Autumn Water cried out as his body exploded into countless fragments. However, this wasn't defeat. The fragments, like rain, continued their assault on Tian Yang. This was the same technique he'd used against Li Fan, but amplified by his ascension. Fueled by the infinite Star Sea, the torrential downpour was relentless, each drop carrying the full force of Autumn Water's sword.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even with the Immortal Puppet Ancestor's combat instincts, allowing him to evade most of the attacks, countless points of light still exploded against Tian Yang's body. His protective field, capable of repelling even True Immortal script, flickered under the barrage of Supreme Being level sword Qi.
Yet, Tian Yang's expression remained calm. A third eye, faintly golden and otherworldly, opened on his forehead. Wherever it looked, the rain froze in mid-air. With a guttural growl, Tian Yang clasped his hands before him, and the countless sword-rain fragments coalesced into a sphere of water.
A formless flame emerged from his palms, threatening to incinerate the water sphere. Autumn Water reappeared, frantically calling out to Li Fan, "Great Master, save me!"
Li Fan had only wanted to test Autumn Water's strength, not destroy him. With a thought, Tian Yang paused, the flame dissipating. Li Fan sensed a profound, unidentifiable aura vanish from Tian Yang.
Tian Yang returned to Li Fan's side, and Autumn Water kowtowed, thanking his "Great Master's benevolence."
Though Autumn Water had lost, Li Fan was satisfied with his performance. The rain of swords alone was something Li Fan himself couldn't defend against directly. Tian Yang's victory wasn't solely due to the insights gained from the Immortal Puppet Ancestor and the Thousand-Eyed Desolate God. The decisive factor was the formless flame.
Judging by Autumn Water's terror, the flame posed a genuine threat to his existence. This intrigued Li Fan. Even he could only destroy Autumn Water through the Shape of Life. No other technique could harm him. Yet, this formless flame could.
Li Fan questioned Tian Yang, who simply replied, "I don't know."
Further inquiries revealed that Tian Yang had instinctively used the flame while in a state of pure combat consciousness derived from the Ancestor's legacy. In this state, he acted purely on instinct, his mind connected to the Heavenly Dao.
"Instinct…" Li Fan had a suspicion. "It must be related to the Eternal Remnant Will."
"To think it can be used offensively. As expected of something that resonates with the Dao."
Li Fan pondered, feeling a twinge of regret. Though he knew Eternal Remnant Will was powerful, he hadn't found a way to utilize it beyond True Return's absorption.
"Speaking of which, the seeds I've sown should be bearing fruit."
Instructing Autumn Water to continue learning from "Second Master" Tian Yang, Li Fan went to the Dao Discussion Platform. With a wave of his hand, the images of Kou Hong and Daoist Xuan appeared on the giant eye formed by the Simulated Heavenly Grid.
Having recognized their unwavering pursuit of the Dao as potential seeds of Eternal Remnant Will, Li Fan had made arrangements, attempting to nurture their growth.
The two brothers, whose path of cultivation had always been fraught with hardship, now faced even greater challenges. In their previous cycles, they had fought to the death over a Nascent Soul realm technique. This time, their search for cultivation methods beyond Foundation Establishment was constantly thwarted. Every time they found something valuable, a Nascent Soul realm cultivator would appear and snatch it away.
Once or twice might have been bearable, but it happened repeatedly. Kou Hong's frustration grew, constantly wanting to fight the thieves, only to be restrained by the more rational Daoist Xuan. But even his patience had limits. After the tenth incident, they launched a desperate attack.
The result was predictable. Humiliated but spared, they were told the cultivator's name and mocked, "You two trash, I'll beat you every time I see you."
Disheartened but undeterred, they made a difficult decision, abandoning their independent cultivator status and joining the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance. They no longer needed to risk their lives exploring ancient ruins. They could earn contribution points by completing missions.
Frugally, they saved enough to exchange for a Golden Core realm technique. As its contents flowed into their minds, they wept with joy. However, they were still far from their goal of revenge. They worked even harder, but the price of Nascent Soul realm techniques was significantly higher. The most powerful ones cost over one hundred thousand points, a seemingly insurmountable hurdle.
Initially, they continued saving. But after calculating their income and expenses, they realized it would take at least fifty-six years, assuming no unforeseen circumstances.
But how could there be no unforeseen circumstances?
Higher-paying missions were inherently more dangerous. Without the regenerative abilities of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator, injuries were costly. And their luck remained abysmal. Three out of ten missions resulted in injuries, depleting their savings. If not for the fact that these incidents involved natural disasters and Demonic Beast attacks, with no signs of human interference, they would have suspected a powerful being was toying with them.
Their misfortune became exaggerated rumors. People whispered they were cursed, bringing bad luck to anyone associated with them. Fellow cultivators refused to work with them. Mission providers, fearing the alleged curse, explicitly excluded them.
Earning contribution points became impossible.
Even then, they didn't give up. They returned to exploring ruins, relying on the Heavenly Profound Mirror to sell their findings. Their increased strength and experience as Golden Core realm cultivators yielded significant rewards. They rejoiced, believing their luck had finally turned.
However, the Heavenly Profound Mirror's prices were always below market value. After deducting expenses, their actual gains were minimal. Still, it was better than nothing. They remained optimistic, finding solace in their slowly increasing contribution point balance.
After successfully exploring several small ruins without interference, they were finally close to their goal. They decided to push their luck one last time. Even a moderate find would be enough.
They proceeded cautiously. Their lifelong misfortune seemed to have finally ended. Based on past exchanges, their latest haul was worth at least thirty thousand points. They were on the cusp of a breakthrough.
Suppressing their excitement, they rushed to the nearest floating celestial city, envisioning their future: exchanging for a Nascent Soul realm technique, finding a suitable location for forming their nascent soul, achieving the Nascent Soul realm, and finally taking their revenge.
Everything went smoothly. They sold their findings through the Heavenly Profound Mirror, receiving thirty thousand contribution points. They breathed a sigh of relief. Tears of joy streamed down their faces as they opened the technique exchange page.
Then, the Heavenly Profound Mirror's cold, mechanical voice shattered their dreams.
"Insufficient contribution points? What do you mean?" Kou Hong's eyes were bloodshot, his breathing ragged. He clenched his fists, oblivious to his bleeding palms.
"He has 73,246, I have 78,355. We earned every single point! It's impossible!" Daoist Xuan, though calmer, was clearly panicking, his face pale, sweat dripping from his forehead.
The Heavenly Profound Mirror's response wasn't long in coming.
"Verification complete. Kou Hong currently possesses 234 contribution points. Daoist Xuan possesses 264 contribution points."
"Source of contribution points detailed below."
"No other records found."
"Repeating…" The cold voice, like a death sentence, echoed in their ears.
Daoist Xuan finally lost his composure. The records showed their balance from the day they joined the alliance. All their hard work, gone? He felt dizzy.
"Was it all an illusion?"
Kou Hong's roar snapped him back to reality. Their Golden Core realm cultivation was real. The thirty thousand points were real. How could their memories be fake?
"You stole our contribution points! Our hard-earned money!"
"Give it back!" Daoist Xuan's face contorted in rage.
The Heavenly Profound Mirror continued its emotionless repetition. They finally snapped, attacking the mirror. After several warnings, the mirror expelled them.
Their outburst attracted attention, but no one believed their story about the infallible Heavenly Profound Mirror stealing their points, especially coming from the notoriously unlucky duo. Tears streamed down their faces as they realized the indifference of those around them. Finally accepting the reality, they stopped their pleas. The years since joining the alliance flashed through their minds like a dream.
"Let's go," Kou Hong said through gritted teeth.
(End of Chapter)