C1536 The Path of His Own Self

Atop the barren peak of Mount Solarian, a taciturn man sat in silent meditation beneath the relentless blaze of the sun. He occasionally cast his gaze skyward, scrutinizing the fiery orb with a perpetual furrow in his brow. His profound understanding and cultivation allowed him to perceive beyond the Everlands, where he saw an individual harnessing the sun's fiery essence into their being.

The warmth of the sun, once a comforting presence, now seemed glaring and uncomfortable due to that person's interference. He, the creator of the Nine Glories Wheel, should have reveled in the sun's heat more than anyone, yet now...

With a whoosh, a short but impressively built elder materialized out of nowhere. Clad in golden robes that shimmered under the sun's rays, he resembled a well-to-do landowner, exuding an air of opulence and ease. His arrival marked the cessation of any sunlight escaping from the Everlands.

It was as if the sun's rays were being warped by a cosmic order, diverted off course before they could reach the ground.

"Sect Master," Mo Baichuan acknowledged, rising to his feet with a bow that seemed more obligatory than heartfelt upon recognizing the newcomer.

Yuwen Hao gestured for him to sit back down and, looking up at the obscured sky, remarked, "Tianxin has passed away. Don't you feel compelled to honor his memory in some way?"

"What can I possibly do when you've already bestowed his sacred way upon Qin Luo?" Mo Baichuan replied, his tone indifferent.

"Do you think I had a choice?" Yuwen Hao, the Sect Master of the Sunlit Order, who bore the appearance of a prosperous landowner, shot Mo Baichuan an irritated glance. "Qin Luo forged his own sacred way and ascended to godhood through a shortcut. He's kept it a secret, drifting through the Star River, stubbornly avoiding the Everlands. I'm beginning to suspect he was aware of Tianxin's impending death and has been biding his time to claim his sacred way."

Mo Baichuan paused, taken aback. "A new sacred way?"

"Yes, he carved out a divine position using an alternative path. But that route doesn't allow him to wield his full power. Qin Luo has always coveted Tianxin's sacred way. With Tianxin gone, I have control over that sacred way, and I had intended to entrust it to you."

"But Mr. Han has already requested that I relinquish it. What else can I do?"

"I'm aware that all of Mr. Han's actions are for the benefit of the Everlands' human race. He's never acted out of self-interest."

"But I have."

Yuwen Hao looked at Mo Baichuan. "My personal desire is to temporarily integrate that sacred way into my divine seat. Once you ascend to godhood, I'll extract it again. Naturally, I'd prefer that the Sunlit Order maintain control of these two sacred ways, rather than ceding them to the Ruby Hand."

"However, the external pressure is immense. Mr. Han, with the bigger picture in mind, has instructed me to detach the sacred way and allow Qin Luo to assimilate it into his divine seat. I have no choice but to comply."

"All I can do is watch him ascend to the extraterrestrial sun and assume control over all of Tianxin."

Yuwen Hao bared his soul, sharing his struggles and sense of powerlessness with Mo Baichuan.

Mo Baichuan remained silent.

Time passed, and knowing that Mo Baichuan wouldn't initiate conversation, Yuwen Hao continued, "You're aware that my sacred way stems from the fire dragon. Tracing it further back, the bloodline rules of the fire dragon come from that formidable entity."

"It was the one that, in the beginning, consumed various flames in the depths of the Star River, incorporating them into its bloodline to create a bloodline chain."

"Arriving at the Everlands, gravely wounded, it scattered numerous sparks, igniting many flames across the land."

"The flames it brought forth are, in essence, extraterrestrial fires."

"The Way of Heaven for Tianxin, Qin Luo, and yours are akin to the blazing sun overhead. Every sun in the starry sky shares the same essence and origin, hence forming another Way of Heaven."

"But now, Qin Luo has claimed that sacred way, and you..."

Yuwen Hao shook his head with a sigh, "I get it. You're indifferent to Tianxin holding that sacred way; you're willing to wait. But with Qin Luo from the Ruby Hand taking over and seizing the sacred way from me, it's left you feeling disgruntled, even resentful towards me. I understand, and I empathize."

Yuwen Hao didn't expect Mo Baichuan to respond; he simply continued, "I've come to you hoping you might consider taking a different path."

A spark of interest finally appeared on Mo Baichuan's face. "A different path?"

"No one has ever succeeded on this path. For tens of thousands of years, members of both our Sunlit Order and the Ruby Hand have attempted it, only to perish without leaving a trace behind." Yuwen Hao inhaled deeply and passed over a collection of red crystals.

"These contain all the records I've gathered about the sacred way. I haven't shown them to anyone but you because I believe you might be the only one capable of unraveling the mysteries of the sacred way. Even I am not confident in my understanding." Yuwen Hao's words were earnest.

Mo Baichuan accepted the red crystals, his remnant soul piercing into them like a fine thread of lightning.

Yuwen Hao fell silent, simply watching him.

After a considerable time, Mo Baichuan exclaimed in surprise, "Earthfire?"

Yuwen Hao nodded gravely. "The Blazing Sacred Way I discovered was brought by a fearsome being from beyond our world. Qin Luo's is the extraterrestrial blazing sun. Yet, deep within our Everlands, there exists an even more dominant flame that is truly our own."

"Its presence necessitates the creation of seven Wintermaw portals to harness the ice energy from the seven Frostfell realms, continuously neutralizing it to keep it in check."

"This dominant flame, originating from the core of the Everlands, is terrifying beyond expectation."

"With my current power, I dare not venture deep enough to explore it, nor can I fathom its intensity. The Everlands have become as wondrous as they are today in part due to this powerful flame. In my estimation, it is more ferocious than dozens of the suns that shine above us."

"I urge you to consider carefully whether you wish to attempt contact with it," Yuwen Hao cautioned.

The red crystal in Mo Baichuan's grasp seemed to grow heavier with Yuwen Hao's words.

He was aware that deep within the heart of the Everlands, there lay a flame energy so intense, perpetually kept at bay by the ceaseless flow of frigid energy from the depths of the Frozen Hellscape.

Even within the Fireheart Mountains and atop certain peaks of the Sunlit Order, one could still witness the surging flames from the heart of the earth.

The flames that erupted and graced the surface of the Everlands represented only a minuscule fraction of the flame's energy, yet their presence was enough to astonish onlookers.

Mo Baichuan had never imagined that by coming into contact with the ferocious flames deep within the earth's core, he could grasp their workings and forge his own Way of Heaven.

He was even more surprised to learn that for tens of thousands of years, many from the Sunlit Order and the Ruby Hand had attempted the same feat.

Yet none had succeeded; all had perished, their bodies and souls incinerated.

Now, Yuwen Hao had shared this secret with him, presenting all the relevant secret books and revealing the wonders discovered by their predecessors, leaving him to decide whether to take the risk.

Mo Baichuan struggled with the choice.

"Take a look first and make up your own mind. Regardless of your decision, I'll support you," Yuwen Hao said with a gentle sigh. "Truthfully, if the current situation weren't so dire, I wouldn't have revealed this path to you, nor would I have put you in a position to choose."

After speaking, he quietly departed.

...

Dragon Slaying Stage.

Ji Ningshuang's Lunar Spirit was immersed in the study of ice magic within the little world where the frost wyrm lay entombed.

Yu Yuan's somewhat listless Lunar Spirit roamed around the remains of the golden dragon and the Chronowyrm.

As Ji Ningshuang remained diligently focused on dissecting the secrets of the arcane, Yu Yuan engaged his Lunar Spirit in the practice of Wraithbinding.

Wraithbinding was the only Spirit Magic he knew that was associated with the Taiyin God-King. Whenever he practiced Wraithbinding, it generated a powerful allure for both the Terra Fiend and the Sky Fiend.

Moreover, he felt an innate urge to consume all the fiends of the world.

With a whoosh, as his Lunar Spirit performed Wraithbinding above the violet gold dragon egg, he keenly sensed the young creature's affinity for him.

The young beast seemed more affectionate when he practiced Wraithbinding, as if it wanted to break free from its shell and make physical contact with him.

At the same time, Yu Yuan and Ji Ningshuang felt a subtle tremor within their core beings.

He was acutely aware of a primordial greed and longing stirring within the dominant soul of his sea of consciousness.

His yearning was for the Terra Fiends roaming the Rainbow Ocean, the Defiled World below, and even more so for the ancient Terra Fiends.

Yet, what drew him in even more, what incited greed in his dominant soul, was something else entirely — the Root of the Lunar Meridian.

Deep within his soul, an imprint seemed to instinctively crave control, or even to consume the Root of the Lunar Meridian!

With a thunderous shake, Yu Yuan forcefully quelled these sinister thoughts, leaving his mind somewhat adrift.

"Wraithbinding," the core arcane art of his first life, held a natural dominance over the Star-Spawned Terror and the Terra Fiend.

"Han Miaoyuan, attuned to the vast spiritual energy of the Everlands, and Taishi, who penetrated the essence of the cosmic order. Youyu and Xuanli, whose Spirit Magic insights related to reincarnation stem from the Root of the Lunar Meridian. What, then, did I, in my first life, attune to and comprehend?" Yu Yuan mused with a furrowed brow.

With this thought, he envisioned a deep sea shrouded in layers of fog...

In that sea, rich and pure Soul Power surged, vast and mysterious, without limit.

This mist-veiled, indistinct sea flashed through the depths of his dominant soul and vanished without leaving a trace of its existence.

Yet, Yu Yuan had a sudden epiphany that his Path to Godhood might just be intertwined with that enigmatic deep sea.

In ancient times, the Bloodbrawlers, the Boulderdawn, and the Terra Fiend almost simultaneously gave rise to supreme beings, as if a veil of ignorance had been lifted.

The Bloodbrawlers and the Terra Fiend were backed by the Root of the Lunar Meridian, but what about the Boulderdawn?

Could it be that the mysterious and boundless sea was the catalyst for his first life's enlightenment, the source of the Mind Magic that birthed the Boulderdawn?

Does it still exist?

And if so, where might it be now?

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