2000 years, 2100 years, 2200 years…
The crystal bead’s fusion with the soul increased steadily, and the tearing sensation it caused became more intense. This was not merely a sense of ‘pain,’ but a true ‘tearing’ of the soul. If one could not endure it, the soul would eventually be completely torn apart and disintegrated. However, the closer Luo Feng approached this limit, the purer and more focused his mind became. This intense trial refined his inner self even more effectively, accelerating his progress.
2300 years, 2400 years, 2500 years, 2600 years…
“It’s already been 2600 years.”
Within the grand hall surrounded by numerous sealed stars, Puti sat in a dominating posture, gazing down at Luo Feng, who was drenched in sweat and blood. Amidst this excruciating pain, beads of blood oozed from his body, and his entire form trembled. Yet, faintly visible through his furrowed brows and strained expression was an unshakable determination, unyielding to the soul-shattering agony.
“The first two candidates lasted 2600 years and 3300 years respectively.”
“These two were extraordinary geniuses, unparalleled elites from Earth’s lineage—truly remarkable figures. Regarding their circumstances, the first candidate had the most favorable conditions and possessed a ‘childlike innocence’ mindset, yet he perished after 2600 years. The second candidate had the least favorable conditions, even worse than Luo Feng’s, enduring far greater hardships. Yet his mind reached the state of ’embracing all,’ and still, he eventually perished.”
“In Earth’s lineage history, many cultivators have attained profound mental cultivation. Countless have reached the first level, many the second, and not a few the third.”
Puti sighed inwardly.
His master, the powerful alien being who had guided and nurtured Earth’s lineage, once said…
The three mental states are not inherently superior or inferior; they represent three distinct paths.
“Seeing one’s true nature, staying true to one’s heart”—firmly holding to one’s core self, believing in oneself, cultivating a powerful inner self, and firmly believing in one’s supremacy. No matter what challenges arise, one must unwaveringly believe in oneself. However, this path is the most difficult to traverse, relying entirely on one’s inner strength and conviction.
To put it bluntly, it is a path of ‘extreme stubbornness’ and ‘inflexibility.’ Those who walk it are prone to stumbling and suffering.
Yet those who truly see their true nature do not follow the crowd. They possess firm convictions, unshaken even when faced with universal condemnation or endless ridicule. This path is the most arduous and bumpy…
“Harmonizing Yin and Yang, childlike innocence”—a pure heart, unity with heaven and earth.
Such individuals inspire admiration and faith from countless beings. It is difficult for anyone to bear hostility toward them. They understand the hearts of countless ordinary beings. Historically, they were often called ‘Sages.’
“Embracing all, embracing the universe”—believing in the vastness of the cosmos, recognizing that one’s self alone cannot surpass all external forces. They refuse to merely submit passively and merge with heaven and earth; instead, they seek to embrace and encompass everything.
Such strong ones possess vast hearts.
They harbor boundless ambitions, their convictions terrifyingly firm.
…
Three paths.
They are seen in Earth’s lineage as progressively higher because Earth’s lineage has never truly produced a great cultivator.
Historically, many “true nature seekers”—those who steadfastly held their convictions, or perhaps were simply “extremely stubborn”—stumbled and suffered repeatedly, enduring great ups and downs… Only after thoroughly understanding the hearts of others did they finally awaken, realizing that harmonizing Yin and Yang was the true Dao, and that rigidly clinging to one’s heart was too extreme.
Thus emerged “unity with heaven and earth,” and the so-called “completeness.”
At this stage, they no longer suffered hardships or injuries, instead gaining the worship of countless beings.
…
After prolonged cultivation along the second path and achieving completeness, a deeper yearning arises.
They are no longer content with unity with heaven and earth; they seek for humanity to embrace heaven itself. This is the third level.
Throughout Earth’s lineage history, those who reached this third level either founded nations or established religions, invariably rising to the pinnacle of the world. Their extreme inner strength and all-embracing hearts enabled them to endure any setback, progressing steadily even in the harshest circumstances.
Perhaps their physical potential was inferior to others’, but their slow yet steady progress ensured they would eventually reach the peak!
…
Of the three paths, regarding achievement and renown:
The third path is the strongest, the second somewhat weaker, and the first the most arduous.
Thus, generation after generation of Earth’s sages developed this understanding… It is akin to “sitting in a well and viewing only a small portion of the sky.” If one reaches the level of a powerful alien being or a cosmic supreme, one would scoff at such distinctions, recognizing that the paths are merely different, and arguing over superiority is meaningless.
…
“He has endured over 2600 years; his heart is indeed terrifyingly firm,” Puti mused. “Facing such soul-tearing pain, one must possess an utterly unshakable will. Only with such an indomitable will can one endure longer. It all depends on… how strong his heart truly is.”
In China’s history, many individuals possessed integrity, but under torture, they all confessed.
Even the most loyal and righteous souls—only because the torment did not reach its limit, the methods not ruthless enough. If subjected to such soul-deep pain for thousands of years… who could endure it? Ordinary heroes, merely facing thousands of years of loneliness, would go mad, let alone enduring such constant agony…
…
While enduring such terrifying torment, Luo Feng’s will remained terrifyingly firm, entirely undisturbed, his heart pure and true, fully immersed in studying the ‘Beast God Path.’
In the 2800th year…
Wave after wave of pain reaching its peak finally began interfering with Luo Feng’s study of the ‘Beast God Path.’
“Don’t try to disturb me.”
“Wu!”
Within his inner world, the Gold-Horned Giant Beast continued observing the Beast God statue, attempting to replicate and carve it.
Just like certain scientists on Earth who, despite illness and pain, endure cold sweat to continue their research, Luo Feng, though disturbed by the pain interrupting his insights repeatedly, had immersed himself in this cultivation for over two thousand years. Even with interruptions, he suppressed them again and again!
Interrupted by pain? Suppress it and continue studying the Beast God Path!
Interrupted during insight? Suppress it!
Interrupted again? Suppress it again!
A heart of absolute sincerity generated miraculous power in the most dangerous moments. Each interruption he suppressed only further stabilized his inner self. Each slight improvement, each slight enhancement… this rate of progress actually accelerated beyond before.
Thus… Luo Feng endured once more.
2900 years, 3000 years, 3100 years, 3200 years…
This oppressive pain increased in frequency as time passed. Eventually, the strength of his mind could no longer match the ever-escalating ‘agony’ of fusion. As long as the fusion continued, the soul-tearing pain constantly intensified, never ceasing. It was as if a steamroller were steadily advancing from behind. A person might run, but eventually, they would tire, their legs would falter, and no matter how strong their will… they would eventually collapse, crushed into pulp!
“Can’t hold on anymore?” Puti, seated above, looked down at Luo Feng, whose entire body trembled, skin cracked, face twitching between agony, madness, and stubbornness…
His whole body shook, teetering on the edge of insanity.
“Tired, aren’t you?”
“Child, if you can’t endure it, give up.”
“If you perish, even if your master does not revive you, I will reverse time and space to bring you back to life just for your perseverance. Perhaps you will lose much, but… the basic recognition of the Star Tower is simply too difficult. When the Star Tower was forged, it merged with an enigmatic beam of colored light, and even my master cannot fully control it. Perhaps… even if Earth’s lineage selects even more outstanding candidates, they still cannot be recognized by the Star Tower. If the first three candidates fail, the fourth, the fifth… continuing to fail endlessly, who knows when my master will change his mind and abandon the insistence that one must be ‘recognized by the Star Tower.'”
Puti sighed.
He was a Cosmic Sovereign, one of the peak existences in the boundless universe. With one glance, he could see through Luo Feng’s soul, naturally knowing that Luo Feng had already pushed himself to his limit.
“Don’t disturb me!”
“Don’t disturb me!!!” Fully immersed in studying the Beast God Path, Luo Feng was repeatedly interrupted by the unbearable pain. As the interruptions increased in frequency, Luo Feng’s will roared and bellowed, “Don’t disturb me! No one can disturb me! No one!!!”
Boom!
A tremendous transformation occurred!
If Luo Feng’s will and consciousness before had been like a crystal diamond—clear, sharp, and solid—after 3200 years of refinement, his will and consciousness became even more concentrated and refined, transforming into an even smaller, denser diamond crystal. However, as if compressed to a critical point, like a star evolving into a neutron star…
His will and consciousness suddenly experienced an incredible surge!
The crystal diamond seemed instantly compressed into an ‘atomic nucleus.’
“Continue.” Luo Feng felt as if, in the past, when he trained running or techniques to the limit of exhaustion, he would paradoxically transcend that limit and feel an immense sense of ease. Exactly that same feeling! The previous unbearable pain interrupting his cultivation, interrupting repeatedly, finally reaching the limit, and then all that pain was completely suppressed, no longer resisting.
…
“What!”
Within the grand hall, Puti had been observing everything intently. With one glance, he could see through Luo Feng’s soul and naturally noticed this transformation.
“How could he suddenly evolve?”
“How is this possible? The first two candidates didn’t experience this. Especially the second candidate, who lasted 3300 years before perishing, never experienced such a phenomenon.” Puti suddenly froze, “Ah, right. The first two candidates possessed the ‘childlike innocence’ and ’embracing all.’ Their methods of resisting pain differed from Luo Feng’s. The childlike innocence type would familiarize themselves with the pain, becoming one with it. The ’embracing all’ type… would even embrace the pain itself. But both were mistaken… the pain wasn’t merely psychological; it was the crystal bead truly fusing with the soul. This wasn’t an illusion—it was real!”
“Perhaps their methods allowed their souls to reach their limits, undisturbed by pain at all.”
“But without resistance, there is no pressure. Thus, the pressure on their will and consciousness was insufficient. Because they merged, they embraced.”
“But Luo Feng chose resistance! He completely resisted the pain, suppressed the pain, absolutely refusing to merge, absolutely refusing to embrace.”
“Perhaps Luo Feng endured even greater suffering.”
“But was this not also a form of ‘staying true to one’s heart, tempering one’s heart’ cultivation? By pushing his will and consciousness to the limit, he finally triggered a qualitative change, causing his will and consciousness to leap dramatically.” Puti marveled and sighed.
This tremendous leap granted Luo Feng significant leeway.
3300 years… 3900 years…
4000 years…
4300 years… 4900 years…
The crystal bead’s fusion continued, the soul-tearing pain steadily increasing. Although Luo Feng’s previous transformation had been a massive leap, after nearly 2000 more years, he once again approached his limit.
“Is it truly impossible to be recognized by the Star Tower?”
“Was the first 3200 years merely the first half?” Even Puti, the Cosmic Sovereign, felt astonished, for historically, the longest recorded duration was only 3300 years. No one knew exactly how long it would take to be recognized by the Star Tower.
No one had ever succeeded.
No one knew the limit—not even Puti or that alien great being.
“If Luo Feng fails, how many more candidates from Earth’s lineage must attempt before one succeeds?” Worry and anxiety filled Puti’s face.
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