Chapter 2891: Leaping Beyond Life and Death, Outside the Five Elements
The Nether Flower Pavilion Master departed, carrying Zhang Ruochen's letter, heading to the Nether Hall.
Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged in the stone hall, his hands resting on his knees.
In his left palm, a gray, hazy death aura formed a small vortex. Strands of death rules from heaven and earth surged into it.
In his right hand, life rules converged.
Desolate Heaven still bore the appearance of Xue Jue War God, his form like a towering divine mountain, his voice vast and domineering: "What is life? What is death? For birds and beasts, breaking out of the egg or emerging from the womb is life. For trees and flowers, seeds falling to the ground, taking root and sprouting, is also life."
Zhang Ruochen closed his eyes tightly and said, "To exist is to be alive?"
"For the Stone Clan, the birth of intelligence is life. Before intelligence is born, everywhere is stone, yet it already exists—is that life?" Desolate Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Without life, how can one transition from death to life?"
"That question is well asked! Indeed, if a stone has no life, how can it give birth to intelligence? All things in the world have life."
Desolate Heaven couldn't help but look at Zhang Ruochen with newfound respect, saying, "Since you understand this level, it makes things easier. Explain carefully—what exactly is your current state?"
Zhang Ruochen knew many things couldn't be hidden.
To understand more of the mysteries of life and death, he could only choose to trust Desolate Heaven for now.
Zhang Ruochen said, "There is a circle around me, sometimes near, sometimes far, layer upon layer without end. Within this circle, I can outline life rules, using life rules to derive life energy, maintaining the flame of life within me unextinguished."
"But every time I draw a life rule, a large number of death rules naturally emerge."
"These death rules are very fine, so for now, life and death maintain a balance. However, life can never overpower death, and I cannot completely break free from death."
After hearing this, a flash of surprise passed through Desolate Heaven's eyes. He sighed with deep emotion, "Truly incredible. Yes, in all the world, it seems only you can live in such a state. If Qingtian knew that because of him, you entered this state, he would surely regret only destroying your cultivation."
"What does the Great God mean by this?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Desolate Heaven clasped his hands behind his back, standing in the shadow of a pillar, and said, "Throughout history, only you have cultivated a perfect first-rank sacred intent. The so-called 'one' is precisely the entire heaven and earth, representing all things in the world."
"I originally thought that a complete 'one' was absolutely impossible in the world. I believed that your sacred intent, like Yan Wushen's Six Paths Reincarnation, was merely a projection of the 'one,' always remaining within the scope of the 'one.'"
"Unexpectedly, you truly broke free."
"What does 'breaking free' mean?" Zhang Ruochen asked, puzzled.
Desolate Heaven had once attempted to impact the first-rank sacred intent. Because he cultivated both life and death simultaneously and possessed the truth realm form of "Boundless Universe," he believed he had all the advantages.
Unfortunately, he failed.
But this experience gave him an understanding of first-rank sacred intent far beyond that of other gods.
Desolate Heaven said, "'One' is the circle around you, also the highest realm in Buddhism, called 'True Self.' You abandoned all your cultivation and returned to the starting point—that is breaking free. When the True Self manifests, it means you have successfully broken free. Leaping beyond life and death, outside the five elements."
Desolate Heaven was born in the Western Buddha Realm, so his explanation of all things in the world naturally inclined toward Buddhist principles.
In fact, 'One,' the circle, and 'True Self' could all be called Wuji.
Entering Wuji meant breaking free from the original world—how could the five elements and life and death still bind him?
Bore's Gate of True Self only possessed a hint of True Self's charm, a combination of the Buddhist path and fate.
Desolate Heaven said, "Although you have broken free, you still need to learn from heaven and earth, comprehend nature, to forge your own path and make yourself strong. Otherwise, even if you leap beyond the five elements, you will still be suppressed by heaven and earth forever, ultimately trapped and dying within them."
"How does one learn from heaven and earth?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Desolate Heaven said, "This is actually no different from divine realm cultivation. The difference is only that other gods still cultivate within this heaven and earth. No matter how powerful their cultivation, they remain part of heaven and earth."
"But you are learning from heaven and earth, cultivating yourself."
"After stepping into the divine realm, the usefulness of cultivation techniques gradually diminishes. Every god primarily cultivates the divine path formed from sacred intent—their own path, their own unique way."
"For example, Xue Jue's Five-Layered Sea sacred intent was formed during the Great Saint realm by fusing five paths: Blood Sea Heavenly Dao, Five Elements Fire Path, Lightning Path, Death Path, and Darkness Path."
"After becoming a god, the divine path he created is the Five-Layered Sea Divine Path. He can even condense Five-Layered Sea rules completely different from blood sea rules, fire path rules, lightning rules, death rules, and darkness rules, which can also be called Five-Layered Sea Rule Divine Marks. These are rules belonging only to him, divine marks belonging only to him."
"But even if Xue Jue collects all the esoterica of the five paths and cultivates the Five-Layered Sea Divine Path into the Five-Layered Sea Esoteric Divine Path, he still remains within this world. All his achievements still belong to this world. As he grows stronger, the world also grows stronger. He can never transcend."
"I now somewhat understand why he believes you can stop the Calamity of Quantities. Because you have become the greatest variable in this world. No one can calculate what you will become in the future. Your future depends only on yourself. Your future might even achieve immortality!"
"However, you are not yet strong enough. You are merely a bubble in the vast ocean."
Zhang Ruochen asked, "When can one be called strong?"
"Still a bubble. The atmosphere of Xinghuantian can envelop a great world. When your circle can envelop the entire universe, then everything in the universe will be under your control! You could even create a complete universe yourself." Desolate Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Is that possible?"
"There is no possibility, at least currently, such a possibility does not exist." Desolate Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "..."
"But people are always changing, and the Dao is also changing. Who can predict the future? However, your potential is truly unprecedented in history, and the future holds great promise." A rare smile appeared on Desolate Heaven's face.
He said, "Let's talk about some practical issues. The reason every time you draw a life rule, a large number of fine death rules automatically emerge is because life and death always coexist."
"Death is born precisely because of life."
"In the beginning, this world was a chaotic mass. It was because life appeared that death followed. Moreover, death is stronger than life, with more rules."
"Exactly for this reason, nothing in the world can be eternal; everything will die. Countless cultivators throughout history who sought immortality have all failed because they could not contend with the death rules of heaven and earth."
Zhang Ruochen said, "The death rules in this heaven and earth far outnumber the life rules. But since I have already broken free, why can't I decide the number of life and death rules within the Wuji circle?"
"Because you take this heaven and earth as your teacher. The life rules you draw are all copied from it. Therefore, whatever this heaven and earth is like, you can only be like that." Desolate Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen had extremely high comprehension and said, "I understand! As long as the life rules in my Wuji circle are stronger than the death rules, the flame of life within me can be completely stabilized."
"Theoretically, yes. But with your current spiritual power, you are still far from creating life rules. If you don't learn from heaven and earth, how can you draw life rules?" Desolate Heaven posed the question, guiding Zhang Ruochen to comprehend.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Then from now on, I will devote all my energy to studying the path of life."
"You are wrong! Death rules are indeed your enemy, but this enemy is extremely powerful. If you don't understand the enemy, how can you defeat it?" Desolate Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Alright, I was indeed wrong. Life and death are inseparable."
A moment later.
"I've thought of it! Life rules are derived from the path of light, one of the Nine Eternal Paths. I need to study the path of light. To study the path of light, I must also study the path of darkness, because light and darkness are also inseparable." Zhang Ruochen said.
Desolate Heaven said, "The student is teachable! Can you control the Wuji circle you mentioned? Or can you take the Wuji circle into your body?"
Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes and shook his head: "Not yet."
Desolate Heaven said, "Then the path you have to walk is still very long."
Zhang Ruochen raised his hands, life rules and death rules flowing between them, and said, "Great God, you can take back the life esoterica and death esoterica."
"It's only one ten-thousandth. Keep it for yourself. With the esoterica's help, you can comprehend life and death faster." Desolate Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen's heart was deeply moved.
One ten-thousandth of life esoterica and death esoterica might seem insignificant, but for a Heaven-Repairing realm god, it was still a considerable amount. Even a direct disciple might not be granted such a thing.
Zhang Ruochen and Desolate Heaven were merely chance acquaintances with no deeper relationship. Yet the other party was willing to grant him esoterica—was it because of his high talent?
No.
If his talent were too high, he should be killed directly.
It must be because of Bai Qinger, and also because Xue Jue War God had said Zhang Ruochen could stop the Calamity of Quantities.
Whether for the love of a child or for all living beings in the world, it was worth it for him to choose to nurture Zhang Ruochen.
Over the next few days, Zhang Ruochen activated the Sundial, spending several years repairing the Nine Yin Formations and comprehending life and death, drawing life rules.
During this time, gods came one after another to the edge of the red-yellow Gobi to investigate, but all quickly retreated, none daring to break in.
Finally, in the starry sky, Caiyi God's Star Soul Divine Throne dimmed, signifying that the realm lord of a powerful realm, a peerless great god, had fallen. This would inevitably stir up a violent storm in both the Hell Realm and the Heavenly Court.
Desolate Heaven stood under the hibiscus tree.
The moment Caiyi God fell, he sensed the position of Duotian Divine Emperor. Opening a pair of blazing tiger eyes, he said, "He is on the sun of Xinghuantian! Zhang Ruochen, I am about to set out. To tell you the truth, this battle will most likely end in mutual destruction. Do you want to come with me?"
Desolate Heaven had already told Zhang Ruochen that if he wanted to better comprehend life and death, he must enter his divine realm world to observe this battle between him and Duotian Divine Emperor.
He didn't tell Zhang Ruochen why.
He only told Zhang Ruochen that if he died, Zhang Ruochen would also die.
Zhang Ruochen had fully repaired the Nine Yin Formations. He instructed Aji to guard the place, then walked toward Desolate Heaven, smiling: "A confrontation at your level—I should stay as far away as possible. But who told me I really want to hear your story?"
"With those words, if I slay Duotian Divine Emperor, his light esoterica will be yours! But before that, you must go with me to the First Divine Maiden City as Zhang Ruochen, to make the cultivators of Xinghuantian believe that it was Xue Jue War God who killed Caiyi God, and it is also Xue Jue War God who is going to kill Duotian Divine Emperor." Desolate Heaven said.
Zhang Ruochen did not refuse. Instead, he took out a belt and said, "With this, it might be even better."