiritual power to engrave runes and create all the constructs.

Extraordinary Citizens have a lifespan of 250-300 years because they can use their spiritual power to prevent their body's life force or vitality from dissipating.

"Let's go watch a movie," said Wang Wei with a smile.

"Oh, what genre?"

"You pick between romance, action and adventure, comedy, and horror."

"How about a romantic horror."

"Why this one?" asked Wang Wei.

"It's a perfect choice: there is the mushy mushy romance stuff, plus I can use the excuse of the horror to pretend I'm scared and hold you tightly."

"Why did not I think of that? You are really the perfect wife."

"I know," replied Wu Hong with a smile. The two went to see a movie or Recorded Story. There are two ways to produce movies in this civilization. The first one is to get a few willing cultivators as actors. With their powers, the production crew does not need to worry about CGI and stunts since the cultivators can use spells.

The second is to use Illusion Arrays to create the entire story directly. And with Wang Wei introducing these people to different genres of movies from Earth, the movie business or industry has developed dramatically in the past 300,000 years.

"What a great movie," said Wu Hong as she walked out of the theater, her left arm tightly around Wang Wei and her right arm holding food.

"Were you scared?"

"Of course. Didn't you see me scream and hold you tightly?"

"Yes, with me around, you should have been reassured?"

"Of course. After all, you're my strong and brave man," she said with a smile. "Where are we going next?"

"Let's go to the best restaurant in the city."

"Movie and dinner: you sure know how to woe a girl's heart."

Before the movie, he used his political connection to reserve a table in advance. So, the waiter led them to their table and soon served them food.

"The food is excellent," commented Wu Hong. Cultivators do not need to eat and prefer to drink wine or tea, so the culinary art is not well developed. In the cultivator world, great food relies more on excellent ingredients baptized by Spiritual Qi instead of techniques, ingredients, and spices.

"Not even closes to yours," commented Wang Wei, and he was not lying. With her Sealing Dao that allowed her to seal the flavor and burst out after a bit, the food in this restaurant is nothing.

Wang Wei has a large section of his space ring with Wu Hong's cooking. All these foods are perfectly preserved with the power of Time so he could eat them fresh.

The reason for doing this is because of his Essence Flower Divine Ability which allowed him to temper his body simply by eating delicious food of high ingredients. He's waiting for the right time to use them to help him open the Gate of Power.

"This civilization of yours should have created weapons. How strong are they?" she asked.

"They can kill Supernatural Realm. However, that's their limit," replied Wang Wei with a sigh. The first three stages of cultivation are still the categories of mortals. Only in the fourth stage will cultivators be considered extraordinary, hence the name Supernatural; this is also the reason some Lower Realms called this stage the Transcending Mortality Realm.

So, after this Spiritual Rune Civilization reached the destructive capabilities of the Supernatural Realm, Heavenly Dao placed restrictions on them, preventing them from developing after hundreds of thousands of years.

Chapter

"It makes sense it would be restricted," said Wu Hong, sipping her wine. "Heavenly Dao wants a potent civilization to cultivate powerful Great Emperors. No matter how brilliant your civilization is, it's still a mortal one with an average lifespan of more than 100 years.

"If they keep growing, they might disturb the current cultivation civilization, leading to infighting and weakening the entire Myriad Emperor World."

? "A battle between Science & Technology and Cultivation?" added Wang Wei with shining eyes. "That would be an interesting sight to see."

If it were before, Wang Wei might be sure cultivation would win. However, after seeing the development of the Science and Technology World and the Quantum Realm, he was not so sure.

"Who do you think would win?" asked Wu Hong, also intrigued by the notion.

"It depends," replied Wang Wei. "Cultivation should have the advantage in terms of raw power or individual with ultimate power. Meanwhile, Science & Technology has the advantage in population and weaponry."

"I understand their advantage with people since Science & Technology have solved the issue of people's livelihood, resulting in a large population-based," commented Wu Hong, who learned to despise how cultivators ignored mortals to survive on their own.

"However, winning on weaponry?" She shook her head. "Cultivators have Artifact Refiners. How could they lose?"

"High-Level Technology does not lose to Artifact refining," added Wang Wei. "However, they have an advantage over cultivators: mass production. It could take dozens to hundreds of years for a Weapon Refiner to refine a Quasi-Emperor Artifact. During the same time spawn, Science & Technology could produce hundreds of space-ships of the same level depending on their technologies' development."

"Indeed, I did not consider this."

"So, in a battle where they are relatively equal, cultivation will win if the war is short and quick. However, if it's a prolonged battle, they have no chance.

"Of course, you should understand battles are not simple."

Wu Hong nodded as she knew any war was not so easy to analyze and summarize since anything could happen; in war, even pure luck could decide the final outcome.

"Alright, let's not talk about such a heavy topic as war and enjoy our diner," said Wu Hong as they changed the conversation. Afterward, both were satisfied with their experience.

"Where to next?"

"Tomorrow, we will have a beach day."

"Excellent," replied Wu Hong as they stayed in the most luxurious hotel in this city. The next day, they teleported to the end of the Central Continent in their beach wears.

Wang Wei and Wu Hong walked on the beach, watching many cultivators dressed in shorts and bikinis, playing volleyball, surfing, and building sand constructs.

Wang Wei had a weird look on his face. On earth, this should have been an ordinary thing. However, seeing so many cultivators with long and flowing hair in shorts and doing these activities was strange to him, especially seeing some people who did not want to change their regular clothes and were dressed in "ancient clothes."

"Is this what you called cultural invasion?" asked Wu Hong, who also found the entire thing a little strange.

"This is the power of influence," commented Wang Wei. "I am considered the Heaven Chosen with the highest probability of proving the Dao in this generation. So, many cultivators worship and imitate me.

"They believed: Wang Wei, the powerful sect master of the Dao Opening Sect, used this weird method to relax after cultivation. Maybe, there is a secret to it, so they copied it."

"Your thinking is too cynical," argued Wu Hong. "Cultivation requires both hard work and relaxation. Previously, cultivators would drink, chat with friends, travel the world, or visit brothels to relax. But your method showed them a new and exciting way.

"Furthermore, your bikini has become a new way for women to demonstrate their freedom and fight against many of the patriarchal ideologies present in the cultivation world."

"Cynical, huh?" muttered Wang Wei. "You're probably right. Maybe, I've been too assimilated by this world, and I haven't even noticed it."

"This is inevitable," replied Wu Hong. "After all, you only spent a few decades on Earth."

The two enjoyed a few days at the beach before leaving.

"Where to next?"

"The largest and best brothel in the world: the Heavenly Moon Restaurant," replied Wang Wei, making Wu Hong give him a weird look.

"Most men will secretly go to the brothels, but you actually bring your wife."

"These men do not have such an awesome wife as you," he replied with a flattering smile.

"Do you think I don't know what you are planning?"

Wang Wei coughed lightly, pretending he did not hear anything. The last time he went to the brothel, Wu Hong boldly declared she could do it better than these women and danced for him.

And to this day, Wang Wei has never forgotten that dance, turning it into one of his core memories. She was beautiful and ethereal; the entire world seemed more cheerful and happy as she danced. At that exact moment, she was the center of the world, shining brighter than any stars and nobler than even Heavenly Dao.

"Fine, I will indulge you."

The two headed for the Heavenly Moon Restaurant in the Yin Moon Sect's central Domain. They paid the price to have the best courtesan serve them. And she was pretty talented at her job, knowing poetry, dance, calligraphy, and painting. However, Wang Wei did not care and quickly dismissed her after a short performance.

Two hours later, Wang Wei walked out of the restaurant, wiping the blood from his nose, "Danm it, this woman almost destroyed my Willpower."

"Hehe, you're the one who wanted a show," said Wu Hong.

"This day will forever stain my credibility as a manly man."

"You can redeem yourself as long as you destroy that recoding talisman."

"Who wants to be a manly man, anyway," replied Wang Wei as he embraced her, displaying his shameless side to the fullest.

"Let's go."

The two then traveled the world together, eating food from different restaurants, regions, and continents. They visited the most famous spots in the world, like the Yaochi Heavenly Tree in the Central Continent–which is similar to an enormous Sakura Tree from Wang Wei's previous life.

The tree has remained pink ever since its existence and has never changed. And on the full moon, it will shine, becoming more beautiful; the entire thing was a spiritual experience. There are rumors the tree is the only thing in the world that can heal Dao Hearts, and the Hua Clan–whose founder Yaochi Emperor planted the tree–took advantage of this rumor to their full extent.

Although it was not true, the tree did have the power to bless the mind and increase cultivation for a short period. So, the Hua Clan used it as a tourist spot, allowing them to prosper for countless generations.

For the next hundred years, Wang Wei and Wu Hong traveled all over the world; they experienced numerous things and met plenty of new people. Although they did not reveal their identity, this fact made the experience more memorable.

Finally, they stopped at the Heavenly Tree Village.

"They developed very fast," commented Wu Hong as she looked at this village.

"Indeed. In one generation, they've become a Supreme Holy Land," nodded Wang Wei as he looked at this weird village. Most people looked like normal mortals, dressed in ordinary clothes and working the farm.

However, one-tenth of these people were cultivators, many already in the Supreme Realm. However, they blended perfectly well with the mortals and lived no differently from them.

"The last time I came, the person with the highest cultivation was only the Divine Altar Realm," added Wang Wei, with some surprise. Many factions spent generations without giving birth to a Saint, let alone a Supreme Realm True Monarch.

Although he gave the people of the village a cultivation method, it only reached Primordial Spirit Realm.

"A place full of destiny," added Wu Hong. "In a few generations, they will become a terrifying Emperor Lineage."

"Indeed," agreed Wang Wei. The concept of cultivators and mortals living in harmony with nature made this village very special. Power will corrupt or change a person's mind. So, a cultivator needs a certain mindset to incorporate and live with mortals.

Furthermore, with their long life span, they will watch the people they are close to or interact with every day die one generation after the other. As long as they do not become cold and indifferent to death and accept this natural cycle of death, it will be a great way to temper their Dao Heart.

"Let's go see it."

Wang Wei did not disturb the village and went to a small world only knowns to only a few individuals in the village. He gazed at a towering tree in the distance with wonder.

The tree had some consciousness and noticed their arrival. It prepared to defend itself and attack until it felt Wang Wei's aura. Then, it released an intimate aura like a child seeing their father.

"You cultivated a World Tree?" asked Wu Hong in surprise.

"I didn't think it would succeed." Back then, he only decided to fuse Space-Time-related resources to the tree. He did not think it would evolve into a rare World Tree.

"No wonder this village is blessed with so much destiny," nodded Wu Hong. "What are you going to do with it?"

"I have my plan," he replied before explaining what he was going to do.

"That's a good idea; maybe you'll receive merit."

The two no longer spoke as they admired this towing specimen. The tree bore 300 fruits, and they could tell each one was a world comparable to a Middle-Grade Thousand.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" asked Wang Wei.

"Yes," replied Wu Hong calmly.

"Although I knew this day would come, I still hope I was wrong." He sighed and exhaled deeply as if he wanted to breathe out all his negative emotions.

"Can't you stay?"

"No." She shook her head. "You should know I'm only a clone, and I cannot stay."

"That's not really an explanation."

Wu Hong briefly paused, "The real reason is I can only use my Emperor Strenght a limited number of times."

"Is it because you used [Existence Reconstruction] on me the last time?"

"No. I left a seal in the sect," continued Wu Hong. "If you fail the battle, you only need to survive and return to the sect. It will activate and hide the Dao Opening Sect. By then, Di Tian will not find you no matter what method he tries."

Wang Wei turned to face her, holding her hands and clothes to his chest; he knew this might be the last opportunity in a very long time.

"I don't want you to go."

"And I don't to, either," she replied with a smile; her eyes showed no sadness. "However, there is no everlasting banquet in this world."

"A sad truth."

"Don't be too sad since it's only a temporary parting," she added, caressing his handsome face. "Few things before I leave."

Wang Wei gently placed his head on hers, feeling the warmth of her body; he could even hear her slow beating heart.

"Your path of cultivation will be full of trials and tribulations. Although I don't think I need to remind you, I will just in case: don't ever give up until you achieve your goals."

"I won't."

"Don't let me give up as well."

"I won't."

"You might think of your friends and families as your weakness and things to protect," continued Wu Hong. "But they are your greatest allies and strength."

"I will keep that in mind."

"Secondly, the Seven Moons are not much of a threat to you, so don't stress about them. Even without you, their fate is already doomed."

"Is that so?"

"Take time to prepare in advance for your Path of Transcendence," added Wu Hong. "For most people, it would be counterproductive to think about something so far away and so illusive, but you're different.

"I'll listen to you."

"You can trust Maitreya. Although her recent behaviors have been shady, she is still trustworthy."

"Okay."

"Lastly, take care of yourself when I'm gone," said Wu Hong with some tears in her eyes. "You are too accident-prone, so be careful not to die again. Eat your food; I have left a space ring with more food inside for you and some information I feel will be more in the future."

"You know I love your food the most. So, of course, I will eat them," replied Wang Wei, also with tears in his eyes.

"Say goodbye to father, mother, and grandfather for me–I did not have the heart to face them."

"I will," nodded Wang Wei as he saw Wu Hong slowly disintegrating into numerous motes of lights.

"When we meet again, show me the New Era you've created–I was looking forward to seeing its brilliance."

Wang Wei did not say a word and only nodded; he could not prevent a few tears from dropping from his eyes.

"Remember: I love you no matter the space-time, beyond fate, and to eternity," she said with a smile.

"To eternity," muttered Wang Wei as he watched his empty hand; the only thing left was the empty void in his heart.

…

Eternal Ascension World, Origin Seal Continent:

Wu Hong sat in her cultivation room, trying to heal her injuries. She suddenly opened her eyes as countless memories flooded in.

"What's going on?" she muttered with a frown. "I've never sent a clone to the lower dimension?"

She took a moment to review the memories and discovered many were sealed, and she could not remove them even at her peak.

"Interesting," she commented with squinted eyes. "My Fate Companion? So, you've finally shown up."

Wu Hong was deep in thought as she tried to analyze the situation and review the key memories; she did not send a clone to the lower dimension. No, she was not even capable of such a feat. Only Half-Step Transcendence and someone like Old Man Nether can influence the lower dimension to such a level.

'She is obviously me, with the same [Existence],' pondered Wu Hong, eliminating the possibility the latter only looked like him.

'Two possibilities: the first one is someone else sent that clone and is plotting something, and the second is my future self sent the clone. However, Paragons cannot do such a feat–unless they use Old Man Nether's method. So, does that mean future me is Half-Step Transcendence?'

Wu Hong was not excited about this news as she felt things became even more complicated. Suddenly, she thought of something.

'No, this is not as simple as leaving a clone; someone is tempering with the Primordial Timeline.' Her memories from the Ultimate Taboo were blurry and missing a few chunks. However, she remembered she had discovered a shocking truth– she learned someone might have forcefully changed the Primordial Timeline.'

Wu Hong took out a talisman and sent a message to Maitreya, asking her whether she had the strength to temper the timeline.

[Yes, I can temper with the Primordial Timeline of the Eternal Ascension World. However, if the changes lead to domino effects that affect other Chaos Worlds or the entire Primordial Chaos, the backlash from the River of Time will instantly kill me.]

Wu Hong squinted her eyes, amazed by the power of Half-Step Transcendence. Then, she focused on the more important thing.

'My clone's purpose seemed to steer this fated lover in a different direction, ensuring his path is smoother and better. However, this fated love's destiny is enough to affect the entire Chaos Universe.'

She remembered the latter's involvement with so many taboos and his destiny to end the Era of the Seven Moons.

'So, whoever sent that clone has achieved power beyond the Half-Step Transcendence.'

Wu Hong remembered the vital information they'd learned from the Ultimate Taboo: two individuals in the Chaos Universe truly detached from the universe.

'Could it be one of them or something else?'

She reviewed the memory and focused on a specific conversation Wang Wei had with the clone.

'A battle between them and Grand Dao that spawn across space-time? Using the universe as a chessboard and all living beings as chess pieces. That's another possibility.'

Wu Hong frowned, 'Have I become a chess piece? No, according to his theory, we might be chess players.'

She shook her head as she realized even if she returned to her peak, she would still be a chess piece.

'Transcendence, Transcendence: I will forever remain a chess piece without taking that step.'

Wu Hong took a deep breath. With the current information, she knew her future was bright but also full of struggle. However, she also understood the future was not set in stone.

Learning about her future achievement might have already changed the course of history to something completely different. So she will not become complacent or have the mindset that her success is guaranteed.

'It's a shame much of the key information is sealed,' Wu Hong pondered. Then, she focused on something else.

"The Perfection Foundation," she muttered as she briefly glanced over this technique. "It really looks like a technique I would create." Any technique, spells, or scriptures created by a cultivator will have their brands on it. A pair of twins who make the same technique will have slight differences based on their brands.

'The only issue is the Dark Truth.' Wu Hong did not want to take the risk of contacting a taboo that could kill her without any resistance.

'The problem is these Forbidden Lands suggested as an alternative are as dangerous as the Dark Truth. Plus, I would have to survive Grand Dao's wrath unless I spend the rest of my life in these Forbidden Lands.' freeωebnovēl.c૦m

The Dark Truth is the best place for this technique since it could even protect cultivators from Grand Dao's wrath.

'Not to mention the headache of the materials needed for this technique.' She smiled wryly as she looked at the list: Perfect Tear–a rare Heaven and Earth object that contains the essence of perfection. People who tried to study Mortal and Immortal Perfection are usually desperate for this thing. However, it's not only rare but also requires to pass a trial created by Grand Dao itself to acquire it.

An interesting fact about the Perfect Tear is many people believe Xu Junyao is the reincarnation of a Perfect Tear who became a Spirit.

Another rare resource for this technique is Grand Dao Blood. Throughout the history of the Chaos Universe, blood has dripped from the Eye of Grand Dao six times. To this day, no one knows the reason. But each time it occurs, it is a battle fiesta where Paragons, Fiendgods, Dao Monarchs, and Immortal Kings die in the millions.

'The last core material is the Heavenly Dao Seed from a Central Source Chaos Worlds.'

Wu Hong was speechless as the word 'Central Source Chaos World' was a new secret long suspected by many but only recently proven after the Ultimate Taboo.

There are different levels of Source Chaos Worlds in Primordial Chaos. Some are only capable of giving birth to only one Paragon or have a limit of 100. Only a few have no limits on the number, like the Eternal Ascension World.

However, the real secret of the Central Source Chaos World is not their unlimited Paragon-birthing abilities but the fact their Heavenly Dao has the power of Half-Step Transcendence. And by absorbing them, cultivators can reach that step, just like Supreme Unity.

Throughout the Chaos Universe, there are only 3800 Central Source Chaos Worlds, and after the Ultimate Taboo, they became hot potatoes competed by many people. Of course, most of these people did not have a feasible technique to absorb Heavenly Dao.

'From what I remember, there are two ways to get the seed: overcome Heavenly Dao by force or use a ton of merit to exchange it.'

Wu Hong was genuinely speechless regarding the resources needed to cultivate this technique. The three primary materials are rarer and more precious than the Limit Breaker. What's more, even the supporting materials are as rare as the Limit Breaker.

'Ok, let's put it behind for now,' Wu Hong decided. Although she concluded the Dark Truth was the best way to cultivate this technique since the materials are likely to be directly granted. Unfortunately, the risks were too significant.

Wu Hong continued reviewing her memories, focusing on Wang Wei; she wanted to know what kind of person he was, his personality, his likes and dislikes, and so on.

'He seems quite easy to get along with,' she thought, nodding in satisfaction. She did not want someone boring or with a bland personality.

'Very charming, witty, intelligent, extremely open-minded, and think outside the box,' she nodded as she could see her life would be more exciting with a person with such a personality.

"Handsomeness and talent more than meet the standard. As for wealth? Well, he's wealthy for someone from the lower dimension. However, he does have the potential to gather more wealth," muttered Wu Hong as Wang Wei filled in more of her boxes.

"Let's check his performance in the bedroom."

She focused on the memories of when they were intimate. With a calm demeanor, she reviewed every experienced like a scientist gathering observable data.

'Great techniques; he knows what he's doing. He likes to explore new ideas I've never thought of–most likely the result of his origin in the Prehistoric World. That's a plus.'

Wu Hong could foresee her life in the bedroom would be exciting if she chose to be with him. However, she soon frowned.

"His stamina is not on par with my standard," she muttered as she watched his performance. "However, this should change after he opens the Gates of Power and Flesh."

After more than 30 minutes, Wu Hong finished her review. "Overall, we seemed very compatible. However, a lot could change before our next meeting. So, let's wait and see."

Wu Hong stood up from her cultivation mat. Her hair then turned silver-gray–the same color as Wang Wei.

"Alright, let's go deal with her," she muttered with a sneer. She teleported to the place Sword Empress retreated.

"Are you going to say anything?"

"What do you mean?" asked Sword Empress, 'surprised.'

"You don't think I'll believe you did not know my Fate Companion was your descendant."

"How would I know?" replied Yan Ai, not hiding her smirk.

"Is Maitreya also part of this?"

"What do you think?"

Wu Hong stared at her with gritted teeth. Then, Yan Ai laughed out loud, not stopping for five minutes straight.

"You have to admit it's funny," she said. "In the future, don't forget to address as Ancestor–you must respect the seniority."

After the Emperor Realm, cultivators no longer decide seniority by age but by strength. After all, they are immortal creatures that have lived for trillions upon trillions of years.

Additionally, when a family has numerous immortal descendants, it's pointless to care about things like generational seniority.

Wu Hong stared at her with a dangerous light in her eyes.

"What are you planning?" asked Yan Ai with worry in her voice.

"Don't worry. I'll beat you up and record your bruised and terrible state."

"Don't do anything rash or stupid," warned the Sword Empress, who knew she was incapable of resisting in her current state.

"Don't worry. These recordings won't ever see the light of day–unless you dare try to make me call you ancestor or try to use your seniority before me," said Wu Hong with a gentle smile that was highly sinister to Yan Ai.

"Little Wu, Hong'er, remember all the good things I've done for you; you are like my sister.' Her voice was pleading.

"I know; that's why I will seal your pain so you won't feel a thing."

"Damn it. Why don't you deal with Maitreya if you have the balls."

"Don't worry; she will have her day of judgment."

Wu Hong no longer wasted any time and pounced on her opponent like a cheetah hunting her prey.

Wang Wei laid his head on the World Tree, not saying a word. He waved his hand to manifest a bottle gourd. And as soon as he removed the gourd seal, a thick wine scent scattered throughout the surrounding few million miles. The sheer smell of this wine changed the surrounding clouds, making them jump around and dance as if they were drunk.

Without hesitation, Wang Wei took a sip and felt his mind refreshed. Furthermore, the taste of this win was Heavenly. Subsequently, he sensed a mysterious power traveling throughout his fleshly body and nourishing it.

Unfortunately, it was not enough to help increase his True Power Dao Realm. However, he was not in the mood to care about such a thing, as he continued to drink.

Wine in the cultivation world had three ways to distinguish its worth: the materials, the technique, and the time spent aging. The method used in Wang Wei's wine is excellent but could not be said to be the best or revolutionary.

As for the materials? He used the best material possible. However, what made this wine truly valuable was the aging time. Wang Wei used time formation to accelerate the time the wine simmered. And since wine does not have to worry about Time Energy hurting it through Time Acceleration–like humans–he could cultivate peerless wine.

And the one he was drinking was brewed for 50 million years. A sip of this wine can make a Saint Realm cultivator drunk and sleep until their lifespan of 500,000 runs out.

It can nourish the bodies, souls, and energy of True Monarchs and Quasi-Emperors. More importantly, it can boost comprehension and allow people to understand the Dao better.

Despite these wonderful facts, he did not care. After taking a few sips, he muttered, "This thing cannot get me drunk. I should have used the 1 billion-year-old one."

Wang Wei shook his head and continued drinking. He controlled his fleshly body and soul to cancel his natural immunity, allowing himself to get drunk; he could indulge in his mind and emotions.

"The ancients called all the emotions, grudges, obsessions, joy and sadness of the world Red Dust–a dirty thing that corrupts or stains the mind of cultivators.

"Taoism believes cultivators should have a detached attitude toward Red Dust; they advocate to remain free from its karmic ties. According to them, freedom from Red Dust is one of the best states for cultivation and achieving immortality.

"However, some schools believe cultivators should refine their minds and hearts through Red Dust. However, these schools also believe in cutting the connection from the Red Dust, thus achieving a detached state of mind."

Wang Wei thought for a moment before shaking his head as he thought this philosophy was also cruel and not easy to practice. After experiencing the joy and sadness of the world, the ups and downs, love and hatred, how could someone easily cut them off from their minds and look at their experience from an indifferent point of view?

"Plus, how is that any different from the cold-hearted nature of devil cultivators?" He sneered before taking a sip from his drink.

"Buddhism believes in Karma and sought to save all sentience beings. So, their core practice involved immersing in the power of Red Dust and even using it for themselves."

Wang Wei's mind thought of the power of Incense.

"Although there are also schools of Buddhism that also have similar views as Taoism who believe only through the absence of Karmic Ties can monks seek self-enlightenment and achieve Nirvana, they are rare and not the mainstream."

Countless thoughts flashed in his mind.

"After creating the River of Karma, this philosophy fit me the best. However, I"m different from these monks–I have no desire to save all sentient beings. I only want to immerse in Red Dust to use its power to help me cultivate and find a way to transcend Karma.

"No, maybe these monks are similar to me. The only difference is their hearts are pure and truly cultivated for the sake of all sentience beings. After reaching Transcendence, these monks would definitely help people transcend karma and the Cycle of Reincarnation. However, I would only do it if I felt like it."

Wang Wei exhaled as he ended his state of Enlightenment. He felt his understanding of Karma elevated, which in turn promoted his understanding of his Fate Dao; one of the unique aspects of his Fate Dao is his understanding of the other Daos (Karma, Luck) also increased his comprehension of Fate, and vice-versa.

Furthermore, he also elevated his Soul Dao to a higher level–including the Dao of Seven Emotions and Six Desires which is a part of the Soul Dao.

"My current understanding of the Dao should have been enough to reach 5, 6, maybe 6% of the Grand Dao Source. Unfortunately, Grand Dao prevents anyone from comprehending and controlling the Source of the Dao without gaining access to the Heaven Will. In some ways, the rules of this world are a cage for a genius such as myself."

Wang Wei shook his head in frustration before falling asleep holding the wine gourd. Formations instinctively appeared to protect him. The next day, he woke up in a better state than before. The previous enlightenment increased his Dao and helped him better understand himself.

Unfortunately, he was still sad and depressed, so he spent the next three days drinking and sleeping. Finally, he knew it was time to reign himself in and continue his journey.

"After all, it is only a temporary parting," he muttered before looking at the towering World Tree. He then constructed a massive Space-Time Formation to continue nourishing the tree. But, he felt it was not enough, so he summoned some Dao Ancestors and two Third Class Insurgents from the sect to control the formation and ensure it worked at maximum capacity.

"In a few hundred years, you should grow even more," he commented as he caressed the tree. Finally, he left some benefits for the people of the Heavenly Tree Village and asked the sect people to ensure nothing happened to this village.

Although the tree was no longer visible and was no longer desired by countless people, he was sure some people still remembered its existence and might be planning to get their hands on it.

After leaving the village, Wang Wei did not return to the sect since he had another place to visit.

'It's time to temper my Dao Heart once more and maybe find some answers.'

Wang Wei teleported to the Western White Tiger Continent, specifically the Evil Punishment Domain located in the Northeast of the continent. He soon reached his destination: a yellow desert with no end in sight.

Many cultivators were heading into the desert. His appearance caught people's attention since he was so famous, but people only muttered and glanced at him, so he did not care.

'Asking Heart Road,' thought Wang Wei as he looked at this desert. This piece of land was a legacy left by a mighty Pseudo Eternal Emperor called Mind-Heart Emperor.

According to history, he cultivated the Dao of the Mind and was known for his powerful Dao Heart and how he could use it to attack. The Mind-Heart Emperor had a technique called [Asking Heart Road] that could find the flaw in people's Dao Heart and destroy it.

For unknown reasons, the Mind-Heart Emperor hated devil cultivators with passion and would use his famous technique to break their Dao Hearts and force them to kill themselves. And with the cruelty and unstable mind of the devil cultivators, he was indeed their antithesis.

Unfortunately, the later generation of the Emperor suffered tremendously because of his Karmic Debts. The Mind-Heart Emperor once left an Emperor Lineage called Profound Mind Temple. However, a few generations after his ascension, these devil cultivator's lineages who hated him banded together and destroyed his sect.

The Asking Heart Road was one of the foundations of the Profound Mind Temple, and these cultivators also wanted to eradicate it. The Di Clan stepped up and tried to take it for themselves. Unfortunately, the sects in the different continents did not want their clan's lineage to become more powerful and intervened.

Finally, the [Asking Heart Road] became an ownerless thing accessible by anyone.

'The cultivators of this world believe too much in the Dao Heart Road. Otherwise, they would have fought even fiercer for this land,' pondered Wang Wei.

'Grandpa told me this place helped him stabilize his Dao Heart after the battle. Let's see if it is helpful to me.'

Wang Wei took a deep breath before taking a step into this desert. Immediately, he found himself in this dark and empty space. And before him were memories of his entire life–from birth to the present.

Wang Wei felt his mind clear and devoid of any distractions. Subsequently, he discovered he was directly confronting many of the deepest and most hidden thoughts.

'The subconscious?' he analyzed. 'Well, let's see if this thing can help me.'