Chapter 88: Lin Qifeng's Cause of Calamity
One breath, from Unity to Divine Ability.
Two breaths, from Divine Ability to Dao Union.
Breaking through two major realms of the upper three realms in just two breaths.
Even just hearing about it secondhand, Chen Yan felt utterly shocked.
Let alone Lin Qifeng, who witnessed it with his own eyes.
Indeed, after witnessing such a scene, forget the other party merely claiming to be the reincarnation of True Person Kongmiao; even if he declared himself a true immortal descending from beyond the heavens, any normal person would wholeheartedly believe it.
“Master, you just said that our Patriarch chose to undergo military disintegration himself. Why was that?”
Chen Yan asked.
“What kind of person was our Patriarch? He created the Kongshan Annotation of True Understanding single-handedly, forcefully carving out a path to the upper three realms for the descendants of Kongshan Sect. Yet our Patriarch, who should have been a True Person of the Immortal Ascension Realm…”
Lin Qifeng said:
“…stagnated at the Dao Union Realm in his ninth life.”
Chen Yan had already guessed what Lin Qifeng was going to say next.
“This world possesses a certain restriction. The fact that no one in Chenping Continent has ascended to immortality is not a problem of declining talent, but a fundamental, root-level issue.”
Lin Qifeng continued:
“What I say next is merely my own speculation.
“Our Patriarch likely always wanted to take that step beyond Ascending to Immortality. But from beginning to end, only one person in Chenping Continent has ever achieved it: Immortal Venerable Fusheng.
“Perhaps Su Hongzhen could also be considered close, but ultimately, he did not succeed.”
In the current cultivation world, it is common to refer to the ten known major realms as the Nine Realms Below Immortality and the True Person Immortal Ascension Realm.
But there is also a classification method that groups the Immortal Ascension Realm with the other nine realms, calling them the Ten Realms Below Immortality.
Since there are realms below immortality, there naturally must also be realms above immortality.
Everyone knows that the Immortal Ascension Realm is not the end point of cultivation.
Yet the Immortal Ascension Realm also seems precisely like the end point of cultivation.
When a whale falls, all things are born.
This saying found an almost perfect embodiment in Immortal Venerable Fusheng.
Children born in Fusheng City are Martial Spring Realm cultivators from the very moment they land on the ground.
Fusheng City also became Chenping Continent’s only immortal city.
“Knowing he could not take that step, and that even Ascending to Immortality had become a distant hope, our Patriarch chose to end himself.”
Lin Qifeng said:
“From that day on, one question has been constantly troubling me: what exactly is the restriction of this world?”
As he spoke, Lin Qifeng looked toward Chen Yan again:
“What do you think?”
“This disciple believes there are many possibilities, but didn’t you, Master, ultimately arrive at your own answer?”
Chen Yan replied.
“Correct. I believe what restricts this world is the Cause of Calamity.”
Lin Qifeng nodded:
“But as for what the Cause of Calamity actually is, there has never been a unified standard. Precisely because of this, when the Orthodox Pivot Sect launched the Eliminating the Cause of Calamity action a thousand years ago, so many people took advantage of the chaos to eliminate their rivals under the banner of eliminating the Cause of Calamity, throwing the entire Chenping Continent into turmoil.”
“Then what does Master believe the Cause of Calamity is?”
Chen Yan asked.
“It is my Patriarch.”
Lin Qifeng answered:
“And many other Immortal Ascension Realm great powers like my Patriarch, who should have died in this world but were unwilling to leave.”
“Why does Master believe that?”
Chen Yan asked again.
“The Patriarch said that the Dao of each world has a fixed number. Every time a cultivator ascends to immortality, it means another Dao has been occupied by someone.”
Lin Qifeng said:
“After an Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator falls, the Dao they occupied is released anew.”
“Master, are you saying there are many reincarnators in this world with situations similar to our Patriarch’s?”
Chen Yan said.
“Just my speculation, and the most reasonable explanation I can think of.”
Lin Qifeng replied.
Indeed, Lin Qifeng’s conjecture does have a certain degree of possibility.
“So, Chen Yan.”
Lin Qifeng called his name:
“Which Immortal Ascension Realm great power are you the reincarnation of?”
“You jest, Master.”
Chen Yan said with a light laugh.
He naturally wouldn’t take the hat Lin Qifeng tried to place on him seriously.
“Fine then.”
Lin Qifeng shook his head with an indifferent expression, as if he had long known what answer Chen Yan would give:
“No need to tell me your secret. I’m not interested anyway. But I will still do my utmost to give you more help. I only ask that you can lend me a hand at critical moments as well.”
“This disciple has received deep grace from Master. I would go through fire and water without hesitation, duty-bound and without excuse.”
Chen Yan said, making a bowing salute.
“Hmph.”
Lin Qifeng just gave a cold snort, then waved his hand, indicating Chen Yan could leave.
He certainly wouldn’t do anything to Chen Yan.
Firstly, Chen Yan was still useful to him, and until today, the relationship between master and disciple had been quite harmonious.
Secondly, what if Chen Yan really was the reincarnation of some Immortal Ascension Realm great power? If he provoked such a person to anger, and they casually swatted him into dust with one slap, what could he do?
Even with the restrictions of the world’s laws, perhaps only the Supreme Pivot Elder in the entire Kongshan Sect could barely exchange a couple of moves with a cultivator who was an Immortal Ascension Realm being currently at the peak of the Dao Union Realm.
Lin Qifeng was an absolute adherent of the Cause of Calamity theory, but he had never thought about eliminating the Cause of Calamity.
The reason was simple.
Even without the law restrictions, Lin Qifeng would never have any possibility of ascending to immortality in this lifetime.
Even if there was a possibility, he could never defeat those reincarnated Immortal Ascension Realm great powers.
But all of this was still just Lin Qifeng’s speculation.
Whether there were other reincarnated great powers in this world besides True Person Kongmiao remained unknown.
And whether the laws of Chenping Continent were restricted for the reasons Lin Qifeng speculated, no one knew the truth.
At the very least, no one knew now.
…
Chen Yan returned to his own room.
He had been genuinely startled by Lin Qifeng today.
Because what Lin Qifeng said was truly terrifying.
At the same time, Chen Yan had also obtained much important information, provided Lin Qifeng hadn’t lied to him.
Reincarnators existed in this world.
It’s just that their reincarnation seemed different from his own cycle of reincarnation.
Yan Yunhe lived nine lives; in other words, he also “truly and genuinely” died nine times.
But in the eyes of outsiders, Chen Yan himself had never truly died in a meaningful sense.
Chen Yan felt that what Lin Qifeng spoke of seemed to be beginning to touch upon the very essence of this cultivation world.
But it was still far too early for him to be exposed to these matters.
For him currently, the most immediate matter was the Chenping Continent Dao Inquiry Assembly.
This was Chen Yan’s first appearance before other sects in his capacity as the Chief Disciple of Kongyuan Mountain.
To be honest, Chen Yan had never seen such a grand occasion before.
In previous cycles, when he went down the mountain for training as a Kongshan Sect disciple, he would occasionally encounter disciples from other small sects around the sect’s vicinity.
Those disciples only needed to catch a single glimpse of the Kongshan Sect outer court Daoist robe Chen Yan wore, and they would rush over to flatter and suck up, calling him “Senior Brother” over and over.
It was so relaxed and comfortable.
Now, Chen Yan’s status was incomparably higher than when he was in the outer court.
But the pressure he would face had also increased by hundreds of times.
“The Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry…”
Chen Yan murmured, gazing at the ceiling of the ferry boat.
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