Chapter 3120 - The Origin of Tribulations, the Root of Destiny

Hong Ling handed over the Mirror of Mysteries.

Su Yi didn’t renege on his promise. He waved his sleeve, and a portal appeared amidst the Laws of Calamity filling the firmament. “You can go.”

Hong Ling couldn’t help but say, “Fellow Daoist Su, everyone says you’re cold-blooded and heartless, and that you kill decisively, but it seems to me that... you’re not that kind of person.”

Su Yi blinked, but before he could say anything, Hong Ling continued, “At the very least, I trust your character and your promises. I can’t say the same for the Threelives Buddha.”

With that, she shot through the sky and vanished in a flash.

Su Yi smiled, then retracted his gaze.

Silence descended over heaven and earth. All was desolate and bleak. As enormous as the Realm of Endless Tribulations was, he was the only person left in it.

He put away his jug of wine, turned, and gazed into the darkness-shrouded Daoless Domain. ⅇℯ𝚕.

During his earlier breakthrough, he’d gleaned insight into some of the Daoless Domain’s mysteries. However, there’d been an enemy right in front of him, so he had no time to investigate further.

Now, he naturally had to seize this opportunity to learn more!

Meanwhile, in the Hibernating Insects Pure Land, an unassuming little grassy hut stood amidst the boundless wilderness, steeped in the red dust of mundanity.

The hut was run-down and seldom visited. A wind-worn stone stele stood in front of it, its name written in incomparably ancient primordial glyphs: the Grassy Hut of Morning.

Not long ago, Hong Ling had come here on Sovereign Venerate Yi’s orders, carrying a mysterious round jade tablet.

She met Chu Shanke, the owner of the Grassy Hut of Morning, who in turn arranged for her to accompany the Threelives Buddha to the Abyss of Endless Tribulations.

It was drizzling, and the air was misty with rain. Chu Shanke sat beneath the eaves in a bamboo chair, gazing into the overcast landscape in a dazed silence.

He had an air of antiquity about him, his features wrinkled with age, but he was otherwise unassuming.

No one in the Hibernating Insects Pure Land knew that this old man was actually a legendary expert of the early Primordial Era, a Heavenly Sovereign of the Yao Path who’d fought Sovereign Venerate Yi for years.

He might have lost to Sovereign Venerate Yi in the end, but no one would dare to underestimate him. On the contrary, this only increased their respect for him, as in the early Primordial Era, you could count the experts willing to oppose Sovereign Venerate Yi on your fingers.

Chu Shanke was one of the few!

Following his defeat, Chu Shanke chose to join the Primordial Divine Court, and he was among their top experts, second only to Sovereign Venerate Yi himself.

He was also the person Sovereign Venerate Yi trusted most.

“I failed.” A soft sigh rang out, and a white-robed monk appeared beside Chu Shanke, seemingly out of nowhere.

This was none other than the Threelives Buddha.

“You failed?” Chu Shanke’s brow furrowed, his voice full of obvious disbelief.

The Threelives Buddha subtly inclined his head. “My Past Body was destroyed.”

“Do you know what happened?” asked Chu Shanke.

The Threelives Buddha shook his head. “The Realm of Endless Tribulations is separate from the outside world, so I don’t know what exactly happened, but I can say with certainty that Su Yi is to blame!”

“Su Yi...” Chu Shanke sank into thought.

The Threelives Buddha sighed. “And here I thought I’d planned everything perfectly, and that I was sure to return with an ample harvest. Now, it seems it's true what they say: the heavens really do play tricks upon us all. I’ve fallen flat on my face again.”

He turned to look at Chu Shanke. “If I’m not mistaken, Su Yi is already strong enough to fight Heavenly Sovereigns for real. When he leaves the Abyss of Endless Tribulations and returns to the Eternal Heavens Domain, chaos is sure to ensue. When the time comes, my situation will get even worse. I’ve got to start preparing.”

“Do you need me to do anything?” asked Chu Shanke.

The Threelives Buddha shook his head. “The Daoists say that fortune and disaster go hand in hand. This setback might well work out to my advantage.”

He paused, then said suddenly, “But you’d best be careful, Fellow Daoist. You and I used Hong Ling this time. If Sovereign Venerate Yi finds out, he’s sure to be suspicious!”

Chu Shanke’s eyes narrowed. “You’re wrong. If he finds out, he’s sure to kill me!”

He slowly rose from his bamboo chair. “Fellow Daoist, setting aside your defeat in the Abyss of Endless Tribulations, did you anticipate this?” 𝐟𝒓ℯⅇ

The Threelives Buddha inclined his head. “‘If I learn the Dao in the morning, I can die in the evening without regret.’ Fellow Daoist, you chose to join me in hopes of an opportunity to prove your Dao. In doing so, your path diverged from Sovereign Venerate Yi’s.”

Chu Shanke gazed intently at the Threelives Buddha. “Then what do you think I should do next, Fellow Daoist?”

The Threelives Buddha said calmly, “Heavenly Sovereign E and the others wanted to work with the Primordial Divine Court to defeat Su Yi, but Sovereign Venerate Yi rejected their allegiance.”

Chu Shanke mulled that over. “You want to join forces with the other Heavenly Sovereigns?”

The Threelives Buddha corrected him. “No, I want you to cooperate with them in the name of the Primordial Divine Court!”

He paused to let that sink in. “As we both know, Sovereign Venerate Yi is still trapped beneath one of the River-Stabilizing Steles. Before he returns to the Eternal Heavens Domain, you can direct the forces of the Primordial Divine Court as you see fit, can’t you?”

Chu Shanke’s expression shifted erratically.

The Threelives Buddha flipped his palm, and a talisman floated into the air. “With this, you can make contact with one of the Secluded Ones. That Secluded One is your opportunity to prove your Dao and break through.”

He gave Chu Shanke the talisman. “I’ve paved your path for you, Fellow Daoist. Please, accept this. You’ll naturally find an opportunity to break the shackles of destiny and step onto the Path to Ancestry!”

Chu Shanke quietly accepted the talisman, then nodded. “I agree to help you!”

The Threelives Buddha smiled, then stepped into the mist and rain. “It’s time I left. I hope for good news from you when Su Yi returns to the Eternal Heavens Domain and decides to end things with Heavenly Sovereign E and the others.”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, the Threelives Buddha vanished.

Chu Shanke stood there, gripping the talisman, his heart full of agitation.

He who learned the Dao in the morning could die in the evening without regret.

Now, he could finally see the Path to Ancestry taking shape beneath his feet!

......

The upper reaches of the River of Destiny, the area containing the nine River-Stabilizing Steles.

“Chu Shanke must die!” Sovereign Venerate Yi’s calm, indifferent voice emanated from beneath one of the steles.

Hong Ling was flabbergasted. “Founder, this expedition to the Abyss of Endless Tribulations wasn’t part of your plans?”

She’d just told Sovereign Venerate Yi everything that had happened in the Abyss of Endless Tribulations.

She would never have guessed that the founder would immediately sentence Chu Shanke to death!

“Stupid girl. I see Su Yi as my enemy in my pursuit of the Grand Dao. There’s no way I’d play games with your life by sending you to fight him,” Sovereign Venerate Yi said with a soft sigh. “But this isn’t your fault. Who could have imagined that during the countless years I’ve spent trapped here, the man I trusted most would betray me?”

There was no hiding the melancholy in his voice.

The passage of time was merciless, not because the world changed around you, but because it changed even those once close to you!

“Founder, why would Chu Shanke do this?” Hong Ling couldn’t help but ask.

Sovereign Venerate Yi said calmly, “His reasons no longer matter. He betrayed me the moment he chose to help the Threelives Buddha exploit you.”

He paused, then looked at Hong Ling, his gaze suddenly strange. “The Threelives Buddha’s schemes run deep, and Su Yi is incredibly strong, yet you made it back to see me. That proves that what I said all those years ago was true.”

Hong Ling looked at him in a daze. “Founder, you said many things back then. What specifically are you referring to?”

Sovereign Venerate Yi burst into laughter. “A fool has a fool’s luck!”

Hong Ling froze, stunned, her face suddenly hot and red. She had nothing to say in response.

When she thought back to her time in the Abyss of Endless Tribulations and compared herself to Su Yi and the Threelives Buddha, it seemed that even though she was a Heavenly Sovereign... she really was stupid and naive.

“The Mirror of Mysteries has been lost, but that doesn’t matter. Chu Shanke betrayed me, but that doesn’t matter either,” Sovereign Venerate Yi said casually. “When I break free, I’ll naturally get even!”

“Founder,” Hong Ling couldn’t help but interject, “It seems to me that Su Yi has no thoughts of becoming your enemy, so—”

Sovereign Venerate Yi laughed, interrupting her. “Our enmity is of the Grand Dao, not the result of any kind of grudge. I’m sure Su Yi understands that too, so why don’t you? I’ve got to say, after this, I think increasingly highly of him!”

Indeed, he made no effort to disguise his admiration.

A moment later, he seemed to realize something, and his brow furrowed. “Chu Shanke must know that this expedition ended in failure, and he’s likely to overstep his authority while he still can. What do you think he’ll do, lass?”

When Hong Ling sank into silence, Sovereign Venerate Yi shook his head slightly. “Forget it. I’m asking too much of you.”

Hong Ling lowered her head in silence, her heart melancholy. Am I really just too stupid?

“Don’t be upset. The human heart is unfathomable, and everyone is different. Yours is pure. Just tend to your own affairs properly,” Sovereign Venerate Yi said soothingly. “All you need to do now is keep an eye on the situation and see how it develops. Pay particular attention to anything involving Su Yi.”

Hong Ling solemnly nodded her assent. “Understood!”

After she left, Sovereign Venerate Yi sank into thought.

Everything that had happened in the Abyss of Endless Tribulations had broadened his horizons. It seemed that both Su Yi and the Threelives Buddha had means and wisdom far beyond any ordinary cultivator.

After a while, he whispered, “Heroes really do arise in turbulent times. For such people to appear now rather gives me something to look forward to...”

......

Meanwhile, deep in the Daoless Domain of the Realm of Endless Tribulations, an ancient curtain of darkness enshrouded everything. It had been there throughout the ages.

Su Yi walked through it, his figure like a lamp illuminating the road ahead.

The Book of Destiny hovered above his head, flowing with an inscrutable rain of light.

Rumor had it that the Abyss of Endless Tribulations was the source of all the world’s disasters.

The character for “tribulation” combined the characters “excise” and “power.”

The Daoless Domain was a place capable of severing the cultivation bases of even Heavenly Sovereigns, reducing them to ordinary mortals forevermore. Here, the Grand Dao didn’t exist, and all magics, abilities, and techniques withered.

Simply put, it was a place that “excised power,” the true source of the abyss’s tribulations. “Power,” in this case, referred to one’s cultivation base and powers of the Grand Dao.

That was why it was called the Daoless Domain!

But now, Su Yi understood that the Daoless Domain was more than just the true source of tribulations. It also hid the source energies of destiny itself!

The Grand Dao of Destiny encompassed fate and fortune, blessings, disasters, and luck both good and bad.

Tribulations were naturally born from a portion of destiny’s source energies!

And Su Yi was here in the Daoless Domain for the express purpose of seeking out the source energy hidden here.