3996

Chapter 3996: What Is Freedom

Unexpectedly, Lin Moyu received a great surprise as soon as he entered the gate, putting him in an excellent mood. The Myriad Spirits Secret Art was extremely important to him, especially the Spirit Annihilation Art. The enemy he was about to face was the world will of the Origin Continent. In terms of combat power, he had already surpassed it. What he truly worried about was that the world will, when cornered, would go berserk and sacrifice all living beings within the world.

He had previously set up formations on the Origin Continent to guard against this, but he wasn't fully confident they would work. Now, with the Spirit Annihilation Art an art specifically targeting world wills he could kill it as quickly as possible. The faster he killed it, the less likely it would be able to sacrifice living beings. Not just putting it to sleep, but truly killing it, eradicating the root of the problem once and for all.

Lin Moyu had made various contingency plans, considered all possibilities, and even had his undead servants use the Dao of Fate to predict the future. The future was variable; the undead predicted tens of thousands of scenarios, all ending with his victory. The results were the same, but the processes differed. In many predictions, the world will of the Origin Continent managed to sacrifice all living beings by special means. His formation protected some, but only a portion. All those in the Heavenly Dao outside died, not one left alive. In some predictions, his formation failed entirely, and everyone except those protected by the Heaven Covering Stone and Immortal Jade died.

This was not what he wanted, so he prepared as thoroughly as possible. The appearance of the Myriad Spirits Secret Art gave him much greater confidence. Ideally, he could kill the world will instantly, leaving it no chance to retaliate.

After absorbing the Spirit Annihilation Art, the Myriad Marvels Stele gradually dimmed and faded from view. The path beyond the stele appeared before him a mountain path stretching into the clouds.

As he took the first step, a deep voice echoed from the void, resounding across the sky:

"Comprehend secret arts within the Myriad Marvels Stele, attain freedom on the path of eternity."

The deep voice went straight to his soul, and Lin Moyu instinctively felt deep respect. In his vision, he seemed to see a supreme being standing atop the clouds, speaking to the heavens. His words were like the voice of heaven, telling everyone the goal they should strive for.

The Myriad Marvels Stele contained countless secret arts, but each person could only obtain one never be greedy. The Human Sovereign obtained the Soul Seizing Art, while Lin Moyu received the Myriad Spirits Secret Art, which included Soul Seizing Art. Other secret arts belonged to others; they were not his fate.

That was the first half of the sentence. As for the "path of eternity," Lin Moyu didn't know if it referred to the road before him or the eternal realm itself. The most crucial part was the last two words: freedom (自在).

What is freedom? Everyone has their own understanding. To be free, one must first be unbound. Was the Human Sovereign free? Were those eternals, Great Dao Lords, or emperors free? Not at all they were still striving, not free, not at ease.

To be truly free, one must reach the very peak, with no one beside or ahead, leaving all others behind. Only then might one attain true freedom. Holding the power of the world, able to do as one wishes, unopposed, unchallenged, able to accomplish anything, ignoring fate, causality, and taboos. One word determines fate, one word severs destiny.

This was Lin Moyu's idea of freedom. No matter what others thought, this was his belief.

With this in mind, Lin Moyu began to climb the steps. He felt a sense of déjà vu climbing steps for divine power in a small world, climbing steps on the Ferry of Calamity, and now again. Different places, different realms, yet the same feeling.

Boom!

Thunder rumbled overhead. At the top of the steps, clouds swirled, with divine beasts flying and thunder filling the sky. Each step brought a peal of thunder.

Lin Moyu sensed the thunder might strike at any moment and was wary, but his soul gave no warning, so he was not in mortal danger.

After a hundred steps, two broad avenues appeared on either side, lined with magnificent palace like buildings. Lin Moyu paused, tempted to explore, thinking there might be treasures within. But he noticed that atop each building floated rings identical to those outside the gate. There were ten rings outside, but here only three.

He instantly understood: this was the area accessible for those who opened the gate at the beginner level. If he went there, he couldn't return, and his hard earned nine rings would be wasted. The Human Sovereign had said his three visits here were all different, so there was little to compare. At least the Human Sovereign had never climbed these steps; he saw a different scene.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Moyu continued upward.

Boom!

A green thunderbolt struck Lin Moyu, but he felt nothing. With thousands of Great Daos in his Great Thousand World and billions of undead servants sharing the attack, the thunder was simply ignored. He had expected the thunder, and now it came.

After the thunder, a figure appeared in the clouds.

"Green thunder tempers the body, purple thunder tempers the soul. To attain freedom above eternity? Laughable, lamentable!"

The long, deep voice was tinged with regret and powerful fighting spirit. Lin Moyu realized this person still had hope for the future, but lamented the present. Such people had unshakable resolve and immense confidence in their own future. Only such people could reach the very peak.

"Green thunder tempers the body, purple thunder tempers the soul."

Lin Moyu didn't need this; his body and soul had both reached the Dao Lord peak and could go no further, or the world would reject him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stopped using Soul Eater powder. Beyond eternity lies the final step. Can one not attain freedom after that? The speaker's words seemed to suggest so.

Lin Moyu thought of the green robed old man, who also seemed busy and scheming, yet had not attained so called freedom.

"Is the freedom he speaks of a realm, or a state of being?"

Lin Moyu pondered as he continued climbing.

Thunder roared without end, green and purple bolts falling, tempering body and soul for others, but meaningless to Lin Moyu. He climbed hundreds of steps, reaching the middle, where two more avenues appeared, leading to even grander palaces. Above them, six rings shone. This was the area for those who opened the gate with six rings, not for him.

He didn't stop, continuing upward. The thunder grew stronger, green and purple bolts now carrying powerful attacks as well as tempering effects.

The figure in the void spoke again: "If something cannot be done, don't force it. If fate does not allow, seeking is futile. Step back and gain eternal peace; step forward and fall into endless ruin."

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