James said solemnly, “We might’ve gotten lost. Emperor Jabari mentioned it’s easy to lose your way in the Dark World. It’s impossible to accurately perceive time and get a hold of your surroindings in the Dark World.”Nico asked. “Then what should we do now? Should we turn back or keep going forward?James fell into deep thought. Even a powerhouse like Emperor Jabari got lost in the Dark World and only left after spending thousands of Epochs there.If the two of them were to lose their way in the Dark World, they might never be able to make it out.“Let’s turn back,” said James.He still had other important things to do and did not want to get trapped in the Dark World for too long. If he were to get lost, humans would go extinct by the time he found the exit.“Alright.” Nico nodded. The two turned back and tried to go back the way they came. However, they were still surrounded by dark mist even after walking for a long time.“There’s something wrong, James. We’ve been traveli
Emperor Jabari was trying to divine the area and find materials to rebuild his body.However, the Extrapolation Path was from the Illuminated World, so its power was weakened significantly in the Dark World.He could only estimate the rough direction of the materials and not their specific location.He was still weak from the previous battle, and the Illuminated World’s powers were almost completely useless in the Dark World.“James, I can only divine a rough estimation of where the materials might be. Keep going forward. I can’t tell you for how long you’ll need to keep advancing though. You’ll have to get closer to it for me to pinpoint its location.”Emperor Jabari’s voice came from the Celestial Abode.“Alright.” James nodded.He turned to Nico and said, “Let’s keep going forward.”Along the way, Emperor Jabari had to keep observing their surroundings and guiding James toward the material.James continued to proceed in spite of the darkness and had no idea how long had pas
“Then what should I do?” asked James.Emperor Jabari replied, “There’s nothing we can do for now. In the past, I, too, captured many evil spirits in the Dark World and forced them to hand over their cultivation methods.“After acquiring various cultivation methods from those evil spirits, I discovered their cultivation methods were only suitable for their kind. They weren’t meant to be cultivated by living beings with physical bodies.“However, after obtaining so many of them, I discovered something. If you give me some time, I might be able to create a suitable cultivation method for living beings.”James thought awhile and asked, “You’re a soul fragment now, right? Theoretically, you’re also considered an evil spirit, so why don’t you cultivate in the Dark World?”Emperor Jabari said, “I’ve considered that but dismissed the idea. If I were to cultivate in the Dark World, I wouldn’t be able to return to the Illuminated World.”“I see.” James now had a better understanding of the
The dark surroundings were illuminated and looked no different from the outside world.A palace appeared in their sight.White light spots continuously emerged from the palace.The lights from the palace lit up the surroundings.The light spread out and devoured the darkness, brightening up the place. However, the light did not spread far and only remained within a few kilometers’ range.Beyond the few-kilometer range, the world was still shrouded in darkness.James and Nico advanced toward the black palace.Soon, they arrived at the palace gate.James said thoughtfully, “This must be the palace we saw just now.”Nico nodded. “Most likely.”James looked at the palace. The palace gate was more than thirty meters high. There were some bizarre characters engraved on it. Additionally, the palace was also surrounded by black energy.However, white lights constantly emerged out of the black energy.“Do you recognize the words, Nico?” asked James.Nico looked at them for a whil
Nico shook his head. “I don’t know either. I thought I was well-versed in this universe. However, after coming here, I now know there’s still a lot more for me to learn.”“No way!!!”Suddenly, a voice exclaimed from inside the Celestial Abode.Immediately afterward, James’ ring emitted a white glow, and a silhouette appeared.The silhouette was Emperor Jabari’s remnant soul.Emperor Jabari walked straight ahead. He stood before the hall and stared at the wall.James stood up and asked, “Why did you come out, Emperor Jabari?”Emperor Jabari did not respond.Nico also stood up, looked at the blurry silhouette in front of him curiously, and thought, ‘Is this the powerhouse in James’ Celestial Abode?’James walked over and followed Emperor Jabari’s gaze.He looked at the strange patterns and characters on the wall. The engravings were unique and incomprehensible.“What are you looking at, Emperor Jabari?” asked James.Emperor Jabari remained silent and stood in place observing
Just by the Guqin engraved on the wall, Emperor Jabari knew Yukia must have been to this place.He did not know Yukia’s real name.He had asked for her name in the past, but she refused to tell him.James asked, “What’s written on the wall, Emperor Jabari? Why are you so sure she’d been here before?”Emperor Jabari shook his head and said, “I’m not sure yet. The Ancestral Script is really profound, and even I can’t understand it instantly despite having learned it before. The only way to understand it is by stepping into the Ancestral God Rank.”Since Emperor Jabari could not figure it out, James put the topic aside.He scanned the surroundings.Apart from the gate, there were no other passages. Then, he asked, “Emperor Jabari, you mentioned there being a material here that you could use to reform your body, right? Where is it?”“There’s no rush. Let me study these engravings for a while.”After replying to James, Emperor Jabari fell silent.James waited in the hall patiently
James looked at the Guqin floating before him. It looked very old and worn out. The Guqin had many strings, and each was of a different color.James noticed the Law of Heaven and inscriptions on the Guqin.“James, let me borrow your body.”After Emperor Jabari finished speaking, his silhouette disappeared. The next moment, he returned to the Celestial Abode and used his energy to control James’ body.Meanwhile, James lost control of his body.Emperor Jabari controlled James’ body to sit in a lotus position. With a wave of the hand, several mysterious inscriptions emerged from his palm. Stimulated by the inscriptions, the Guqin floated toward James’ body and landed in his lap.Emperor Jabari used James’ body to caress the Guqin. After a while, he gently plucked the strings.The melodious sound of the Guqin resounded throughout the hall.Mysterious inscriptions formed from the Guqin’s strings and submerged into the surrounding walls. Suddenly, the engravings on the wall began
“Really?”James was thrilled.Previously, Emperor Jabari said it would take him some time.Surprisingly, he had learned a cultivation method from the Ancestral Scripts on the wall.Emperor Jabari’s voice came from the Celestial Abode again. “Mhm. Yukia specifically left behind the Guqin. She’s also the one who left the engravings on the wall, including the cultivation method.”James asked, “Then, what should we do next?”Emperor Jabari replied, “This palace is made of the Law of Heaven. Now that the Ancestral Scripts have disappeared, the palace will soon be gone. It’s best to leave as soon as possible.”After Emperor Jabari finished his sentences, the surroundings began to disperse into sparks of light. The walls began to disintegrate rapidly, and the palace disappeared from sight.The sparks of light also gradually vanished into the darkness.The area returned to pitch black.“What happened?” Nico was shocked by the sudden events.James explained, “The palace was formed
The sky was a brilliant blue, accented by white clouds. Vast plains stretched out with rolling peaks, rivers, and seas crisscrossing the expansive land, while an aura of Spiritual Energy permeated everything. This was a new world, brimming with life and vitality, existing independently from the myriad realms.Countless cultivation resources awaited discovery here. Unending adventures beckoned the brave, and limitless opportunities awaited those with exceptional talent.This was the new world James had created, based on the Forty-Nine Daoisms and merged with his own Daoism, to resolve the Leere Tribulation and save countless beings across the myriad realms.In this world, there was no powerful Heavenly Path, no hierarchy of races, no strict rules or oppressions, and no fate governing everything. Instead, actions were judged by karma. Fortune and misfortune, as well as success and failure, were determined by karma.Though it adhered to the principle of survival of the fittest and res
“No wonder,” Lord Goyo finally understood after an extended contemplation.He distinctly remembered that back at the Yin’s Void, Jacopo, the incarnation of Waitara Path’s Soremsia, had abruptly ordered him to move all foundations out of the Dark World. In hindsight, everything now made sense. It was likely that Jacopo had foreseen all of this.Realizing this, Lord Goyo felt a chill run down his spine as cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Despite doubting Jacopo’s identity as an incarnation of Waitara Path’s Soremsia, he had followed his advice. Otherwise, the consequences would have been disastrous.Snapping back to reality, Lord Goyo looked down at the Yang governor and Gladwin from his elevated position.“You fool, do you realize your mistake?”The Yang governor and Gladwin looked up simultaneously, their faces full of fear.“Lord Goyo, I truly didn't notice this. I had no idea when the Dark World was separated.”“Lord Goyo, there is something fishy about this. If James has
At the peak of Mount One in the myriad realms, the Yang Governor, disguised as James, descended with Gladwin. Both looked deathly pale, as if they had just escaped a life-threatening disaster. They were filled with panic.They stopped simultaneously upon arriving beneath a massive platform in a grand dojo.“We need to sort this out first,” the Yang Governor glared fiercely at Gladwin. “Who's going to explain this later, you or me?”Gladwin swallowed nervously. “Of course, it should be you.”“Why should it be me?” the Yang Governor scoffed. “Haven't you always claimed to be Lord Goyo's top confidant and meddled in our alliance's affairs? Now you're chickening out when there's a major issue?”Gladwin's face twitched. “This has nothing to do with cowardice. It's your duty as the leader of the Path Guardian Alliance.”The Yang Governor laughed in exasperation. “You've always been the one gathering intelligence across the myriad realms, boasting that you're better than Yegor from Skyn
That was the first thing he asked after surviving a monumental battle. James patted his shoulder. "The twenty thousand men…" "As long as it's broken," Wyot interjected, staring into the emptiness. "It's a pity the Dark World is gone forever."James wanted to respond, but the other survivors gathered around them. After the battle and the aid of the path source, they had ascended to Path Emperors, becoming top powerhouses in the myriad realms.James nodded, then waved his hand, summoning a path pearl that gleamed with holy light. The light and aura it radiated were enough to make any living being kneel before it.Just as James was about to act, Wyot knelt on one knee, followed by his warriors.James frowned. "Wyot, brothers, you have the right to stand…""We will not be Deified until the Leere Tribulation is broken!" Wyot declared loudly, clasping his fists. His warriors did the same."We will not be Deified until the Leere Tribulation is broken!"Their voices were unified, echo
Then, the Formation of Perception shook violently. When he snapped out of it, he realized that the twenty thousand Doom Race warriors led by Xezal had almost all perished.Among the remaining ones, three were losing their bodies. Hastily, James tossed three path sources into the formation, but it did not stop their bodies from crumbling."Move them out, quickly," urged Zella. "They're under immense pressure inside."James waved his hand and broke the Formation of Perception.Xezal and his remaining warriors—just three of them—appeared in the void. They were tattered and covered in blood. Their hair was unkempt, and they were barely recognizable. These were heroes who had experienced hell.Though wobbling, they stood in battle stances. Their valiance and undying will moved James. He turned his hand and covered them with four path sources, then told them to sit and heal."That's the Doom Race for you. The fact that they survived this titanic battle says a lot about their talent," Z
"Fourth, I have left some treasures for the Yaneiri Clan. They should be enough to establish yourselves in the new world. Fifth, do not be Deified. Never, ever do that. You must keep the Yaneiri Clan safe."Wynton's body contorted, plunging him into further pain. Cracks spread across his skin. "You owe me, James! You owe my clan!" he roared for the last time in his life before crumbling into dust.The light strips that imprisoned him shattered as well, and purple flames lunged at James' light wall, the shockwaves splintering it into fragments before rampaging toward the inconsolable Zella.James flew to Zella, scooped her up, and they took off. The shockwaves from Wynton's self-destruction rapidly spread, obliterating the surrounding formations.But that wasn't the end. Once freed, the shockwave rippled across the Dark World, annihilating everything in its path. Countless universes met their demise.Meanwhile, James protected the remaining Doom Race warriors within the formation,
Wynton was hysterical, but James merely shrugged. “Wynton, they say the last act people do before they die is to be kind. I see none of that in you, and you lost to me.”“And so what?” Wynton roared. “You’re just luckier than me, James! You have a Yin governor as your wife, and she has your back all the time! You would never have come this far otherwise!”James smiled. “Keep going.”“I know you don’t want to owe me any favors.” Wynton glared at him angrily. “You gave me three free attacks to repay me for sparing you in the River of Time.“Now, I’ve given you your children’s past selves back, and you owe me once more. You’re waiting for my terms, aren’t you?”James looked resigned.“Wrong,” Wynton sneered. “I won’t ask for any promises, nor will I give you any chance to repay this debt. Now, you shall owe me a favor you can never repay!”James sensed something was wrong and was shocked. “Wynton!”Wynton, imprisoned, began to burn, flames flickering and licking his body. He roare
"That’s…" The sight of that token filled Wynton with shock. "Y-You’re working with the Shadowborns?""Will you give it to me?" James shot him a threatening look.Wynton shivered, taking a deep breath. Then, a flash of purple light burst forth, and a brilliantly shining mirror flew out from the top of his head.James released Wynton and grabbed the mirror. It resonated with the token, and both items shone blindingly, responding to each other.'It’s true,' James thought. 'The Shadowborn token the master gave me before he left can sense the Nothingness Path Mirror. But why?' Questions swirled in his mind."That mirror will do nothing for you," Wynton said. "I can’t control it, so you can’t either. The only one who can is the Yin governor."He looked at James. "And she’s cleaved in two. Unless you can merge them together, the mirror will not work. However, with just your wife’s half-self, finding Wuia’s current and future selves will be a nigh impossible task."James tucked the mirr
James remained silent. He couldn't muster a response. Now, he finally understood why the Leere Tribulation had been orchestrated and the role his wife played in it.He had initially thought that by destroying the past version of Wuia concealed within the River of Time, he could hurt Wuia. Even if he couldn't stop the Leere Tribulation, he could at least delay it.With more time, he planned to gather additional clues and eradicate all three versions of Wuia, permanently solving the problem. However, his conversation with Wynton had changed his plans.Wynton observed James standing in silence and smirked. "Of course, there's a way to do this."James furrowed his brow.Wynton, brimming with glee, continued, "Kill your wife and the Light Heavenly Path. If they vanish entirely, Wuia will never obtain the Void Spiral. Even if the Leere Tribulation materializes and he returns, his strength will be no greater than before his reincarnation. You'll have enough power to fight him."That was