Lu Yang stood with his hands behind his back above the [Sea of Bitterness].
It actually appeared.
Astonishment flashed in his eyes. Even though he was the instigator of this minor tribulation, that didn't mean he could completely control its progression. At the very least, the scene unfolding before him was entirely unexpected.
Why is it just like the Dharma Body Dao? Another damn live broadcast to the entire Light Sea! Lu Yang originally planned to secretly sense the [Tribulation] and quietly reap the benefits. Now, that plan was dead in the water.
The only saving grace was that, unlike his previous life, he wasn't the master of this [Tribulation], nor had he spewed any arrogant nonsense like "Who can kill me?". Even so, he held his breath, ready to face any Dao Lord's gaze and hit the reset button if necessary.
Yet, after a long time passed...
They aren't coming?
The [Tribulation] had manifested. A grand avenue stretched across the [Sea of Bitterness], leading straight to the Paramita. Any cultivator capable of peering into the [Sea of Bitterness] could see it clearly.
Yet, the Dao Lords didn't react at all.
Forget the Ancestor of the Saint Sect—even the World Honored One showed no response. This bizarre silence filled Lu Yang with an even deeper sense of dread.
Why?
Lu Yang fell into deep thought. This is different from the Dharma Body Dao. In my last life, the moment I took control of the Dharma Body Dao, that old monster from the Saint Sect locked onto me immediately.
Of course, part of the reason is that this [Tribulation] currently has no master. But this is a great dao straight to the Paramita—one that could potentially allow someone to reach the Nascent Soul stage! How could the Dao Lords completely ignore it? It makes no sense. Or perhaps... the emergence of the [Tribulation] actually aligns with their future schemes?
This inevitably led Lu Yang to think of another matter.
The Thousand-Year Great Tribulation.
Ultimately, why did the Thousand-Year Great Tribulation even exist?
According to the intelligence he gathered from the karmic web, the first great tribulation in the sea of light was the war between the newly born Dharma Body Dao and the Spiritual Power Dao.
I suspected this the first time I learned about the Great Tribulation.
The only thing that could drive all the Perfected Lords in the sea of light to fight to the bitter end is a Nascent Soul method that elevates their Dao Path.
But what happened after that?
Honestly, I still haven't seen the point of the Thousand-Year Great Tribulation. It's just a bunch of cultivators fighting for no apparent reason.
Even if there is a purpose, it's just a clash of interests among the Dao Lords at the very top. There's absolutely zero benefit for the Perfected Lords. That's what makes it so suspicious. Knowing the Perfected Lords of the Immortal Nexus, they would just drag their feet and half-ass the job if there was nothing in it for them, even with Dao Lords barking orders from above.
At this thought, Lu Yang glanced at the [Tribulation] again.
Perhaps... this is the benefit. The entire reason the Thousand-Year Great Tribulation exists is because it's a tool the Dao Lords use to draw out the [Tribulation]!
He formed his hypothesis.
Given the usual conduct of the four old dogs of the Immortal Nexus, they would only sit back and refrain from interfering if the [Tribulation] was already well within their control.
Heaven's will is hard to fathom... but regardless, this is a good thing! Lu Yang let out a deep breath.
To be honest, his worst-case scenario was the World Honored One stomping him and Chong Guang to death the exact second he brought the [Tribulation] into the world. Now that it hadn't come to that, it was a stroke of absolute luck.
Surviving was a success in itself!
If my guess is right, I can run more experiments on the [Tribulation] to test the waters and figure out what the Dao Lords are really plotting!
The Sea of Light.
As the cradle for billions of world realms, this sea of light—formed by the convergence of the [Two Polarities Birth and Destruction Profound Light]—was infinitely vast and expanding every single second.
Similarly, new world realms were born within this boundless sea at every moment. However, most of these realms were incredibly fragile. A realm capable of supporting life was one in ten thousand. A small world realm that could generate spiritual qi and allow lifeforms to practice Qi Refining was one in ten thousand among those.
Further up, a middle world realm possessing an Embryonic Dao Fruit was one in ten thousand among the small world realms.
As for a great world realm that could truly birth an Unorthodox Dao Fruit, it was one in ten thousand among the middle realms. Through this grueling filtering process, their existence was a one-in-a-billion miracle.
Yet, within this boundless expanse.
Inside an indescribably dim territory shrouded by countless streams of light, it was as if someone suddenly opened their eyes. The gaze temporarily illuminated the sea of light.
This place was named the [Mysterious Wall].
For countless years, no one had ever approached this territory. It existed independently outside the light sea, transcending the mortal coil, gazing down upon the entire sea of light.
But at this moment, it suddenly dimmed.
The entire territory of the Mysterious Wall blurred. Infinite scenes were born and destroyed within it: towering Daoist temples, magnificent streaks of Dao Arts.
These visions seemed to be artificially pulled into the distance, gradually vanishing into nothingness as the perspective pulled back. The myriad scenes transformed into layers of profound steps, ultimately revealing a vast, boundless palace. It sat perfectly within a dense, swirling purple aura, radiating an intimidating majesty.
This was the true [Mysterious Wall].
As a super world realm, its interior was equally vast and boundless, housing countless cultivators and various subordinate factions. Yet, all of them were merely stepping stones leading up to this palace.
Following the steps upwards.
One would only catch sight of its main gates upon reaching the upper levels of the estate. Hung above the doors was a plaque bearing five seal-script characters:
[Realm of Minor Pure Void]
The characters were written in an ancient text that had long gone extinct in the present-day light sea. Aside from the thirty-six stone statues of the Star Palace, likely no one else could recognize them.
Even so, these five massive characters exuded a supreme, ethereal aura, forging the transcendent atmosphere that the Mysterious Wall possessed today.
Meanwhile, behind those five characters, a deep voice suddenly echoed from within the gates. It held no overbearing arrogance, just a very ordinary inquiry. Then, a second voice replied. It sounded just like a common exchange between a master and disciple in a rural village school.
"Master, the [Tribulation] has appeared. Does this mean the Thousand-Year Great Tribulation is starting early?"
"No. The manifestation of the [Tribulation] is an unexpected boon, but the Thousand-Year Great Tribulation has long been dictated by [Inevitable Fate]. Its time and location will not change because of this."
"Then does this disciple still have hope of attaining the Dao?"
"The [Tribulation] is the final Supreme Seat in heaven and earth. If you can truly defeat the other Perfected Ones and transcend the tribulation, you will naturally be able to use this path to set foot on the Paramita."
"I can only fight for this [Tribulation]? Is this the only seat left?"
"Of course there is more than one seat. As long as [Variables] exist, the supreme truth of the universe is that Heaven never seals off all paths. It's just that no one is capable of claiming them."
"Why?"
"Because that is [Inevitable Fate]."
At the end of their exchange, a heavy sigh drifted out from the Mysterious Wall. "Ever since the Paramita appeared and the Dao Seats were established, [Inevitable Fate] has become too difficult to defy."