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Chapter 478 - The Curse of Invincibility

The universe of cultivation is vast—so vast that its size is beyond comprehension. It brims with spiritual energy, a force that sustains its countless inhabitants and worlds. Within this boundless universe, there exist numerous worlds, each uniquely shaped and often serving as the base for powerful sects. These sects dominate their domains, wielding immense authority and influence. The largest sects usually occupy entire worlds of their own, using them as strongholds to cultivate power and expand their reach.

The path of cultivation follows a structured hierarchy of ranks, each representing a higher level of mastery and spiritual advancement. The journey begins with Qi Gathering, followed by Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Ascension, Human Immortal, Earth Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, and, finally, Golden Immortal.

Each rank not only signifies an increase in power but also extends a cultivator's lifespan. A Qi Gathering cultivator can live up to 150 years, while a Foundation Establishment cultivator can survive for as long as 300 years. Core Formation cultivators extend their lives up to 800 years, Nascent Soul cultivators can reach 3,000 years, and Ascension cultivators enjoy a staggering 10,000 years. However, the greatest breakthrough occurs when one becomes a Human Immortal. At this stage, the limits of mortality are cast aside, and longevity is no longer a constraint. Human Immortals can live indefinitely—provided they can endure the heavenly tribulations that strike them every 1,000 years. Each subsequent tribulation grows increasingly powerful, forcing the cultivator to continually strengthen themselves to survive.

The laws governing the universe of cultivation are immutable. These cosmic rules bind every world and every being within the universe. The cycle of tribulations and the system of cultivation ranks are universal constants, unchangeable and eternal. 

Although immortals are theoretically ageless, the ultimate reality is harsh. Once a cultivator reaches the Golden Immortal stage—the pinnacle of the cultivation hierarchy—they encounter a dire limitation: the inability to progress any further. At this peak, their tribulations become so overwhelming that survival becomes impossible. Thus, despite their seemingly eternal existence, Golden Immortals inevitably succumb to the unyielding laws of the universe.

At its core, the pursuit of cultivation is an attempt to escape death. However, the cruel irony is that death remains an unavoidable end for even the most powerful. Reaching the Golden Immortal realm is no cause for celebration; instead, it marks the beginning of an inevitable decline. The only way to transcend this cycle of life, death, and tribulation is to ascend to the Realm of Gods.

The Realm of Gods is a place of legend, where only a select few—those who can shatter the limits of their universe—can enter. These rare individuals transcend the Golden Immortal stage to reach a higher existence. Historical records speak of those who succeeded, gaining infinite domains and the ability to create their own universes. The allure of godhood attracts all manner of beings—cultivators, mages, demons, angels, spirits, ghosts, devils, and more. Each dreams of reaching the divine universe, but the chances of success are infinitesimal.

...

Wu Jian, a Golden Immortal who had spent countless years cultivating to the peak of her universe, gazed at the sky with a heavy heart.

"Tribulation has finally caught up to me," she thought bitterly. As a Human Immortal, Wu Jian had faced her first tribulation over 300,000 years ago. Each step of her journey was marked by increasingly devastating trials. Human Immortals endure tribulations every 1,000 years, Earth Immortals every 3,000 years, Heavenly Immortals every 6,000 years, and Golden Immortals every 10,000 years. This would be her 11th Golden Immortal-level tribulation. The memory of barely surviving her last trial still haunted her. She had emerged battered and broken, her victory a narrow one. This time, she held no confidence in her ability to prevail.

Wu Jian sighed deeply, her usually calm demeanor overshadowed by despair. She had been running from death for what felt like an eternity, evading its grasp with every ounce of her strength and willpower. But no one, not even a Golden Immortal, could escape the laws of the universe. Tribulation was absolute, an unavoidable reckoning. This was a truth all cultivators understood from the moment they began their journey.

The sky darkened ominously as the first flashes of her tribulation began to stir. "I don't want to die," Wu Jian thought, her heart heavy with unwillingness as she watched the thick, crimson clouds gathering ominously overhead. The ominous red of tribulation clouds, accompanied by the crackling bolts of red lightning, was a sight she had seen countless times in her long life. Each time, it had brought death and despair to those who faced it. Now, it was her turn again.

"So thick!" she gasped inwardly, feeling as if the weight of the clouds was pressing her down. The oppressive pressure was suffocating, at least three times stronger than what she had faced in her last tribulation. Ten thousand years ago, she had barely survived that ordeal by exhausting every treasure she had and suffering injuries so severe that they still hadn't fully healed.

This time, her heart wavered. "Should I even bother fighting?" The thought of giving up—something she'd never entertained before—crept into her mind. After all, she had been battling the heavens for hundreds of thousands of years, clinging to life with everything she had. But now, for the first time, she felt truly at the end of her line. Her resolve faltered, and despair seeped into her soul.

"No point in struggling anymore," she thought bitterly. "At least I should die with dignity." With that, she made a fateful decision. She withdrew her broken golden shield, a once-mighty artifact that had barely withstood the last tribulation. Since then, she had been too focused on healing to acquire new defensive equipment. Now, she wouldn't even attempt to shield herself. She would meet her end head-on.

Her eyes, usually sharp and determined, softened as she gazed fearlessly at the roiling clouds above. She braced herself for the inevitable, her body motionless as the heavens rumbled. The sky split open with a deafening crack, and the first lightning bolt descended. It moved with blinding speed, a streak of crimson light that even Wu Jian, at her peak, could never have dodged.

The bolt struck her directly, unleashing catastrophic power. Wu Jian's body disintegrated instantly, reduced to nothing more than a fine powder. Her death was swift and absolute. All that remained of her was her soul, a pale wisp floating in the aftermath of the tribulation's wrath.

The universe of cultivation, bound by unyielding laws, had strict regulations concerning souls. Death was not the end but a transition. Souls were meant to return to the Reincarnation Furnace, where they would be purified and prepared for a new life. Techniques such as soul searches or manipulations were strictly forbidden, ensuring that even in death, a cultivator's essence remained intact.

But Wu Jian's soul never reached the Reincarnation Furnace. Before it could be drawn into the cycle of rebirth, a mysterious force swept in. It enveloped her soul and whisked it away, disappearing without a trace.

...

Elsewhere, in a realm far beyond the universe of cultivation, a woman observed the collection of souls before her. Her name was Rachel, a being of incredible power and influence. She glanced at the shimmering essence of Wu Jian, now among the newest batch of arrivals.

"Another batch of qualified souls," Rachel mused, her voice carrying a hint of satisfaction.

Rachel, along with Luther, had been granted their own infinite domains by Luchel. Within their infinite domains, they were free to do as they pleased. As part of Luchel, Rachel is Rank 15, a stage where she no longer needs to worry about survival or power. She is invincible in every sense of the word.

But Rachel, having attained such supreme power, found herself grappling with an unexpected dilemma: purposelessness. She had always been an emotionless being, indifferent to the trivialities of meaning or entertainment. However, as an experiment—or perhaps a whim—she had granted herself emotions. With this newfound ability to feel, she realized the void in her existence.

Unlimited power, she found, was akin to using cheat codes in a game. It removed all challenge, all purpose, and all sense of fulfillment. The boundless possibilities of her infinite domain felt hollow, devoid of the struggles and joys that made life meaningful.

Rachel frowned, her thoughts swirling. "If I use the infinite domain to solve every problem, there will be no enjoyment, no purpose," she admitted to herself. Her emotions had sparked a change in her perspective. The invincibility she once embraced now felt like a cage.

Resolving to seek fulfillment for once, Rachel decided to limit her use of the infinite domain. She would create challenges for herself, rediscovering the struggles that made progress rewarding. As her gaze returned to the gathered souls, her eyes glimmered with a strange new purpose. 

Rachel decided to create a perfect mortal world, selecting the best souls from the countless universes under her dominion. These souls, chosen with great care, were drawn from individuals who had failed their ascent to the god universe. Despite their shortcomings in talent, their character was unblemished. Rachel could have used her infinite domain to instantly create flawless souls to populate her world, but that felt hollow. She wanted the process to be engaging, something that her newly granted emotions could savor. For a being who had spent countless years without emotions, Rachel was eager to embrace this new perspective and find joy in the journey.

As she studied the gathered souls, a satisfied smile crossed her face. Each soul radiated potential. They were extraordinary individuals who, despite their failures, possessed qualities that resonated deeply with her.

"Perfect," Rachel whispered to herself. With a blink of her eyes, the souls vanished, transported to their new lives on the Blue Planet.

...

The Blue Planet was Rachel's envisioned "perfect mortal world." It was vibrant, teeming with life. Humans lived alongside animals and other diverse lifeforms, forming a rich ecosystem. The people of the Blue Planet lived in relative peace, but conflicts occasionally flared over resources and territory—an inevitable aspect of mortal existence.

The world was carefully designed to strike a balance between tranquility and struggle, ensuring that its inhabitants would neither stagnate in complacency nor collapse into chaos. Rachel observed its progress from afar, finding a peculiar sense of satisfaction in the simplicity of its mortal cycles.

...

Wu Jian never cried From the moment she was born into this world. In a normal world, such behavior might have been considered strange, but here, on the Blue Planet, it was the norm. Crying as an infant was rare, almost unheard of.

By the age of six, Wu Jian began experiencing strange flashes of memory—faint, fragmented glimpses of her past lives. Her parents assured her it was perfectly normal. On the Blue Planet, everyone gradually recovered their past memories, typically by the age of thirty. Death was not feared here; people lived their lives fully, knowing they would be reborn and continue their journey. Lifespans were capped at a hundred years, and disease still existed, but these limitations were met with acceptance. After all, the cycle of rebirth was a given, and even death was viewed as no big deal.

Some elderly people even voluntarily ended their lives, eager to begin anew in fresh, youthful bodies.

...

By the time Wu Jian turned thirty, the floodgates of memory opened completely. She remembered all her past lives, including her time in the world of cultivation as a member of the Infinite Dao Sect. These memories shocked her to the core. She hadn't remembered them in her last life, even when she was a Golden Immortal. Yet, somehow, this "perfect mortal world" had triggered them.

"I used to be a muscular man?" Wu Jian muttered in disbelief. She struggled to reconcile the memories of her once-powerful, masculine form with her current existence.

"I died when the world was destroyed. How was I revived? How did my soul survive to reincarnate in the immortal universe?" Wu Jian racked her brain for answers, but the questions only deepened her confusion. No explanation seemed sufficient.

As she wandered through her daily life, observing the people around her, a deep dissatisfaction grew within her.

"This is the perfect mortal world?" she thought bitterly. "How is it perfect? It's boring, aimless!" The lack of purpose gnawed at her. Though she yearned to complain, there was no one to voice her frustrations to.

...

Countless years later ...

Far away, Rachel observed the Blue Planet with a calm expression. 

"There was a good reason I removed my emotions back then," she thought. "Indeed, emotions are deadly to immortal beings."

The thought lingered, and Rachel sighed. The experiment with emotions had run its course. With a single decision, she stripped herself of emotions once more. The change was instant. Her newfound joy, frustration, and curiosity vanished, replaced by the cold clarity she had known for eons.

Without emotion clouding her judgment, Rachel regarded the Blue Planet again. What she once viewed with fascination now seemed utterly pointless.

"Truly, only from this perspective can one see how meaningless everything is," she murmured. The intricate world she had crafted, the lives she had set in motion, all seemed futile under the weight of her detached logic.

Rachel turned away. She decided never to return. Whether the Blue Planet thrived or collapsed, it no longer concerned her. Her exhaustion with existence outweighed any lingering sense of responsibility. She resolved to leave all the worlds and universes under her care to their own devices. Let them decide their fates. She was done.

Rachel retreated to a secluded corner of existence, far removed from the countless universes she once oversaw. As a being now integrated with Luchel, she was eternal, invincible, omnipotent, and omniscient. Yet, with these attributes came a crushing void.

"Invincibility is a curse, after all," Rachel whispered to herself. She had achieved everything she had ever sought, but in doing so, she had lost all sense of purpose.

With a final blink, Rachel vanished. She descended into a deep sleep, intending to rest for eternity. From that moment on, no one ever heard from her again. The universes and worlds she left behind continued on, unaware of her absence, their fates now unbound by her will.

Rachel's experiment had ended. The perfect mortal world remained, but its creator had abandoned it, seeking solace in an eternal slumber.