Chapter 4457: Beyond Emotion

Lu Yin's Star Fist helped Progenitor Chen expand his thinking, and Lu Yin also intended to continue expanding his own Star Fist.

However, the Mirari Realm was not a place where they could cultivate without holding back. Even sparring would shake the Mirari Realm, and they also had to constantly worry about attracting the main stream of the River of Aeons over, which led to them cultivating in the outside world much of the time.

And so, more than 100 years passed.

Lu Yin appeared within a certain megaverse outside the Trio. He wanted to light up this megaverse as another star, strengthening his Star Fist.

The strength of his Star Fist lay in the vastness of the Starfist Manual and the abundance of fist intent. To light up the stars of the Starfist Manual, one had to continuously comprehend a fist intent that came from oneself, from the ambition that they held, and from their own understanding of the Starfist Manual.

At the same time, the difficulty of the Star Fist also lay in the fist intent because there were simply too many of them. The broader one’s Starfist Manual, the more fist intents there could be, but comprehending fist intent was not easy.

Lu Yin walked through the megaverse, observing the strange creatures of the civilization while also gazing out at the cosmos. Understanding civilizations and lighting up megaverses—that was the path that he intended to walk. At the same time, his chosen path could also help him build up the wall in his heart.

Every civilization had its own distinctive traits. For example, the civilization that he was currently exploring did not have lying as a concept. The creatures living in this megaverse simply did not know what a lie was, and in some sense, lies could not be born here.

Without lies, many things were absent, but many other things had been gained as well.

The sincerity of every creature allowed this cosmic civilization to develop in a healthy and positive direction. If any being harbored harmful thoughts towards its own civilization, those thoughts could not be concealed. However, the development of this civilization was extremely slow.

In losing lies, they had also lost scheming, innovation, and many, many other things...

Lu Yin walked beneath the stars while experiencing a world without lies, only to ultimately discover that he could not adapt to such a world.

Next one.

The range of the star chart that Ancestor Lu Yuan and the others had been working on contained quite a few cosmic civilizations. While the star chart only seemed to cover a few hundred years’ travel distance, if one was not an Immortal, traveling from one megaverse to another would be virtually impossible within a creature’s lifetime.

The Spirit Nidus and the Tianyuan were very close to each other, but even Dukkhans would take vast stretches of time to travel between them. There was no need to mention the distances that even Immortals took 100 years or more to traverse. Even if there were only a few cosmic civilizations in the Aevum Inch, their number within the Trio’s range was still very large.

Lu Yin moved from one megaverse to another at a steady pace. He was continuously lighting up more stars in his own Starfist Manual while the range of the star chart was continuously expanding at the same time.

It could be said that his chosen path for the Star Fist had a future full of promise.

***

In the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s Sea of Karma, there was a forest of red-leafed trees. In it, Hong'er was sitting on a stone bench. She slowly raised a hand. The red leaves seemed to have changed.

She turned to look over in the direction where Chu Songyun was in seclusion.

After arriving in the Human Trio and traveling widely, Chu Songyun had ultimately chosen this place as his cultivation grounds after becoming Lu Yin's disciple. This had been approved of by Green Lotus at the time.

During his first visit, Chu Songyun had come to see Hong'er. She was a descendant of a pond civilization that had once belonged to one of Jiu Wen's disciples’ families. That pond civilization had been abandoned by Green Lotus, and Hong’er had stayed in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse ever since as a chess piece. In the end, she had been a key piece of bait in their scheme targeting Hong Xia. It could be said that her role appeared to be minor, but without her, the entire plan would have been impossible.

Chu Songyun had wanted to meet her because the woman acknowledged her identity as a member of Crimson Starshade yet did not entirely belong to that civilization.

Moreover, the woman had once dared to question an Immortal in the Frightened Sparrow Terrace. Not just anyone possessed that kind of courage.

After arriving in the red forest, Chu Songyun had discovered that this place particularly suited his own cultivation. His own cultivation art was called the Withered Pines Domain, and the entire red forest was both piled high with withered leaves and also situated within the Sea of Karma. It was truly the ideal place for him to cultivate.

After obtaining consent from Green Lotus and Lu Yin, Chu Songyun had stayed in the forest. Of course, he had also received Hong'er's consent. She was also very curious about his cultivation art, having heard that he followed the true Path of Dispassion.

The last few hundred years had been very peaceful, but recently, the red forest seemed to have changed. The rate at which each withered leaf fell had slowed, and this had nothing to do with the wind or with gravity; it was as if the leaves were unwilling to leave the trees.

Hong'er caught a withered leaf and instantly felt countless emotions stir within her heart. Her eyes grew red, and she looked back at where Chu Songyun was in seclusion. She knew that these changes were related to him. He had influenced the withered leaves, influenced the red forest, and influenced her as well.

Clang.

The soft sound of a sword rang out, and a red light swept through the universe. Hong'er watched the red light flash before her eyes, and she seemed to see her own reflection in it.

The red light vanished in a flash as a sword slash swept past. At some unknown moment in time, Chu Songyun had emerged from seclusion. He raised his hand, grabbed the hilt of the sword, and then stared at it in a daze.

Outside the Sea of Karma, people started to appear, one after another. Among them were Blood Tower, Awe Gate, and others.

There was even a fish, Ba Rong. The red light had just flashed before the fish’s eyes and nearly frightened it to death. In that instant, it had felt as though it were facing some terrifying monster.

Facing everyone, Chu Songyun slowly bowed. “This junior is about to attempt a breakthrough to the Immortal realm. I ask that all my seniors help contain the commotion so that innocent people are not affected.”

Blood Tower’s eyes lit up. “Don’t hesitate. Leave this to us.”

“Many thanks, Senior.” Chu Songyun looked away, glancing back at the sword in his hand. More than 300 years ago, his master had personally handed him this sword. From the moment he received it, Chu Songyun had known that he was constantly drawing closer to a breakthrough to the Immortal realm.

He had already been a powerhouse who had achieved the pinnacle of strength beneath the Immortal realm, and he had even fought against He Xiao once. Chu Songyun had only been a single step away from the Immortal realm. In Crimson Starshade, he could have never taken that step, but here, it was different. He was walking the true Path of Dispassion, and the red sword that he had received from Lu Yin contained the Path of Dispassion of Rampart Warden Hong Shuang.

It was time to try stepping into the Immortal realm.

A direct breakthrough to the Immortal realm was different from doing so with a megaverse’s reset. Using a reset required repeatedly gathering Immortal matter to replicate the cycle of origin and decay, triggering an explosion of Lifeforce. As one's realm transformed, that Lifeforce would endlessly propagate on its own.

On the other hand, a direct breakthrough was different for each individual, as it depended on both their own understanding of the Immortal realm as well as their cultivation.

Mister Mu had achieved a direct breakthrough by sitting within his cauldron and sinking beneath the River of Aeons for many years. Only then had he taken that final step, but in the end, he still needed to return to the megaverse of the Ninth Rampart to complete it.

As Chu Songyun was attempting his own breakthrough, Awe Gate was reminded of that incident and quickly reminded him, “If you wish to enter the Immortal realm, shouldn’t you first return to your native megaverse?”

Chu Songyun slowly relaxed his grip on the sword hilt. “With this here, there is no need for that.”

As soon as he spoke, his surroundings were filled with withered leaves. Some were from the red forest, but most were formed from his Path of Dispassion. The withered leaves continuously spread out, soon extending across the entire Nine Odysseys Megaverse.

There was no need to stop these withered leaves, as they would not damage the megaverse.

Chu Songyun sat down cross-legged. Withered leaves filled the universe. In front of him floated the red sword while an umbrella opened up behind. This was not Jiu Wen's umbrella, but rather Chu Songyun’s own, the red umbrella of his Path of Dispassion. The Path of Dispassion formed the ribs, with each rib representing a portion of the Path of Dispassion.

As the red umbrella closed, the withered leaves filling the universe froze in place, even in mid-air. Countless people stared at the frozen leaves, confused.

Someone reached out to touch one, and in that instant, their vision shifted. They entered the red umbrella and saw a different world. At that same instant, Chu Songyun's own perspective shifted to that person’s, and he felt that person's joys, sorrows, separations, and reunions. The mortal world was filled with emotion. To walk the Path of Dispassion was not to become truly emotionless. The essence of the path was not dispassion itself, but what lay beyond emotion.

What was the difference between the Path of Dispassion of the Second Rampart and the Path of Dispassion of the current Crimson Starshade? Why was one right and the other wrong?

In the past, Chu Songyun had not known why his Path of Dispassion was right. He had only walked his path firmly, step by step, steadily following his own heart. His heart was closed off—this was his innate nature, and that made his Path of Dispassion right. In truth, this so-called “correctness” was not due to the Path of Dispassion itself, but rather his own talent. As long as he did not pursue true ruthlessness, he would be right.

With Crimson Starshade’s Path of Dispassion, Hong Shuang alone was the most emotional.

The Path of Dispassion was actually very simple, so simple that no one would believe it if it were spoken aloud. This was the Second Rampart’s return to simplicity. Dispassion was merely a term; dispassion was still an emotion in and of itself.

Formerly, Chu Songyun had not understood that. But now, he did.

He had felt Hong Shuang’s Path of Dispassion contained within the red sword, and it completely reshaped his understanding. He had also seen his own essence clearly. So this is the Path of Dispassion.

Countless people reached out and touched the withered leaves. Chu Songyun saw countless people’s perspectives, and he felt their hearts at the same time. Some were joyful, some were sorrowful, and all kinds of other emotions filled their hearts. He saw emotion, and he also saw dispassion.

Another umbrella rib appeared on the red umbrella.

Eight umbrella ribs, signifying an Eightfold Crimson on the Path of Dispassion.

Currently, Crimson Starshade’s legends claimed that Sevenfold Crimsons meant achieving the Immortal realm, but there were also rare individuals with exceptional talent who were capable of becoming a Sevenfold Crimson before the Immortal realm. Such people existed, though they were very few. Hong Xia had been one, and Chu Songyun was another. When he had fought against He Xiao, Chu Songyun had already revealed the seventh rib of his umbrella.

Yet never had anyone below the Immortal realm raised the eighth umbrella rib. Never. Now, Chu Songyun had done it. He had yet to break through to the Immortal realm, yet he had connected to the eighth umbrella rib, surpassing Hong Xia. Such a feat was rare throughout all of history.

If not for the unknowable history of the Second Rampart, Chu Songyun might have been recognized as the only cultivator in the history of the Path of Dispassion to connect to eight umbrella ribs before reaching the Immortal realm.

The moment the eighth umbrella rib appeared, Awe Gate and the others were all stunned. They perfectly understood that, even without breaking through to the Immortal realm, at this moment, Chu Songyun was unquestionably an Aberrant. He possessed the strength needed to kill an ordinary Immortal.

Ba Yue stared at Chu Songyun, shock filling her eyes. Eight umbrella ribs yet still not an Immortal. Could this person perhaps reach the same heights as Rampart Warden Hong Shuang?

Beneath the red umbrella, Chu Songyun's eyes snapped open, and his aura suddenly surged. Everyone bore the impact of the Path of Dispassion. Contrary to what they had imagined, it was not cold. The Path of Dispassion could actually bring warmth.

Lifeforce violently erupted as Chu Songyun formally stepped toward the Immortal realm. He seized the hilt of the red sword with one hand, and an indescribably vast power instantly enveloped the Human Trio. This power filled everyone with awe. It was a terrifying force like nothing they had ever felt before.

Mister Mu's eyes narrowed. This is... power at the level of Ancestor Shan?

He had felt Ancestor Shan's power in the past, knowing that the toad had been a three-law Immortal. Such a being had been invincible and overwhelmingly powerful.

At this moment, Mister Mu was feeling a similar power once again.

That red sword belonged to Hong Shuang. This was her Path of Dispassion.

This was also why Chu Songyun did not need to return to Crimson Starshade’s megaverse. Hong Shuang's Path of Dispassion was the most orthodox Path of Dispassion of all, and her sword could compensate for everything.

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