Chapter 765: Chapter 765

The Sacred Flame Hall.

Nestled deep in the mountains, atop a towering peak that soared tens of thousands above sea level, Li Pin gazed out across the endless sea of clouds. Within the misty expanse, faint traces of various auras—each unique and distinct—intertwined and drifted through the air.

As he focused on one, that particular thread of fate quickly became clearer.

"Primordial Qi-Seeking Art," Li Pin muttered.

He had spent ten stellar years cultivating this secret art to minor mastery. But, at this stage, the Primordial Qi-Seeking Art could only reveal a rough outline of a person's fate. To precisely locate the bearer of that fate or fully understand the implications behind its changes, his current realm was still far from enough.

"In a sense, shifts in thoughts and patterns of behavior can manifest in one's fate. If I could clearly perceive these changes, I would essentially grasp that person's mindset and actions, very much like reading their True Spirit."

Now that he had begun studying this secret art, Li Pin was naturally aware of both its strengths and its shortcomings.

"However, unlike directly peering into someone's True Spirit, which gives immediate results, changes in fate are delayed. If I tried to use this technique to predict an opponent's thoughts during a life-or-death battle, I'd only be left theorizing after the fact. It's utterly meaningless."

But that was to be expected.

If the Primordial Qi-Seeking Art could truly rival the ability to read the True Spirit, it would have already gained widespread fame across the Human Race.

"Using fate to peer into someone's thoughts and actions may not be feasible. But for tracking someone, it's more than enough. As for the issue of imprecision... I'll take it step by step. Once I achieve major mastery in the technique, it'll work."

Li Pin paused for a moment. Major mastery... that's no easy feat.

Cultivating a Supreme Secret Art was always incredibly difficult. The only reason he had reached the minor mastery level in ten stellar years was due to the Creation Gold Coins he obtained from the remnants of the Heavenly Prison World.

But now... he had run out of those coins. From this point on, he would have to rely solely on himself to continue cultivation.

"Well, not entirely on my own."

With a wave of his hand, a light screen appeared before him. On it was a resource similar to Creation Gold Coins—Creation Profound Crystals.

Li Pin read the description of the material.

"The conflict between the human and alien races often revolves around fate. What is fate? When the time is right, even heaven and earth will assist you—this is fate! A race with abundant fate will see its chances of producing geniuses increase significantly.

"Moreover, certain cultivators who specialize in the path of fate can, at critical moments, gather and condense that fate into Creation Profound Crystals for cultivation. These crystals are even more powerful than Creation Gold Coins. Training with them is like receiving divine aid."

In some sense, the Heavenly Prison World's Creation Gold Coins were mere imitations of the Creation Profound Crystals.

However, since the Black Abyss Highlord hadn't condensed fate at critical moments, but had instead forcefully stripped it from those prodigies, it led to serious consequences. Once their fate was stolen, those once-promising talents became ordinary, muddled, and aimless, until they eventually died.

"Creation Profound Crystals are the most valued cultivation resource for any cultivator. They also serve as the currency among high-ranking beings.

"For those in the Starshine, Solar Flare, and Cosmic Radiance stages, standardized Divine Weapons are the currency. But for those in the Cosmic Radiance, Tyrant, Sacred Monarch, and Heavenly Emperor Realms, the equivalent currency is the Creation Profound Crystal."

Beyond that, even higher realms—Supreme, Transcendent, and Highlord—had their own units of exchange, known as Imperishable Matter.

This was said to be the core material used in crafting Supreme, Highlord, and Transcendent Divine Weapons, much like how Void Force served as the core material for Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapons.

"Void Force..." Li Pin muttered.

The Ruoxi Sword, a Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapon, appeared in his hand.

When a Void Being devoured an entity and was subsequently killed, its "Void" essence would be captured by the surviving "existence." If a Sacred Monarch skilled in spatial power acted at that moment, they could use space as a container to preserve this essence.

Thanks to this power—which granted a user a larger margin for error—wielders of offensive Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapons could unleash strength far beyond their original level. On the other hand, defensive Divine Weapons could use this Void power to neutralize attacks based on the existence attribute.

Additionally, with the concealment provided by "Void," Sacred Monarchs and Heavenly Emperors could seal their power within a Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapon, allowing the wielder to channel strength at the level of a Sacred Monarch or Heavenly Emperor.

This was the true nature of Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapons across different tiers.

As Li Pin thought about this, he began to realize something. The essence of power...

He quickly compiled a list in his mind.

At the most fundamental levels were matter, energy, spirit, space, and time. Above them stood the Eternal Oblivion Force, the Abyssal Rifts, and finally, the Void.

The terrifying Eternal Oblivion Force, feared by all, proved nearly useless within the Abyssal Rift. In that place, the very laws of reality barely existed. Ordinary manipulation of matter, energy, time, and space became almost ineffective.

This was evident when Li Pin used Cosmic Evolution yet only managed to affect an area a mere ten thousand meters across.

Transmitting energy within the Abyssal Rift was like trying to carry sound through the vacuum of space. There was simply no medium.

And the Abyssal Rift itself... was the result of the Void corrupting the Astral World.

Thus, it stood above both the Abyssal Rift and the Eternal Oblivion Force.

Supreme power can oppose the Void...

Li Pin paused as this thought crossed his mind.

Was the purpose of Supreme to stand against Void?

The essence of the Supreme was simply "existence," but its concept of existence is so vast that the Void cannot fully consume it. In fact, it can even use its own essence of being to overwhelm the essence of the Void. It's like how water extinguishes fire, but with a fire vast enough, the water would be the one to evaporate instead.

The power of the Eternal Oblivion Force works in much the same way.

"As long as the 'quantity' is sufficient, it can erase any gap in 'quality.'"

The Supreme Beings are the perfect examples of this truth.

Of course, without a certain level of "quality," even an immense "quantity" cannot sustain itself.

Quantity and quality never exist in isolation. They always work together, just as time and space form a unified continuum. Every phenomenon is interconnected. In the end, everything returns to the "Dao."

As Li Pin spoke, his mind buzzed with fresh insights.

"'Dao begets One. One begets Two. Two begets Three. And Three begets all things.'"

I transform into the Dao; the Dao divides into Nothingness and Existence. From those two arose the Cosmos, Time–Space, and another force. In turn, the Cosmos, Time–Space, and that force nurtured all things—matter, energy, life, and spirit.

"That other force..." Li Pin murmured. "Beyond the Cosmos and Time-Space, there must be an entirely new power."

A force that ensures the universe runs on its own. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs noᴠelfire.net

In today's world, when the Supreme Beings or Highlords broke away from the Astral World, they would draw upon cosmic matter and energy to forge their own universes.

Yet, each of those pocket universes still followed the laws of the Prime Universe—essentially functioning as its extensions. Once detached, they were highly likely to develop problems, eventually malfunctioning and collapsing entirely.

But this "other force" Li Pin imagined could solve that problem

A force... that empowers a universe to operate autonomously. Could it be the cosmic cycle? Fate?

At that thought, Li Pin recalled Supreme Dao Yuan's Endless Reincarnation Secret Art...

He felt a jolt. Birth, aging, sickness, death, perhaps the cosmos, too, needs a cyclical force to sustain its own cycle of life and death!

He recalled the problem of the Astral World that Heavenly Emperor Mo Xuantian had mentioned not long ago: the Immortals. When certain materials perpetually accumulate without ever decaying, they will eventually drag the world into ruin.

"So... reincarnation?" Li Pin whispered.

He had no answer. Perhaps Supreme Dao Yuan could clear his doubts.

Li Pin sheathed the Ruoxi Sword and tuned in to the Dragon Origin Dojo Token. There was no response from the token, indicating that Supreme Dao Yuan's lecture had yet to begin.

Traditionally, before each era's Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War, Supreme Dao Yuan would give a lecture. During these sessions, he would observe the Fate-Bearers closely—especially those participating in the contest. It was his way of studying them with precision, using the lecture stage as a means of insight.

Li Pin pondered this as he settled his thoughts. There are still over sixty years until the Grand Contest; at that time, Supreme Dao Yuan would inevitably teach again. When that time came, perhaps my questions about reincarnation and destiny would finally be answered.

Speaking of which, he reflected, the contest itself is a battle of Fate. Each contestant embodies countless strands of destiny. Triumph over another race lets you seize their fateful currents.

Unlike human destiny, alien fate won't immediately disperse. It accumulates around the victor. At that moment, a cultivator can seize the momentum and advance their own strength in one mighty surge.

This explained why so many Supremes willingly send disciples. or even volunteer themselves, to the Grand Tournament, despite its peril.

As the saying goes, "danger and opportunity walk hand in hand." The Ten Thousand Tribes Dominion War was the best example of this.

At that moment, Sasha appeared, announcing, "The Mystic Emperor has arrived."

She added, "Your Pinnacle Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapon and the first batch of supplies are here."

Li Pin's eyes lit up. "Finally."

He had waited ten years for the promised Pinnacle Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapon.

He left the cultivation chamber and sent a message to Hou Yun. Soon after, Hou Yun brought in Heavenly Emperor Mo Xuan.

"You requested a Pinnacle Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapon to aid your secret arts and battle techniques' cultivations," Mo Xuan said, revealing a jewel-like pagoda. "I deliberated long and hard, and I believe this will suit you best."

As the pagoda appeared, faint ripples of temporal energy shimmered around it.

"Temporal power!?" Li Pin was taken aback. "Are you sure this is a Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapon, not a Supreme one?"

"This relic, called the Illusion Pagoda, imitates the Sovereign Divine Weapon, Time–Space Tower, masterpiece of Lord Ocean of Time," Mo Xuan explained. "In theory, it should rank as a top-tier Sovereign Divine Weapon. But a mishap in replication left it severely damaged. In the end, it can only qualify as a Pinnacle Cosmic Radiance Divine Weapon."

Mo Xuan glanced at Li Pin. "What you need is not a breakthrough in realm, but the accumulation of experience. This pagoda allows you to enter dreamscapes. While intense emotional shocks can wake you, time flows much slower inside.

"You can spend ten or even a hundred times more time in the dreamscape than would pass outside, allowing you to practice and address the shortcomings in your battle techniques."