Chapter 32 - The Final Trial: Despair Part 3
In his third attempt, Wang Wei still believes that by having a powerful enough cultivation, he would become victorious against the Wrath of Heaven. As such, he travels throughout the whole world and learns all the cultivation scriptures and techniques that he could.
Then, he creates a Supreme Scripture that allows him to reach an unimaginable height in cultivation level.
As for his parents, he did not hide them or try to protect them like last time. Instead, he allows them to go on the path of cultivation themselves. He creates a cultivation technique that provides them with Heaven Defying defense and healing abilities.
As long as they have a single breath left, as long as a single drop of blood is left, they can heal and rejuvenate both their bodies and soul. They were almost immortal and unkillable.
This technique was indeed quite terrible and heaven defying. The only reason that Wang Wei can so easily create it is due to the fact that the Pagoda Trial is an illusory world where anything is possible.
However, despite his best effort, some things are inevitable, they are destined to happen. Wang Wei still fails to stop the gigantic hand or the Wrath of Heaven.
Although in this round, he still lasted a little longer than previous ones, the gigantic hand still kills him and his family. His developed unkillable cultivation technique only prolonged the inevitable demise of his parents--and further added to their suffering before their death.
However, Wang Wei did not regret his choice. The Wrath of Heaven was determined to involve his parents in their fight, and unfortunately, there is nothing he could do to stop it.
However, his will and determination did not waver for even a second. As long as he has a single breath, he will continue to fight it.
This determination soon became the despair of our young protagonist.
....
The cycle of the seasons--from Autumn to Summer--is manifestation of Samsara, as it indicates that all living beings live life in an endless cycle of suffering from one reincarnation to another, without being able to escape.
It is also a manifestation of the passing of time, the bringer of wisdom to all life through age, suffering, and repeating mistakes.
As such, two years passed by, and Wang Wei was still stuck in the Ninth Pagoda Trial. Throughout the past two years, Wang Wei had many attempts at the Pagoda--9,999 to be exact. All of them ended in failures.
He had to watch his family and loved one die one by one more than 9000 times. And he himself had to experience such a number of deaths.
Death was not a particularly enjoyable experience. In this trial, there is no such thing as reincarnation. As such, death is the end, the finale. There is no afterlife, no kingdom of God, no punishment from hell, only an eternal silence and absolute darkness.
In this silent darkness, the only functioning thing is the mind, left wondering about everything and nothing. There is no concept of time and space. There is no matter to interact with, no living being to converse with. Only your mind, thoughts, and memories are left.
All the ideas and thoughts you ever had during your life--no matter how good or evil. You can precisely inspect each of them to the last detail.
In this bleak scenario, a person starts to explore and judge themselves: their concept of morality--are they good or evil--based on their own thoughts, not action. The way people view them, the impact that they think they have on others, their socio-political views... etc.
Additionally, the people they have interacted with throughout their lives or the people they actually care about can only exist only in memories.
The only good thing about this silent darkness is the fact that it provides its residents with perfect memories. They can see or review anything from the moment of their birth.
All the people they are longing to see exist forever in their memories and can see them as long as they desire.
Of course such a thing can also be interpreted as an ever lasting curse. When a person comes to the realization that the people that they are longing for and loved most in the world are nothing but lingering memories, it is easy for them to break down emotionally and spiritually.
In simple terms, death is not a fond place. And experiencing more than a thousand times over could drive the strongest of man to madness. However, Wang Wei still did it, and voluntarily. He did not flinch for even a moment. For his conviction, for his Dao Heart, for his Path of Emperor, he kept moving forward.
And that is exactly what Wang Wei did the past two years. He tried many different approaches and attempts, all of reach resulted in failure and death.
In his tenth attempt, Wang Wei no longer relied simply on his powerful cultivation to fight the Wrath of Heaven. He learned that the power of groups can be more effective than the single individual.
As such, he went on a path of conquest of the whole world. After his conquest, he rallied all the cultivators of the world and created a massive formation that envelops the entire world. Then all the cultivators will inject their cultivation powers at certain nodes to fight the Wrath of Heaven.
Although he was still unsuccessful, he learned from this attempt for his next several ones. As such, he created a powerful weapon with the help of all the Refiners in the world, then a powerful talisman in his next attempt, then a powerful pill.
On his Fiftieth attempt, Wang Wei became an emperor with a massive kingdom that conquered the entire world. Then, he gathered the luck of all living beings and blessed himself to fight the Wrath of Heaven. He still failed and died miserable with all the people of his empire.
On the Hundredth attempt, Wang Wei proclaimed himself as a Supreme God and spread his benevolence throughout the world. He once again conquered the world and gathered the faith and incense of all living beings. He turned the mortal world into his Kingdom of God, where he turned all his most devout believers into Light Messengers or Archangels. Gathering the power of the whole kingdoms, he went on an expedition against the Gigantic hand.
In the end, he still failed and his God Kingdom was destroyed. All his believers perished, but they still did so with a smile on their face as they embraced death with their beloved God.
Despite his hundred attempts and hundred deaths, Wang Wei's will and fighting intent did not diminish for even a second. The fight must continue on.