Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 676: Want to run? Have you asked this Righteous Path knight-errant yet! _1
This battle inflicted devastating losses upon the Tao Tian League. Nearly ninety-nine percent of the Tribulation-crossing Virtue Cultivators who participated were annihilated; only a scant few managed to escape the giant beast's onslaught. The crux of the issue was that the giant beast's attacks had reached the level of Immortal Law, a power simply beyond what those at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage could contend with. Among the deceased was the League Master, Hu Heng.
News of this naturally shocked the world. The subsequently revealed details, particularly the fusion of the two giant beasts, stunned everyone; no one had anticipated such a development. This mass demise of Transcendance Tribulation Stage cultivators dealt a tremendous blow to all Virtue Cultivators in the Qiandao Realm, and even the entire Virtue Cultivator system seemed to fall into a slump.
The Tribulation-crossing Virtue Cultivators of the Tao Tian League constituted over ninety percent of the total number of such cultivators in the Qiandao Realm. Their deaths led to a drastic decline in the realm's count of Tribulation-crossing Virtue Cultivators. However, for the Qiandao Realm itself, this was a blessing in disguise. With the deaths of these Tribulation-crossing Virtue Cultivators, their Merit Golden Wheels disintegrated and returned their power to the Qiandao Realm, granting the grievously weakened realm a much-needed respite.
Of course, a palpable tension also filled the Qiandao Realm, with many worried about the giant beast's next move. Although the beast's destructive capacity had halved after the fusion—from two cities a day down to one—no one wanted to gamble on whether their own city would be next. The giant beast's movements were erratic and unpredictable, leaving the Virtue Cultivators with no means to anticipate or counter its attacks.
"Hermit Lingyuan, what are your thoughts on this giant beast?" Shi Nan inquired.
Shi Nan, one of the surviving Tribulation-crossing Virtue Cultivators from the Tao Tian League, was now the acting League Master. He was designated as "acting" because he advocated for Ascension rather than continuing the fight against the beast. After all, once they departed the Qiandao Realm, they could live freely in the Green Nether Fairyland, a far cry from the constant fear and anxiety in this lower realm. However, despite their intentions, they still needed to maintain a facade of responsibility.
"This giant beast is formidable," Wang Linchi said, frowning in thought. "The Merit Golden Wall formed by the Merit Golden Wheel cannot withstand it at all. To fight it, one would need Spells at the level of the Virtue Golden Body... no, Divine Skills. Spells aren't even qualified enough."
Hearing this, the assembled Tribulation-crossing Virtue Cultivators were in an uproar. The two conditions Wang Linchi mentioned were simply beyond what ordinary people could achieve. Even the strongest person today only possessed a Merit Golden Wheel; where would they find someone with a Virtue Golden Body, let alone Divine Skills? Spells are easy to practice, but Divine Skills are difficult to learn. If they truly waited for a suitable person to appear, by then, all the human cities in the Qiandao Realm would likely have been destroyed by the giant beast. Consequently, many among them became even more inclined towards Tribulation Ascension to leave the Qiandao Realm. As for those who could not leave, that was not their concern; they had never cared for those at the bottom.
"What Hermit Lingyuan says is indeed reasonable, but the situation is now beyond remedy," Shi Nan stated, making his lack of support clear.
"A pity," Wang Linchi replied, feigning ignorance despite knowing their desire to flee. "I am merely curious, what solution do you all propose?"
Shi Nan, whose philosophy and ideas differed entirely from Hu Heng's, stated bluntly, "We intend to undergo Tribulation Ascension and depart. We will no longer involve ourselves in the struggles of the Qiandao Realm."
"Had Hu Heng not obstructed us, we would have undergone Tribulation Ascension long ago and become Immortals. Why should we toil in this lower realm?"
His directness immediately garnered support from many Tribulation-crossing Virtue Cultivators.
"Now that League Master Hu Heng has fallen, if you wish to ascend, indeed no one will stop you," Wang Linchi said, not intending to hinder them. Let them go to the Green Nether Fairyland if they wish. He respected their decision. Even if he wanted them to stay, they would not.
"Oh? Hermit Lingyuan, you do not intend to ascend?" Shi Nan asked, surprised. His words were clearly meant to persuade Wang Linchi to leave the Qiandao Realm with them. After all, the series of merit-based Spells and Magical Artifacts Wang Linchi had developed were potent tools for advancing their cultivation. If they left without Wang Linchi, wouldn't they eventually exhaust their resources? Thus, the best course of action was to bring him along to continue developing these assets for them. The problem was, they could not compel him. If Wang Linchi was unwilling to undergo Tribulation Ascension, they had no way to force him to leave. As for using force, he was, after all, a cultivator of the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, so they could only try persuasion.
"Correct, I do not plan to ascend," Wang Linchi said with a faint smile. Why would he leave?
This made Shi Nan frown; the worst-case scenario had materialized. He could neither force Wang Linchi nor persuade him. "I heard that Hermit Lingyuan also dueled the Spiked Colossus and retreated in disarray. This shows how strong the beast is. If you don't leave, staying here is just a dead end." The implication was clear: staying meant death, so it was better to leave with them and have mutual support.
"Heaven and Earth provide all things to nourish humanity, yet humanity offers nothing in return to Heaven."
"The Qiandao Realm is our homeland. How can we abandon it in its time of great peril?" Wang Linchi appealed to their sense of duty.
However, Shi Nan scoffed. "Cultivation is inherently an act of defying nature. We and the heavens are fundamentally adversaries; where does gratitude factor in?"
"This cultivation base I possess, I earned it through my own struggles. What has it to do with the Qiandao Realm?"
Shi Nan, and indeed all the Virtue Cultivators present, dismissed Wang Linchi's words with contempt. The idea that cultivation is an act of defying nature was a consensus among them all.
Hearing this, Wang Linchi was speechless. So, you think your food, clothing, and necessities just materialize out of thin air? And you still call it defying nature? If it were truly defying nature, you would have been struck by lightning the moment you first guided qi into your body during Qi Condensation. Nature wouldn't have allowed you to grow to this stage. Besides, you're not even (regular) cultivators anymore; you're all Virtue Cultivators.
"What you cultivate is not the Immortal Path, but virtue—merit," Wang Linchi reminded them.
"Isn't this merit also something we obtained from the tribulations of heaven and earth? And doesn't it ultimately lead to becoming an Immortal?" Shi Nan retorted.
Wang Linchi heard this and stopped arguing with Shi Nan. He felt he would lose if he continued such a pointless debate, so he decided to change tactics and let them be smug for a while.
"Since you have all made your decision, I will not contend with you. You wish to ascend to escape calamity; I will remain to continue seeking a way to combat the giant beast." Wang Linchi could see that his original Ascension plan was now completely bankrupt. But it didn't matter. Wang Linchi would just whip up an Emperor Plan or a Plasma Spark Plan; they would be useful eventually.
After Wang Linchi's statement, the atmosphere eased somewhat, yet Shi Nan's dissatisfaction grew. To think Wang Linchi was unwilling to leave for the sake of a group of low-level Virtue Cultivators—this was absurd!
Ultimately, constrained by the fact that both he and Wang Linchi were fellow Tribulation-crossing Virtue Cultivators, Shi Nan didn't continue to pressure Wang Linchi to leave with him. Instead, he said, "I hope you will not regret your decision in the future, Hermit Lingyuan."
"In that case, I wish you all a prosperous future. May you achieve great renown and become revered figures. If, in the days to come, you happen to remember me and offer a little assistance, I would be immensely grateful." Wang Linchi wasn't bothered at all about losing face earlier.
His words were rather pleasant, and even the disgruntled Shi Nan felt his displeasure lessen considerably. After some more discussion, everyone dispersed. Since they were preparing to ascend and leave, they certainly needed to make thorough preparations. Although they had their merit protecting them and didn't need to worry about the tribulations associated with Ascension, it was always better to be safe than sorry.
So, you dare to defy my arrangements and think of ascending to escape?
Very well, very well. I'll ensure you face Cosmic Dinosaur Zetton directly upon your Ascension. You can taste the power of a one-trillion-degree fireball and Zetton's Ultimate Beam!
I'll directly modify this Immortal Path version of Cosmic Dinosaur Zetton to the Immortal Monarch Realm. I guarantee that every single one of them who tries to ascend won't leave alive.
Wang Linchi was furious. He had already offered them a graceful exit; in a couple of days, he would have revealed the Virtue Golden Body version of an Ultraman transformation. Then, everyone would have been able to defeat the Immortal Path version of the Burning Blast Tyrant Star. But now, they wanted to run at the slightest setback. In that case, Wang Linchi could only send them on their way to their doom.
As for this incident being his, the main culprit's, fault? He couldn't care less. As the protagonist of the Qiandao Realm, he embodied justice.
Even though he committed murder and arson, bringing calamity to the world, he was the protagonist. Therefore, his actions were inherently just, and he was undoubtedly a knight-errant on the Righteous Path.
It was about time for a whitewashing. Otherwise, if he continued being 'dark,' he'd risk getting ambushed and killed someday.
