The Great Karmic Net.
Although he had rescued Pill Cauldron, Lu Yang had only sent him back without rushing to leave himself. Instead, he continued to stroll through the history recorded within the karma.
However, he would occasionally look back toward the [Present].
Watching the newly resurrected Pill Cauldron being pummeled by the World Honored One—who, despite striking out, was actually holding back most of his strength—Lu Yang even felt a slight sense of amusement.
"Interesting."
"In the past, I thought that among the various Dao Lords, the World Honored One was quite a bastard. But looking at it now, he's actually the one who has retained the most human-like side."
Is it because he still has lingering attachments to the mortal world?
After all, aside from the World Honored One, the other Dao Lords—whether it be the Sword Lord, Cang Hao, Myriad Laws, or even Du Xuan—actually had no attachments left in the mortal realm.
One must realize that, with the exception of the Ancestral Dragon, all Dao Lords grew step by step to reach where they are today. Throughout their long lifespans, there must have been many significant people, such as life-and-death friends or Dao companions. Yet looking at them now, apart from the World Honored One, the other Dao Lords were all entirely alone.
Perhaps that was the reason for their change.
While Lu Yang pondered, he walked against the torrent of karma toward the past of 129,600 years ago, light and shadow gradually surfacing in his eyes.
He wanted to see the Ancient Era.
The golden age of cultivators pioneered by Sisui, an era where even the various Dao Lords were more like humans. Lu Yang developed a great interest in it.
"..."
In the next second, he abruptly stopped. He lowered his head and looked around, clearly seeing an inexpressible chasm that split time apart.
Back then, he had reached a judgment while in the False History.
The history of the Light Sea actually consisted of three layers, stacked like a pyramid. Under the careful pruning of the Primordial Saint, it finally presented its current appearance.
The first layer, the original history, turned into the False History after the World Honored One attained the Dao and has now completely disappeared. The second layer is the current False History—the history altered after the removal of key figures like Dao Tianqi and the World Honored One. The third layer is the True History of the current world.
This was also the secret behind the Three-Life Bodies of the Primordial Saint and the World Honored One.
What appeared to be the Past, Present, and Future bodies did not actually exist on the same timeline, but were situated within the three layers of history.
In the first layer of history, he was the original Past Peak Master of Myriad Treasures.
In the second layer of history, he was the current Perfected Lord Brilliant World Joyous Light.
In the third layer of history, he was the future World Honored One of the Deep Bliss Pure Land.
"Among these, the second and third layers of history are versions altered by the Primordial Saint. Aside from the World Honored One and the other Dao Lords, I'm afraid no one remembers them anymore."
Even Dao Tianqi couldn't know.
Because the changes to these three layers of history were established at the moment the False History was born 129,600 years ago—at that time, Dao Tianqi had not yet attained the Dao.
Therefore, strictly speaking, the original first layer of history had already been buried by the Primordial Saint. Even if the Dao Lords still remembered it, they could not change karma that had already been destroyed. Furthermore, it involved that great battle 129,600 years ago, making the tracing of history even more difficult.
"So, relying on tracing karma makes it very hard to reach the Ancient Era."
"That battle between Dao Lords, under the deliberate manipulation of the Primordial Saint, has severed the history of the last 129,600 years from the history before it."
With that Dao Lord battle as the junction, the karma had become misaligned.
The [Effect] and the [Cause] no longer matched.
And by relying on the [Effect] altered by the Primordial Saint, how could one possibly trace back to the correct [Cause]? The result was this chasm that cut off the years.
At this thought, Lu Yang paced forward.
A brilliant ring of the Great Dao surfaced behind his head, rotating slowly and erupting with a thick light of Order, intending to redefine the karmic chasm before him.
"RUMBLE!"
In an instant, the Great Karmic Net beneath his feet exploded.
Lu Yang knit his brows. One more step forward would lead to the Dao Lord battle of 129,600 years ago, but all he could see was a dark universe.
The road was broken.
All karma was churned into a complete mess with no way to proceed. Furthermore, intuition told Lu Yang that if he rashly entered it, he would likely face a great crisis.
Just then.
A golden halo surfaced within the dark universe. The World Honored One paced out and, before Lu Yang could speak, pressed his palms together and performed a deeply solemn salute:
"Many thanks to Fellow Daoist for your assistance."
He did not ask how Lu Yang was able to enter the Great Karmic Net or why he was proficient in changing causes to alter effects. A smart person doesn't ask such questions; a good result is enough.
"No matter."
Seeing this, Lu Yang also smiled slightly and said: "Fellow Daoist arrived at the perfect time. I have another matter I wish to ask... Have you ever traced back to the history of the Ancient Era?"
The World Honored One understood instantly: "Does Fellow Daoist wish to cross that chasm?"
"If it were before, I could not have done it either; it was beyond the reach of [Karma]. However, after receiving Fellow Daoist's hint, I have a strategy."
Lu Yang was stunned: "A hint... from where?"
The World Honored One smiled: "Did Fellow Daoist not tell me? [Karma] and [Time]... Fellow Daoist, this chasm is only a chasm of [Karma]."
As soon as these words were out, Lu Yang finally understood.
'No wonder there was a sense of crisis.'
After all, the World Honored One only attained the Dao within these 129,600 years. While [Karma] might be misaligned at its source, [Time] would not be.
'So, further back, it is no longer the Great Karmic Net.'
'It is the Long River of Time.'
That was the Primordial Saint's home turf. How could it not be dangerous? This old beast truly went to the extreme in creating an information disparity.
Lu Yang couldn't help but complain in his heart.
Though, if he were in the Saint's position, he would surely do the same.
After all, a game of chess is ultimately a contest of intelligence; whoever holds more information occupies the greater advantage in the game.
The reason the Primordial Saint had been invincible in the Light Sea for so many years, yet had stumbled several times against Lu Yang, was precisely because of the information disparity.
At this thought, Lu Yang did not give up but instead felt a bit eager to move.
'The Ancient Era... the Primordial Saint can view it at will, yet I am blocked here. If I give up on such a massive information disparity, it will inevitably become a hidden danger.'
In the next second, Lu Yang turned to look at the World Honored One.
"I ask Fellow Daoist to help me."
Hearing this, the World Honored One thought for a moment and then said cautiously: "[Time] is treacherous. If we do not take that path, there is another way, though it will have certain flaws."
"Oh?"
Lu Yang's eyes lit up: "What method?"
The World Honored One pointed at himself: "I am a cultivator of the Ancient Era. Although the karma of the current world was altered, as a Dao Lord, I was not affected."
"Therefore, if we use me as an anchor, we can trace the [Karma] of the Ancient Era."
"As for the flaw, it is that we can only review what I have seen and heard. And back in the Ancient Era... my cultivation was limited. What I saw and heard may contain errors or omissions..."
Lu Yang understood immediately.
Got it—the perspective of a lower cultivator!
"No matter." Lu Yang chuckled. "This trip is just to scout the path. Later, we can rescue Sisui and then trace back using him as the anchor."
The World Honored One nodded.
"Besides that, there is the Primordial Saint. To trace the Ancient Era, we must pass through that Dao Lord battle; our actions cannot escape his eyes."
"So we must find a way to evade him..."
"There's no need for that."
Lu Yang shook his head: "Right now, it is he who must evade me."
(End of Chapter)