Inside the pagoda, a heaven-and-earth was formed within itself, and rules were also formed within itself. It seemed that Hongmeng supreme treasures all had their own rules. If there were rules, it would be easier to handle.
Soul particles entered within and directly used Nine Heavens Fate Arts, forcibly changing the rules. Nine Heavens Fate Arts had limited influence on the rules of a Hongmeng supreme treasure, able to change only a tiny bit. Naturally, that was not enough to refine a Hongmeng supreme treasure. But what Lin Moyu needed was only to open a passage so that his soul could reach the core of the Thunder Pagoda.
At this time, Lin Moyu already knew that as long as one left a soul imprint within a Hongmeng supreme treasure, one could drive it. The difference was that leaving a soul imprint only on the outer layer was merely simple driving. When used, it would draw fierce backlash, somewhat similar to Soul-Slaying Arrow, harming others and harming oneself. That was how Zijin Emperor had been. He used his own method to resist part of the damage.
Once the treasure was completely refined, there would be no such side effects. Not only could one face enemies with full strength while remaining unharmed, one could even turn lightning into a shield to protect oneself.
Through the Chess of All Living Beings, Lin Moyu already knew that whether or not a Hongmeng supreme treasure was completely refined made a difference like heaven and earth.
Also, refining a Hongmeng supreme treasure was not difficult. What was difficult was finding the suitable method.
The refinement method for the Zijin Thunder Pagoda was to find a way to reach its core. Leaving a soul imprint at the core would suffice.
Nine Heavens Fate Arts played a heaven-shaking role. Although it could not truly alter the rules, it could influence the rules, forcibly opening a passage for Lin Moyu.
Soul particles rushed into the core at the fastest speed and left within it Lin Moyu's soul imprint. In the blink of an eye, the refinement was complete.
Lin Moyu and the Zijin Thunder Pagoda gained a sense of mutual understanding.
"It's done," Lin Moyu said softly. He had gained another Hongmeng supreme treasure.
Then he looked at that basin. The basin had already split, broken into two halves. In the final great battle, Zijin Emperor had used essence blood to drive the basin, making it endure unimaginable pressure until it finally shattered. This also showed that the basin was not a Hongmeng supreme treasure. It might have touched the Hongmeng level and possessed certain special abilities in spacetime, but compared with a Hongmeng supreme treasure, it was still lacking.
Hongmeng supreme treasures were not so easily obtained. For Zijin Emperor to obtain one or two already counted as good fortune.
Lastly was the clothing Zijin Emperor wore. It was also a fine treasure, with extremely strong defense. Unfortunately, it was now severely damaged and could not be repaired. Nearly all the backlash from the Zijin Thunder Pagoda had been borne by it. It was not a Hongmeng supreme treasure, and for it to hold out until the end was already rare.
In the end, the only harvest was the Zijin Thunder Pagoda.
Lin Moyu was already deeply satisfied. If the Calamity Scepter was also a Hongmeng supreme treasure, then he already had three Hongmeng supreme treasures in hand. That was a wealth beyond imagination.
Lin Moyu's gaze turned toward the depths of the Life-Forbidden Zone. The light cluster there had been calling to him the whole time. If he did not pay attention, it would be fine. But once he looked at it, a voice filled with seductive pull would resound within his soul.
Lin Moyu murmured, "It's about time. I just don't know how long this trip will take."
He vaguely felt that this journey would be a long one. The time would not be short. He did not know what the deepest part of the Life-Forbidden Zone was like, and no one could tell him. He could only search for the answer himself.
He glanced at Yushen Heaven-and-Earth. The Hongmeng Spirit Tree was growing well. More and more Heaven-and-Earth wreckage was being drawn over. The Hongmeng Spirit Tree was growing and feeding back the gathered power into Yushen Heaven-and-Earth. Yushen Heaven-and-Earth was also continuously growing stronger. With enough time, Yushen Heaven-and-Earth would surely advance another step.
To ascend to Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth required an opportunity. Part of that opportunity was time. Another part might be what he was about to do in the Life-Forbidden Zone.
Xiaopeng and Chaos Child were still being nurtured. Originally, they should have been birthed long ago, but Little Tree carried out a second nurturing for them to forge a stronger foundation, which extended their gestation time. But that was fine. At least their future would become broader.
Lin Moyu said to Little Tree, "I'm going there. This clone will remain here. If there are external enemies again, it may still be able to hold them off for a while."
Lin Moyu left behind a powerful clone. The clone was formed from over a million soul particles. Each soul particle could use Soul-Slaying Arrow. Even if Zijin Emperor came again, it would be a one-way trip.
As for others, Lin Moyu knew that in this Great Annihilation era there were no longer any enemies. He left the clone behind only out of long-standing habit, a habit of caution.
Lin Mohan's Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth was evolving nearby. So far everything looked smooth. At this stage, he could no longer help with anything. Lin Mohan would need to complete it herself. Perhaps by the time he returned, everything would already have settled into dust.
Having decided to depart, Lin Moyu returned to Yushen Heaven-and-Earth to accompany his wives. This companionship lasted a full hundred years. For a hundred years, Lin Moyu went nowhere, staying close with his wives, sweet beyond measure.
Asking for flowers.
He did not leave clones for his wives. He understood them. Unless it was his main body, it was better not to be present at all.
Before he left, Little Tree's roots danced, sending blessings.
"May Master's wishes come true."
Lin Moyu said softly, "Yushen Heaven-and-Earth is in your hands to manage now."
Little Tree said, "Master, rest assured. With me here, nothing will happen."
Lin Moyu nodded and stepped into the Life-Forbidden Zone, flying toward the direction the heaven-and-earth was calling from.
He became, in this Great Annihilation, the last one to charge at the next step.
The void was pitch-black and lonely. Occasionally there were faint points of light. Those were pieces of Heaven-and-Earth wreckage. Once, they had been vast heavens-and-earth, dazzling beyond compare, containing countless living beings, radiating vitality within the silence. But now, they were about to be swallowed by deathly stillness, no longer possessing their former luster.
Lin Moyu passed over them, flying toward the deeper dead stillness.
The summons from the distant place never ceased. Lin Moyu's eyes could always see that cluster of light. Faintly, something also seemed to exist within the light. But he flew for a long time, and the distance between him and the light did not shorten at all.
This was a test of Dao heart.
Lin Moyu pondered. He could only keep flying, flying without stopping.
Unfortunately, Little Tree's power could not reach here. Otherwise, with Little Tree's spatial passages as assistance, the speed would be much faster.
He tried arranging teleportation grand arrays with runes, but the effect was not ideal. It was not much faster than flying himself.
The annihilating power of the Life-Forbidden Zone was gradually strengthening. Wounds appeared on Lin Moyu more and more frequently. Fortunately, his flesh body was powerful and healed at an astonishing speed.
Lin Moyu understood that from here onward, annihilating power would continue to strengthen, and the damage to him would grow more and more severe. He could likely withstand it, but it would not feel good.
If it did not feel good, then do not endure it.
Lin Moyu drove a grand array, using the array as a shield to block annihilating power. A benefit of grand arrays was that if one collapsed, one could set it up again. Once this ability was comprehended and mastered, it could be used repeatedly.
Finally, after flying for who knew how long, the distance at last shortened by a tiny bit.
Lin Moyu keenly sensed the change. A slight joy rose in his heart. He did not know how long he had flown, but it seemed he could get closer.
If so, then continue.
Speed up.
Continue flying forward, leaving behind a long trail of light-flame in the void.
This was a long, lonely journey.
Heaven-and-Earth wreckage had completely disappeared. In the void appeared a vast, ancient aura. No heaven-and-earth had ever existed here. No living beings had ever been nurtured here. This was a true land of death. The vastness of the Life-Forbidden Zone exceeded imagination. The many heavens-and-earth occupied only a very small portion.
It was impossible to use Undying Spirit Soldiers to trace out the contours of the Life-Forbidden Zone as if it were a dungeon secret realm.
As far as the eye could see, trillions upon trillions of li of void were all identical. There was nothing. He was the only living being, the lone and only existence.
The light ahead pointed the road. When you did not look at it, it was as if it did not exist. Its light could only be seen. It did not illuminate the surroundings.
The change in distance of the light was extremely slow, so slow that perhaps only after decades or a hundred years would it draw nearer by a thread. This was hope, and it was also despair.
Loneliness was a terrifying emotion, enough to drive one mad. Even a true supreme powerhouse, facing tens of thousands of years of loneliness, would still go mad.
What meaning did great power have when there was no one to compare against in all the heavens-and-earth? How could one speak of strength?
So this was a journey of tempering the Dao heart.
If one could not endure the loneliness, then die here.
There was now no retreat.
From the moment he stepped into this dead stillness, Lin Moyu lost all connection with Yushen Heaven-and-Earth. Since he had possessed Yushen Heaven-and-Earth, this was the first time such a thing had happened.
It was not because the distance was too far. It was because there was a strange power here. This power was different from rules, intangible and without substance yet truly existing. Because of it, he fell completely into solitude, unable to contact Yushen Heaven-and-Earth, unable to contact Little Tree. Even the Calamity Scepter and Hongmeng Gemstone in his hands fell into a sleep-like state. In the Technique Domain, the Undying Spirit Soldiers had long since fallen asleep and could no longer be summoned.
Lin Moyu wanted to perceive this intangible power, but he could not sense it at all. His keen soul exerted all its strength and still gained not a shred of information.
It could only mean that this power was of too high a level, far beyond him.
If so, then so be it.
Though fallen into solitude, Lin Moyu's Dao heart remained unshakably firm.
Continue forward toward the destination.
One year.
Ten years.
A hundred years.
Forgetting time, forgetting distance, forgetting techniques, forgetting treasures, forgetting heaven-and-earth.
Only one thought remained in Lin Moyu's heart: reach the end point.
His Dao heart, without him realizing, was tempered to become even stronger.
Lin Moyu did not rejoice because of external things, nor grieve because of external things. It was as if he became a heaven-and-earth unto himself. Wherever he went, there was the heaven-and-earth. With one thought, a heaven-and-earth was born. With one thought, a heaven-and-earth died. Life and death, sorrow and joy, all lay within a single thought.
Soul and flesh body seemed to fuse even more thoroughly. His flesh-and-soul union faintly reached the peak.
He did not know how long he flew. The distance between him and the light slowly shortened. At last it was nearly before his eyes.
Annihilating power was even denser now, but it still could not harm him. He did not need to use any methods. Relying only on his flesh body, he blocked all annihilating power.
He believed that besides himself, no one could do this.
This was his confidence and foundation.
Annihilating power continued strengthening. Later it was like a storm, so dense it was almost visible to the naked eye.
Lin Moyu saw a gigantic storm formed of annihilating power. And the cluster of light he sought was within the storm.
Finally.
He had arrived.
Lin Moyu could not remember how long it had been since he last spoke. Not only speaking, even his inner thoughts had at some point pressed a stop button. He forgot time, like a mindless walking corpse, crossing the endless void. Only the firmness of his Dao heart protected him, until now, when he finally reached the end point.
The walking corpse that had drifted for years revived again.
Lin Moyu did not pause. He rushed into the storm, letting annihilating power scour him, washing away all worldly dust, using annihilating power to greet and cleanse him, completing the final step of Dao-heart tempering.
From this moment on, his Dao heart was round and firm, without any flaws.
When his Dao heart was fully tempered to completion, a light formed of its own accord, enveloping his whole body and isolating annihilating power.
Dao-heart power turned from empty into real and guarded his surroundings.
Enlightenment rose.
This lonely journey had been the final tempering of the Dao heart.
If one used other methods, perhaps one could also pass through, but one would lose the meaning of this journey.
Since ancient times, cultivation realm was easy to cultivate, but Dao heart was hard to obtain. If one missed this opportunity, it would be too regrettable.
Lin Moyu did not know how others did it. At least, he had not done wrong.
Zijin Emperor had not possessed Dao-heart power to protect his body. Clearly, the method he used back then was not correct.
Passing through the annihilation storm, Lin Moyu finally touched that cluster of light.
At the instant his finger touched the light, the annihilation storm vanished into smoke.
Ahead, a divine mountain appeared.
The divine mountain appeared abruptly without any omen, as if it had already existed for countless years.
A mountain path led to the summit. Lin Moyu climbed the steps upward, one step after another, walking toward the summit.
This road was not long, nor did it contain any trials. It seemed like an ordinary mountain path.
But for some reason, as he walked, memories surged.
From his birth to the present, Lin Moyu saw all his experiences once. Even memories from his earliest childhood, the tiniest details, surfaced clearly at this moment.
However, Lin Moyu was born knowing. These memories had already been fully understood in his cultivation and were never forgotten.
If it were another cultivator, this mountain path would be a road of restoration, reliving a lifetime of memories, as if walking the cultivation road once more. Whether flesh body or soul, hidden injuries and obvious ailments would be completely repaired on this road. Even the traces of time would be erased.
By the time one reached the summit, one would surely be at peak state.
Lin Moyu was already at peak state. Such a benefit had little effect on him. He easily reached the summit.
At the summit stood a palace.
Lin Moyu stepped inside.
The palace seemed to have no roof. Looking up, one could see endless void.
In the void were countless points of light.
Those points of light were not stars, but heavens-and-earth. Every point of light was a heaven-and-earth, and all were heavens-and-earth above the Seven-Wheel Heaven-and-Earth level.
It seemed only heavens-and-earth above seven wheels were qualified to be a tiny light here.
Among them, several dozen clusters of faint light were especially bright, different from the others.
Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth.
Lin Moyu was startled. These clusters of faint light were precisely Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth.
One of them was very familiar to Lin Moyu. It emitted a faint purple glow. It was Zijin Emperor's Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth.
When his gaze fell on Zijin Emperor's Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, Zijin Emperor suddenly appeared, and a cold laugh sounded by his ear.
"You finally came."
Zijin Emperor indeed was not dead.
More precisely, he still had a remnant soul remaining here.
Lin Moyu looked at him with icy eyes. Before he understood the reason, he did not make a move.
Zijin Emperor sneered. "Kid, you cannot kill this Emperor. You will never be able to kill me. In the end you will be just like this Emperor, trapped here forever, without freedom."
Lin Moyu's brows knit slightly. He could see that Zijin Emperor was not comfortable here. Though not dead, it seemed worse than death.
At this time, several others appeared. Each had an aura that was powerful and noble, all true supreme powerhouses from Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth.
One of them held a phantom chessboard.
"Welcome, little friend. There seems to be the aura of the Chess of All Living Beings on you."
Lin Moyu's heart stirred.
"So senior is the Living Beings Heavenly Emperor?"
After refining the Chess of All Living Beings, Lin Moyu learned that the master of the Chess of All Living Beings was named the Living Beings Heavenly Emperor. Like Zijin Emperor, he too was a true supreme powerhouse of a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, and his strength was even greater than Zijin Emperor.
At the end of his Great Annihilation cycle, he refined his heaven-and-earth, his everything, into the Chess of All Living Beings, making that Hongmeng supreme treasure even stronger. It was not strange he could sense the aura of the Chess of All Living Beings.
But Lin Moyu did not expect that he too had a remnant soul preserved to this day.
From this, it seemed that those true supreme powerhouses of former Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth all left remnant souls here. Only, it was unknown what place this was.
The Living Beings Heavenly Emperor smiled.
"Who would have thought that after several great cycles, someone could refine the Chess of All Living Beings. Truly rare."
Lin Moyu said, "Junior relied on the Heavenly Emperor's Chess of All Living Beings. Only then could junior survive smoothly until now."
The Living Beings Heavenly Emperor's eyes turned, and he understood what had happened.
"Fellow Daoist Zijin's plot went against the flow, violating heaven-ordained rules. It was destined to fail. Even without the Chess of All Living Beings, Fellow Daoist Lin could still laugh to the end."
Zijin Emperor snorted coldly. "So you won. So what? In the end you still have to be like us, staying here forever."
Lin Moyu's heart moved.
"Heavenly Emperor senior, may I ask what place this is?"
The Living Beings Heavenly Emperor said, "Fellow Daoist Lin, walk inward and you will see. Someone will tell Fellow Daoist Lin. We will not waste words."
Zijin Emperor continued to sneer. "This Emperor will wait here and see how long you can smile."
Lin Moyu had only taken a few steps when thunder rumbled.
Zijin thunder flashed before his eyes. A figure wreathed in thunder appeared and blocked Lin Moyu's path.
His gaze was like lightning as he looked over.
"You refined this Emperor's Thunder Pagoda."
Lin Moyu knew he was the original master of the Thunder Pagoda, named Divine Thunder Emperor, also a powerful Hongmeng true supreme powerhouse.
His final choice was similar to the Living Beings Heavenly Emperor. He also fused his Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth into the Thunder Pagoda, strengthening the Hongmeng supreme treasure, rather than dragging a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth and forcibly enduring the Great Annihilation like Zijin Emperor.
Lin Moyu said, "Junior indeed refined senior's Thunder Pagoda."
He stared at Lin Moyu for a few breaths, then suddenly laughed loudly.
"Good, good, good. Refined well. Not just anyone can refine my pagoda. Unlike that trash. Even if he lived a few more great cycles, trash would still be trash."
Zijin Emperor heard this and was so angry his eyes widened.
Divine Thunder Emperor swept his eyes over. "What are you looking at? I said you are trash. Any objections? Look again and this Emperor will beat you to death. Though one cannot truly kill you here, beating you for a few million years is enough to make you wish for death."
Lin Moyu was surprised.
So fighting here was not impossible, only death was.
Zijin Emperor was clearly no match for Divine Thunder Emperor. He could only snort coldly and vanish.
Divine Thunder Emperor said, "If you can refine the Thunder Pagoda, it means you have strong control over rules. Perhaps you will have a chance. No more than that. Just remember not to choose wrong."
After speaking, he also vanished.
Lin Moyu pondered his words and continued walking toward the depths of the palace.
Deep within the palace, starlight was dazzling. Vast starlight fell down. Each point of starlight was a heaven-and-earth, as if countless heavens-and-earth were being born and perishing here.
Suddenly, Lin Moyu stopped.
In the starry sky appeared a giant face.
The face was hazy. One could not see the true features, yet it was clear it was a human face. The face was woven from starlight, carrying an ancient aura.
Lin Moyu instantly judged that this being had existed for countless years. Even those earlier Heavenly Emperors and Emperors were far inferior to him.
An aged voice slowly sounded.
"This old one is the spirit of the Divine Servant Hall. You were able to stand out in this Great Annihilation and are qualified to become the master's divine servant."
Divine servant.
Lin Moyu's heart shook.
This place was called the Divine Servant Hall, the place where the master's divine servants stayed.
And the divine servants should be those Hongmeng true supreme powerhouses who still retained remnant souls.
Using Hongmeng true supreme powerhouses as servants, what kind of identity and strength did that master possess?
Though shocked, Lin Moyu remained expressionless. He said softly, "Senior, what is a divine servant?"
The Divine Servant Hall spirit said, "A divine servant is naturally the master's servant."
Lin Moyu continued, "And who is the master senior speaks of?"
The Divine Servant Hall spirit said, "The master is a supreme existence, the origin of all things and also the end point of all things. You are only qualified to become a divine servant. You are not a divine servant yet. You do not need to know so much. Only when your heaven-and-earth becomes Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth can you formally become a divine servant."
Formally become a divine servant.
What a joke.
Cultivating to this point was to become someone's servant? How could he agree?
But before he understood everything, Lin Moyu did not strike.
He recalled what Divine Thunder Emperor had said and asked, "What if I do not want to become a divine servant?"
The Divine Servant Hall spirit paused slightly.
"To become the master's divine servant is the highest glory. Others want to be one and cannot. Yet you do not want to?
"Know that once you become the master's divine servant, you will exist forever, immortal and undying. Even if you die, your remnant soul can revive, never fearing true fall.
"From then on you will break away from the Great Annihilation, surpass Hongmeng true supreme powerhouses, and become the strongest existence beneath the master.
"Limitless life. Boundless power. Second only to that mysterious master."
But without freedom, driven by another.
These were not what Lin Moyu wanted.
Lin Moyu said, "I am only speaking hypothetically."
The Divine Servant Hall spirit looked at Lin Moyu.
"Fine. Since you want to know, then we will act by the rules. You may have missed a great opportunity. Do not regret it."
Lin Moyu said, "Junior will not regret it."
"Then follow this old one."
As he spoke, he flew deeper into the great hall. Lin Moyu followed.
At the deepest part, Lin Moyu saw rows of exquisite seats. These seats were elegant and noble. Lin Moyu could not recognize the materials used, but he could be sure the level was extremely high, not inferior to Hongmeng supreme treasures.
Using materials on par with Hongmeng supreme treasures to forge seats was indeed luxurious.
At the very front of the palace, a still more magnificent throne sat there.
Needless to say, that throne belonged to the supreme master the hall spirit spoke of.
The hall spirit said, "You see them? These thrones are the seats of divine servants. Only by becoming a divine servant are you qualified to sit upon them.
"The thrones were forged by the master. They are stronger than Hongmeng supreme treasures. If you sit upon them, your cultivation will rise another level, and you will be immortal and undying, true eternal undying."
Lin Moyu looked at the most magnificent throne at the front. He faintly sensed that for countless years no one had sat upon it.
In other words, that master had not come for countless years.
And those Hongmeng true supreme powerhouses who had become divine servants were outside the palace and had not sat here. There must be a reason.
The hall spirit said, "Are you sure you do not want to become a divine servant? Do you not want to exist forever, ten thousand ages unperishing? Do you not want to be invincible under heaven, able to battle past and present?
"This old one can give you one more chance, let you choose again."
His voice was filled with seductive pull, like demonic sound that seeped in everywhere, trying to pry open Lin Moyu's Dao heart.
But Lin Moyu's Dao heart was too silent and steadfast, without the slightest flaw. It was doomed to be futile.
Lin Moyu held to his own view.
"Junior only wants to know, if I do not want to become a divine servant, what will happen?"