The sixth layer of the [Paramita].
The Primordial Saint sat centered within it, manifesting his Dao Lord true body. Ring after ring of time-circles were stacked, reflecting countless forms, finally converging into a single towering silhouette of light.
Behind that silhouette, a Great Dao resembling an umbilical cord reached deep into the Dark Void, resonating with the boundless chaos and extracting nutrients. Between every breath, infinite peerless majesty was augmented upon him, continuously lifting his life and climbing bit by bit toward the direction of the seventh layer of the [Paramita].
"Probably... another thousand years."
The Primordial Saint calculated in his heart. After a thousand years, he could return to the seventh layer of the [Paramita]. This time wasn't exactly long, but properly considered, it wasn't short either.
After all, the current situation was shifting too fast.
Following this, the Primordial Saint reached into his robes and pulled out a brilliant cloth bag, appearing as if woven from transparent golden silk, shimmering with glazed colors.
Inside the bag were streaks of light darting about like swimming dragons; upon collision, they seemed to birth the profound principles of the Great Dao. Even a single glance would give one a sense of becoming keen-eared and sharp-eyed—if Dao Tianqi and Lu Yang were here, they would certainly recognize that these were exactly Dao Tianqi's [Light of Wisdom]!
"Only this much left..."
The Primordial Saint knit his brows as he looked at the Light of Wisdom inside the bag. These were what he had managed to intercept using countless methods back when he borrowed Dao Tianqi's Light of Wisdom in the past.
Unfortunately, this kind of interception caused great damage to the Light of Wisdom.
Therefore, although he had preserved some, in terms of actual efficacy, it likely held only ten or twenty percent of the original's power. Furthermore, it was a consumable; it would decrease with every use.
Yet, this was already the Primordial Saint's limit.
Besides, even at ten or twenty percent, it was more than enough.
After all, while it was only a fraction, as the Light of Wisdom of Dao Tianqi, it would be enough for a person in the current world to cultivate to the level of a Great Perfected Lord, surpassing 99.9% of all cultivators.
"Preparing for a rainy day, but it still feels unstable... Sigh."
In the next second, the Primordial Saint suddenly pressed his brow. Within the Primordial Spirit forged by [Supreme Forgotten Emotion], the final emotion that had not been cut away began to stir at this moment.
[Fear].
Happiness, anger, sorrow, joy, grief, fear, and shock—of the seven emotions, the Primordial Spirit he had refined through the [Seven Emotions Heavens-Reaching Method] had already cut away six. Only [Fear] remained.
This wasn't because he couldn't cut it away, but because [Fear] was the fundamental reason he sought [Transcendence]. To some extent, it was also the anchor of his humanity, the most deep-rooted part. If possible, he still hoped he could achieve transcendence while carrying this part with him.
Alas, the heavens do not always grant human wishes.
The Primordial Saint exhaled slowly: "Without cutting away [Fear], it is difficult for my Primordial Spirit to take a step further. And if I do not take that step, I fear I will be unable to suppress that Xuande's thoughts."
"Perhaps I too am afraid—afraid that after cutting it away, I will no longer be 'me'."
"...Truly a luxury."
One must be obsessed to succeed. If a commoner does not reach this level, how can they speak of [Transcendence]. Before the Great Dao, the so-called "me" is not important at all.
He let out a full breath.
The Primordial Saint closed his eyes. When he reopened them, the final trace of [Fear] had been completely erased. There was no longer the slightest hint of hesitation or dread in his eyes.
From this moment on, the gates of mortal thoughts were closed. Not a single trace remained of the mortal man he once was; all that was left was the Primordial Saint Taiyitian, who sought transcendence.
In the next second, he cast his gaze downward.
"Karma has been touched. Pill Cauldron has been revived. He still won't give up and wants to continue tracing back to the Ancient Era."
The Primordial Saint's gaze was like a mirror, reflecting the silhouettes of Lu Yang and the World Honored One. Just as the World Honored One had said, if one wanted to trace the Ancient Era, it was impossible to escape his sharp eyes.
However, he did not stop them.
The Ancient Era?
There was nothing worth noting there. In the Primordial Saint's view, the so-called Golden Age was essentially nothing more than a group of people playing house with Sisui.
The key was the Pre-Ancient Era—that was the truly valuable history. When he attained [Time] back then, he also harbored thoughts of tracing back to it. Unfortunately, the closer one got to the Pre-Ancient Era, the closer one got to the node of the Light Sea's birth. At that node, the so-called Light Sea was still a place of chaotic Dark Void.
Under the interference of the Dark Void, both karma and time were in disarray.
Therefore, the Pre-Ancient Era could not be traced.
At this thought, the Primordial Saint reached a conclusion: "He won't gain anything from the karmic history of the Ancient Era, especially since it's limited to being the [Ancient Era of Myriad Treasures]."
Unless he had other plans.
The Great Karmic Net.
To think is to do. With the help of the World Honored One, a bridge forged entirely of [Karma] was laid across the boundless chasm of the Great Karmic Net.
Thanks to this, Lu Yang finally saw the karma of the Ancient Era.
However, compared to the vast and infinite Great Karmic Net of the last 129,600 years, the Great Karmic Net of the Ancient Era was countless times smaller in scale.
'That makes sense.'
'After all, it's using the World Honored One as an anchor, so it fundamentally only involves karma related to the World Honored One. If it were replaced with Sisui, the scale should be much larger.'
Lu Yang paced forward and soon arrived within a karmic realm. Within sight was strikingly the Light Sea of the Ancient Era. Under Sisui's preaching, one realm after another was lit up by cultivators. Compared to later generations, the Light Sea of the Ancient Era was truly a brilliance of clustered stars; describing it as a sea of stars was more fitting.
Yet, that wasn't the key.
The moment he entered this historical karma, Lu Yang's gaze bypassed the many realms of the Light Sea and looked straight at a scene located at its center.
That was a Great Dao.
Or rather, a road.
It was established in the center of the Light Sea, leading all the way into the Dark Void, ascending layer by layer. There were seven layers in total, each one incredibly high and ethereal, beyond the reach of karma.
"...The [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness]?"
Lu Yang suppressed the excitement in his heart. This was the fundamental reason he had gone to such lengths to trace back to the Ancient Era!
In the True History, [Supreme Grandmaster] was hidden by the Primordial Saint, and the [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness] was no longer complete. But in the Ancient Era, the [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness] was still whole!
Simultaneously, the World Honored One sighed softly with emotion: "The [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness]. In the Ancient Era, many cultivators actually preferred to call it the [Path to Immortality]."
"Unfortunately, we can only look."
At this point, the World Honored One shook his head helplessly: "The [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness] is too transcendent; it fundamentally has no karma. What is in this karmic scene is merely an empty shell."
Lu Yang said nothing.
No karma?
How could that be! All things have causes and effects; as long as something exists, there must be a history preserved. Even the [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness] cannot be an exception.
'The reason its history cannot be traced isn't because there is no karma, but because the World Honored One's [Karma] cannot interfere with the [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness] which repels Dao Lords... That must be it. The Primordial Saint's [Time] should be the same, otherwise how could such a massive flaw be left behind?'
'However, I am different.'
With this thought, Lu Yang once again pulled up the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] panel.
And upon it, four characters were strikingly present, as if sensing something. They were glowing brilliantly, resonating with the distant [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness].
[Successor of Deity Transformation]!
At this moment, this unique talent produced by the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] caused a clear realization to surface in Lu Yang's heart: 'If it is me, I can likely go in.'
The Ancient Era, the complete [Heavenly Being's Remnant Consciousness].
In the eyes of others, this was an illusory object that could not be interfered with, but for him, its gates were practically wide open, just waiting for him to enter!
(End of Chapter)