Hope and Despair

2000 years, 2100 years, 2200 years… The crystal bead's fusion with his soul intensified, and the tearing sensation grew stronger. This wasn't mere 'pain,' but a genuine 'rending.' If he couldn't endure it to the end, his entire soul would completely tear apart and disintegrate! Yet, the closer he pushed to his limit, the purer and more singular Luo Feng's mind became, leading to even better mental refinement and faster progress.

2300 years, 2400 years, 2500 years, 2600 years…

“It’s already been 2600 years.”

Inside the grand hall, surrounded by numerous Sealing Stars, Puti sat, looking down at Luo Feng, whose body was drenched in sweat and blood. Under such intense agony, even beads of blood seeped from his skin. Luo Feng’s entire body trembled, yet a hint of unwavering resolve could still be seen in his eyes, unshaken by the soul-destroying pain.

“Of the previous two candidates, one persisted for 2600 years, and the other for 3300 years.”

“Both of those first two were Heaven’s Chosen, exceptionally brilliant elites and peerless figures from the Earth lineage. In terms of fortune, the first candidate was the strongest, possessing an ‘innocent heart,’ yet he perished after 2600 years. The second candidate had the weakest fortune among the three, even less than Luo Feng’s, enduring more hardships. His state of mind, however, reached the level of ‘a heart encompassing all,’ but he too ultimately perished.”

“Throughout the history of the Earth lineage, many have achieved profound mental cultivation. Countless reached the first layer, many the second, and quite a few even the third.”

Puti sighed inwardly.

His teacher, the Alien Overlord who guided the genesis of the Earth lineage, once said…

The three layers of mental cultivation inherently have no higher or lower status; they merely represent three distinct paths.

‘Clear Mind, See Nature, Point Directly to the Heart’ – this path involves firming one’s core self, believing in oneself, cultivating a powerful inner being, and asserting oneself as the strongest! No matter what challenges arise, one holds an unshakeable belief in oneself. However, advancing along this path is the most difficult, as it seeks nothing external, relying solely on one’s inner conviction.

To put it bluntly, it’s ‘extreme stubbornness’ or ‘obstinacy.’ Such individuals are prone to stumbling and suffering hardships.

Yet, those who truly achieve a clear mind and see their true nature will not blindly follow others. They possess an unyielding inner core, remaining steadfast even when universally condemned or reviled by billions. This path is the most arduous and fraught with peril.

‘Yin and Yang Harmony, Innocent Heart’ – this path embodies an innocent heart, achieving unity with nature.

Such individuals inspire admiration and trust in countless others; it’s difficult to harbor animosity towards them. They see through the hearts of billions of ordinary beings and, historically, are often referred to as ‘saints.’

‘Heart Encompasses All, Encompasses the Universe’ – this path involves a deeper belief in the vastness of the cosmos. They understand that one’s individual self cannot surpass everything external. Unwilling to merely accept their fate, they seek unity with heaven and earth, striving to encompass all.

Such powerhouses possess immense ambition.

Their aspirations are boundless, and their convictions are terrifyingly firm.

…

These three paths.

The reason they were perceived as progressively higher tiers on Earth was that the Earth lineage had never truly produced a genuine Overlord.

Historically, many ‘Clear Mind’ practitioners, those who adhered to their core self, or rather, ‘extremely stubborn individuals,’ after repeated setbacks and countless struggles, experiencing great ups and downs… having long seen through human nature, they would eventually awaken, believing that Yin and Yang harmony was the true path, and that adhering purely to one’s core self was too extreme.

Thus came ‘unity with nature,’ and the so-called ‘perfection.’

At this point, they would no longer suffer hardships or encounter obstacles; instead, they would be revered by countless people.

…

After walking the second path for a long time, achieving prolonged perfection, an even deeper yearning would emerge.

They would not be content with unity with nature; they would desire ‘human encompassing heaven.’ This was the third layer.

Throughout the history of the Earth lineage, all who reached the third layer either founded nations or established religions. In short, almost every one of them stood at the pinnacle of the world. Their extremely powerful inner selves and all-encompassing hearts allowed them to withstand any setback, progressing in any adversity.

Perhaps their physical aptitude was inferior to others, but their slow yet steady and perpetual progress would ultimately lead them to the peak!

…

Among the three paths, in terms of achieving fame and success,

The third path was the strongest, the second path was secondary, and the first path was the most arduous.

Hence, generations of sages in Earth’s history developed this understanding… a classic case of ‘a frog in a well.’ However, if one reached the level of an Alien Overlord… a Universe’s Strongest Being, they would scoff. It’s merely different paths of persistence; what meaning is there in claiming one is higher or lower?

…

“To be able to persist for over 2600 years, his inner resolve is indeed terrifyingly firm,” Puti mused. “Facing such soul-tearing agony, one truly needs an absolutely unwavering inner self. Only with an incredibly firm will and consciousness can one persist longer. It all depends on… how strong his heart truly is.”

In Huaxia’s history, many possessed integrity, but under torture, they all confessed.

No matter how loyal and righteous, it only meant the torment hadn’t reached its limit, the methods weren’t cruel enough. If it were pain originating from the depths of the soul, tormenting for thousands of years… who could withstand it? Ordinary heroes would go mad from thousands of years of solitude alone, let alone enduring such constant agony…

…

While enduring such terrifying torment, Luo Feng’s will remained terrifyingly firm, completely undisturbed by the suffering. His mind was utterly pure and focused entirely on studying the Path of the Beast God.

In the 2800th year…

Waves of extreme pain finally began to interfere with Luo Feng’s study of the Path of the Beast God.

“Don’t you dare interfere with me.”

“Whoosh!”

Within his internal world, the Golden Horn Beast continued to intently observe the Beast God statues, simultaneously attempting to mimic and carve them.

It was as if some scientists on Earth, even when tormented by illness, would grit their teeth and endure cold sweats to continue their research. Although the stinging pain still interfered, interrupting his insights repeatedly, Luo Feng, having been immersed in comprehension for over two millennia, was now completely absorbed. Even with interference, he would suppress it again and again!

Pain interrupting? Suppress it, and return to studying the Path of the Beast God!

Interrupting comprehension? Suppress!

Interrupting comprehension? Suppress!

An absolutely sincere heart, at its most perilous moment, produced miraculous power. Each interruption was suppressed by him again and again, and in reality, each suppression further stabilized his inner self. Each slight improvement, each slight improvement… this rate of improvement was even faster than before.

And so… Luo Feng actually held on again.

2900 years, 3000 years, 3100 years, 3200 years…

This oppressive pain, as time went on, increased in frequency. The power bursting from his mind ultimately couldn’t contend with the eternally escalating ‘agony.’ As long as the fusion continued, the soul-tearing pain would constantly rise, never stopping. It was like a steamroller advancing at a steady pace from behind; a person might run, but eventually, they would tire, unable to run anymore. Even with the strongest conviction… they would ultimately be unable to run, reaching a limit, and the result would be… being crushed into pulp!

“Can’t hold on anymore?” Puti sat there, observing Luo Feng, who was trembling all over, with cracks appearing on his skin, his face twitching, sometimes in pain, sometimes in madness, sometimes in stubbornness…

His entire body trembled, in a state of frenzy.

“You’re tired, aren’t you?”

“Child, give up if you can’t hold on.”

“If you perish, even if your teacher doesn’t revive you, with just this unwavering heart of yours, I would reverse time and revive you. Perhaps you would lose much, but… the Star Tower’s most basic recognition is too difficult, too difficult. When this Star Tower was forged, it merged with a mysterious colorful light of unknown origin. Even my teacher is unsure about it. Perhaps… no matter how excellent the chosen one from the Earth lineage, they might not be able to gain its recognition. If the first three candidates fail, and the fourth, fifth… continue to fail, who knows when my teacher will change his mind and no longer insist on ‘Star Tower recognition’?”

Puti sighed.

He, a Universe Master, one of the beings standing at the pinnacle of the vast universe, could see through Luo Feng’s soul at a glance, naturally realizing that Luo Feng had pushed himself to his absolute limit.

“Don’t interfere with me!”

“Don’t interfere with me!!!” Luo Feng, who was wholeheartedly studying the Path of the Beast God, was interrupted again and again by the terrifying agony. The frequency of interruptions was too high, and Luo Feng’s will roared, bellowed, “Don’t interfere with me! No one can interfere with me, no one!!!”

Boom!

A sudden, dramatic change!

If Luo Feng’s will and consciousness were previously like a crystal diamond, clear, sharp, and solid, then after 3200 years of refinement, his will and consciousness became even more condensed and pure, transforming into a smaller, denser crystal diamond. However, as if compressed to a critical point, like a star transforming into a neutron star.

His will and consciousness suddenly experienced an incredible, massive surge!

The crystal diamond seemed to be instantly compressed into an ‘atomic nucleus.’

“Continue.” Luo Feng felt a sensation akin to pushing his physical limits in running or movement techniques, reaching extreme fatigue, only to then surpass that limit and feel incredibly light. It was the same feeling! The intense pain that had previously interrupted his comprehension, interrupting him again and again, finally reached its limit. Now, that pain was completely suppressed, utterly powerless to resist.

…

“What?!”

In the grand hall, Puti had been observing everything. Being able to see through Luo Feng’s soul, he naturally detected this transformation.

“How could there be such a sudden transformation?”

“How is this possible? Neither of the previous two candidates experienced this, especially the second candidate, who persisted for 3300 years before perishing, and even then, nothing like this happened.” Puti suddenly paused. “That’s right, the first two candidates had an innocent heart, and the other had a heart encompassing all. Their methods of resisting the intense pain were different from Luo Feng’s. The one with an innocent heart would become familiar with the pain, making himself a part of it. The one with a heart encompassing all… would even encompass the pain itself. But both of them were mistaken… mistaken that this wasn’t spiritual pain, but the crystal bead truly fusing with the soul. This wasn’t an illusion, but a real occurrence!”

“Perhaps their methods allowed them to exert their soul to its limit, completely unaffected by pain.”

“But without resistance, there is no pressure. The pressure they exerted on their will and consciousness was insufficient. Because they integrated, they encompassed.”

“But Luo Feng chose to resist! To completely resist the intense pain, to suppress it, absolutely refusing to integrate or encompass it.”

“Perhaps Luo Feng suffered more.”

“But how is this not a form of cultivation for ‘firming the heart, refining the heart’? Pushing his will and consciousness to the limit finally triggered a qualitative change, a massive leap in his will and consciousness.” Puti sighed with emotion.

Such a massive leap gave Luo Feng significant leeway.

3300 years… 3900 years…

4000 years…

4300 years… 4900 years…

The crystal bead’s fusion continued, and the soul-tearing pain steadily increased. Although Luo Feng’s previous transformation provided a significant boost, after nearly 2000 more years, he was once again approaching his limit.

“Can this Star Tower never be recognized?”

“Were the first 3200 years just the first half?” The Universe Master Puti also felt shocked, because historically, the longest anyone had fused was 3300 years. No one knew how long it truly took for the Star Tower to be recognized.

No one had ever achieved it.

No one knew the limit… neither Puti nor the Alien Overlord knew.

“If Luo Feng fails, which future candidate from the Earth lineage will finally succeed?” Puti’s face was filled with worry and anxiety.