Chapter 1196 Everlasting Empyrean
1196 Everlasting Empyrean
w.a.n.g Wei shook his head, thinking these people had nothing better to do than just wait. 'Maybe I should create a countdown clock to my departure, giving them hope and something to do.' He immediately gave up the idea when it popped into his head for two reasons.
Firstly, he did not know when his cultivation would finish and he could ascend. Secondly, limiting his presence in the world was essential to prevent True Heavenly Dao from exiling him to the upper dimension.
So, after checking that there were no problems with the world, he continued his retreat. w.a.n.g Wei was already under the Bodhi Tree, so he summoned the Grand Dao Source Tree before putting on the Civilization Crown as a.s.sistance. He was still in awe of how much luck he had condensed and how potent it was.
He then activated his [Three Paths-Three Selves Art] for a second boost in his cultivation. The Future Buddha Selves looked into the future, the Taoist Self used their Quantum Computer Deduction Ability, and the Devil Selves started using various means to boost their cultivation - including optimizing the use of the crown.
The Devil Selves then accessed all the incense, spiritual power, Dream Power, and World Source for their boost. w.a.n.g Wei also took out the Fate Essence he was condensing from secretly manipulating the fates of the lower dimension. However, he still hadn't finished his preparations.
w.a.n.g Wei activated all 1.269 trillion spirit particles that composed his soul and divided them into three. One part focused on using the fruits from the Grand Dao Source Tree, the second part focused on Chen Tong's sermon, and the last third started comprehending all the cultivation techniques of the lower dimension. Once that is finished, that section will focus on the different laws of the Endless Void and converting all the other sermons in the banquet into his cultivation.
Finally, w.a.n.g Wei used his last preparation - merit. One of the main effects of his Golden Body was to increase cultivation speed, and he still had plenty more merit in reserve. With all these benefits, w.a.n.g Wei dived into his cultivation. The process was enjoyable beyond words. Cultivating in his realm is usually slow, tedious, and frustrating. However, with all these benefits, the process became straightforward.
w.a.n.g Wei's cultivation level rose from the initial 32% to 69.999% in a very short period before finally encountering the wall. He wondered whether he could break through without the Genesis Fruit and sell it at a higher price. Sadly, even with his talent and Perfect Foundation, the bottleneck stopped him; he could tell he would not break it without a few hundred Yuan Epochs, and such timing could be described as monstrous.
He no longer hesitated and swallowed the fruit. A potent herbal power rushed through his body and soul, making him feel lighter, carefree, and in tune with Heaven and Earth. w.a.n.g Wei felt an explosion inside his Sea of Consciousness, and without even noticing it, his cultivation reached 70%.
w.a.n.g Wei immediately felt an enormous pressure on his soul and mind, and he knew that if his soul and Dao Heart did not reach the standard, he would die under the weight of his own Grand Dao Source. The pressure disappeared as soon as it appeared due to his foundation, meaning he could immediately move to the next steps.
His achievement of 70% Grand Dao Source activated a mechanism. w.a.n.g Wei's spirit found himself in a void facing a clone of himself. His first thought was whether he was facing another Heart Devil before remembering that stage of his breakthrough he was.
'My [True Self],' he quickly figured out. The person before him looked exactly like him, but w.a.n.g Wei could feel he was different somehow. So, he closed his eyes and focused on that difference. After what felt like an eternity and an instant, w.a.n.g Wei understood.
'Hinduism was correct when they said the true self was eternal, but Buddhism, which believes the self was ever-changing, is also accurate. There is a saying that encapsulates these two opposite ideologies: the only eternal thing is change.'
w.a.n.g Wei's mind worked tirelessly to understand the concept presented to him. Although he had more time than others, he did not want to waste it.
'After condensing my [True Self], I will transcend, no, escape the shackles of Samsara. I will no longer be restricted by the power of reincarnation. I can reincarnate as often as I wish, and my memories will remain intact.'
From now on, he no longer needed any techniques or means to reincarnate with his memories. From now on, even a Yama King cannot block his memories; they can temporarily seal them but not erase them. More importantly, even if they sealed them, the present ones will immediately become the main personality after he remembers them no matter what his sealed-self experiences.
w.a.n.g Wei sighed to himself. He remembered the trouble he went into to protect his Earth memories when he traveled through Primordial Chaos. Now, this ability has become natural and pa.s.sive.
w.a.n.g Wei checked his body. He did not experience any physical or noticeable change after this realization. However, he felt that his memories, perceptions, views, connections, and ident.i.ties had sublimated to a higher state of being.
'Is it done?' he thought before shaking his head; he was missing one more step. But what was it? He focused on the example before him and soon received his answer:
'Form,' w.a.n.g Wei thought. 'After becoming an Eternal, many aspects of myself, for example - my history and accomplishments - changed form. They were no longer bound to my body or concepts a.s.sociated with me - they were now an extension of myself. That's why I can revive as long as they exist. So, I also need to change the [Form] of my [True Self].'
With this enlightenment and Grand Dao's example, w.a.n.g Wei soon succeeded in this endeavor and gained the ability of all Everlasting Empyreans - condensing [True Avatars]. Eternals are special because of their survivability, and it's the same for Everlasting. They can create [True Avatars], which are clones of themselves hidden through Reincarnation. As long as the avatars are alive, the Empyrean will not die, and with the protection of Samsara, all the avatars' ident.i.ties are hidden, and the karma related to them is hidden to almost perfection.
w.a.n.g Wei opened his eyes and exhaled. He had succeeded, and as long as he pa.s.sed his Immemorial Tribulation, he would be an Everlasting Emperor. 'There is still time, so let's continue.'
He continued the retreat, hoping to glance at what made Boundless Paragons unique.
'Higher Self? Unlimited Self? Or something else?' Just as he was about to catch a clue, his spirit left the previous s.p.a.ce and woke up in his cultivation room.
"So closed," he muttered, shaking his head. He focused on mobilizing his Grand Dao Source and Soul to send a projection into the Source Qi s.p.a.ce. These two power sources released a unique vibration that opened a portal to a special area with a blue fog. He gathered the power of the Cosmos Grandmist to condense a wheel inside his Sea of Consciousness.
w.a.n.g Wei had an idea and fused the [Power of Nothingness] in his flesh into the wheel. However, nothing exceptional happens after the thing absorbs a tiny portion. He tried again without success and stopped after noticing the only effect was accelerating the wheel condensing process.
His wheel reached the Everlasting Empyrean's standard size of 12 Zhang before stopping growing. 'I guess I should be happy since it saved me some time.' The process of condensing the wheel was a little time-consuming, but it was a good thing to save time.
w.a.n.g Wei summoned the blue energy from his Sea of Consciousness. He felt its power of creation. With a single thought, he can create worlds with a perfect system, evolve the laws of Heaven and Earth, and mold life as he pleases.
'Although there appeared not much difference between the Grandmist Wheel of Empyreans, the application of this energy/power is crucial.' His [Force Control Skill] meant he could utilize the Grandmist Wheel to its limit and beyond, which 99% of Empyreans cannot say.
"Okay, for the last step," w.a.n.g Wei muttered, looking in the distance. He teleported to the Void Battlefield and spent some time preparing. Finally, clouds appeared in this endless s.p.a.ce with 36 red lightning bolts.
"The 36-Red Lightning Immemorial Thunder Tribulation? I guess that makes sense with my third-level Golden Body of Merit."
The Empyrean Tribulation was divided into 36, 72, 81, and 108 Red Thunder, and 36 was the lowest - reserved for people with excellent merit, luck, and karma. So, w.a.n.g Wei - who condensed a third-level Golden Body during his retreat - only had to pa.s.s the lowest level. Meanwhile, some people who commit heinous acts must pa.s.s the 108 Thunder tribulation.
'I wonder what True Heavenly Dao considers a heinous act?' Emperors and Empyreans have high karmic resistance, so the mindless killing of mortals or weak cultivators was nothing to such a cold existence.
'Probably someone who breaks the rules or affects the balance of things,' w.a.n.g Wei concluded before pausing before realizing that he was talking about himself. True Heavenly Dao would probably have used the highest tribulation on him if not for his merit and accomplishment. w.a.n.g Wei shook his head to focus.
A red bolt of lightning descended on w.a.n.g Wei, but nothing occurred. The fearsome Red Immemorial Thunder had zero effect on him due to his peak defensive capability.
Despite the circ.u.mstance, w.a.n.g Wei was on high alert. He did not antagonize the tribulation with words or try to collect it to be used later. He could not be idle after the 9th lightning bolt since he sensed a Dao Will on the thunder.
Dao Wills, Willpower Manifestations, and True Wills were the only things that could negate his [Limit Indestructibility] and injure him. He activated his Willpower Manifestation to defend. After the 18th bolt, the tribulations contained Dao Will and Willpower Manifestation, each attacking in a different location.
w.a.n.g Wei's Dao Will had not evolved yet, so he had to expertly manipulate his Willpower Manifestation to block these attacks and ensure he was not injured. The process became more difficult after the 27th bolt when the tribulation used True Will.
w.a.n.g Wei had to use his Taboo Battle Realm to elevate his Dao Will to the Empyrean Tier before creating his True Will. With this brilliant method, he pa.s.sed the tribulation without any injuries. He then calmly watched the red clouds dissipate.
'This was the best chance to make a move, yet nothing,' w.a.n.g Wei thought with a frown. Supreme Unity's lack of movement had started to worry him. 'Could there be a party waiting for me when I ascend? Or is he planning something else?'
w.a.n.g Wei exhaled deeply before sitting cross-legged in the void. He had officially reached Tier 11 on the Emperor Path and calmed down to experience the Grand Dao Source Baptism. He felt all aspects of his cultivation elevated, including his [Awakening], Dao Will, and even Dao Imprint.