Lin Moyu pondered. "By your account, the Huaxia world lies behind that mysterious passage inside the Wall of Worlds?"
The Primal Chaos Gem said, "Hard to say. It's only a legend—no one has ever proved it. And it's also possible Huaxia was a small world evolved from some heaven-and-earth. There are countless worlds, innumerable domains, and small worlds beyond imagining. I've seen many worlds; though I've never seen such a Dao, I can't swear it doesn't exist. Both are possible. Now that so many worlds are gone, whichever it is will be hard to verify. Better not to dwell on it—just treat it as a special Dao. There's nothing wrong with that."
Lin Moyu nodded. "True enough—but it still feels strange. I think this special Physical Dao hides some sort of secret."
He had his own view: the Physical Dao was completely different from the Ancient Wilds' world-rules, yet it could exist within the Ancient Wilds at all—as if the rules there ignored it. That suggested the Physical Dao's level of existence was not lower than heaven-and-earth rules. Which in turn implied the Physical Dao was not merely a Dao, but itself a kind of rule. He had indeed sensed a trace of rule-aura within it.
"You're right," Lin Moyu said at last. "I shouldn't overthink it. Even if I do, it's useless. If there's a problem, I'll deal with it when it actually appears."
The Gem laughed. "Exactly. What you should handle now is the Great Calamity in the Ancient Wilds. There are four beings there who have surpassed Calamity Supreme—any one of them could become a Transcendent. You are the key of keys."
Lin Moyu shook his head. "Only one can become a Transcendent—my sister. The other three will just be pace-setters."
He'd decided: he would help Lin Mohan become a Transcendent. Though a heaven-and-earth can hold multiple Transcendents, in most cases there is only one. Once someone becomes a Transcendent, they will, with thunderous means, erase any others who might reach that height—two tigers cannot share one mountain. As for himself, because Yushen Heaven & Earth exists, he no longer needed to contest the Ancient Wilds' Transcendent seat—no need, and no interest.
The Primal Chaos Gem had already examined Yushen Heaven & Earth: its essence was far stronger than the Ancient Wilds. How many cycles of the Great Calamity it could endure was unclear; that would only be known when it passed through its first life-and-death tribulation and became a living heaven-and-earth.
Lin Moyu indulged an unrealistic thought: if he could become the Transcendent of Yushen Heaven & Earth at that very moment, and if Yushen's strength could reach seven cycles or more, then he might be the first Transcendent ever born of a heaven-and-earth that survives beyond seven cycles—perhaps surpassing the former Po-Cang Emperor, and becoming the first to physically step into the Life-Forbidden Zone. And if the Wall of Worlds truly hid a passage, he could go see whether the "origin of worlds" those Transcendents spoke of actually existed.
"What will you do next?" the Gem asked.
"Everything is ready—just one last grand array remains," Lin Moyu said. "But there's no rush. I'll wait until all my domains reach perfection, then compress them as I planned. When the time comes, you'll help me fuse the power of the domains. With tenfold sublimations, I'll climb to Chaos Realm Perfection on the strength of ten domains. Then, even if I'm not a Calamity Supreme, I'll stand shoulder to shoulder with them. With my body and soul on top of that, I'll truly stand at the peak of Calamity Supremes—above the former Calamity Sovereign. Even against those people, I'll have confidence."
"Only one pity," he added.
"What is it?" the Gem asked.
"My Sublimation Art is nearing its limit. Chaos Realm Perfection is as far as it goes. It came from the Origin Bird; the Origin Bird's bloodline itself caps at Chaos Realm Perfection—it can't advance further."
Lin Moyu's heart was clear as a mirror. His understanding of all things had changed; with a Calamity Supreme–limit soul resonating directly with world-rules, he'd gained many answers—if not all, then most.
"If you reach that level," the Gem said, "with your body and soul you could just barely wield me. Then, yes—you could act freely, without fearing those fellows overmuch."
"Not enough," Lin Moyu shook his head. "I don't want to only be unafraid—I want them to be afraid. I will take the seat the Calamity Sovereign vacated. I will become a Calamity Supreme."
The Gem hesitated. "But you're the calamity-bearer. To sit that seat, you'll need heaven-and-earth recognition—that may be difficult."
"Heaven-and-earth have never decreed that a calamity-bearer cannot become a Calamity Supreme. The two don't conflict."
Though powerful, the Gem no longer matched Lin Moyu in understanding world-rules. Lin Moyu sensed them ever more deeply. Being the calamity-bearer had its benefits: while heaven-and-earth marked him as such, they also opened doors, making it easier for him to comprehend the rules.
Only now did he take out the small sword Lin Mohan had condensed and read the information within. From the Divine Lotus Lord's remnant consciousness, she had learned the name of that in-between tier—one the Gem disdained: beyond Calamity Supreme yet short of Transcendent. Across the worlds there is a unified term:
Boundary-Breakers.
A polite name; some Transcendents simply call them failures. Boundary-Breakers greatly surpass Calamity Supremes; killing a Calamity Supreme isn't hard for them. But they're still far from true Transcendents, and they carry many constraints. For instance, they cannot casually slaughter Calamity Supremes; Calamity Supremes are recognized and protected by heaven-and-earth, while Boundary-Breakers are not. If a Boundary-Breaker kills a Calamity Supreme, world-power backlash follows—strong enough to injure them. So unless forced, they don't act against Calamity Supremes. Below Calamity Supreme, they have no such scruples.
Lin Moyu understood: before the Calamity Sovereign, someone else had obtained the Calamity Scepter, discovered Dao, and was killed by Dao. Dao didn't seize the Scepter afterward—because the backlash had already injured him. That was why the Scepter later fell to the Calamity Sovereign. Later Dao killed the Calamity Sovereign—and got smashed by the Scepter, being hurt even worse.
Eyes shining, Lin Moyu thought: "In this Calamity, the one most likely to strike Dao first is the Calamity Sovereign—his wounds probably haven't healed; he's likely the weakest of the four. Sis has just broken the boundary; she may not be the strongest either. And the Calamity Sovereign still holds a fragment of her soul—he could target her as well. The Calamity is near; time to move quickly."
He forged two soul-based clones: one remained in the Ancient Wilds to tell the world, I'm still here; the other stayed in Yushen Heaven & Earth, watching his nine domains take shape. His true body accompanied Ning Yiyi and the others—touring domains or diligently "ploughing the fields." A short parting is sweeter than a new wedding—and a long parting even more so. But at their realms, conception isn't easy; effort would be continual.
Two hundred years passed in a blink. For a man who fought his way up for countless years, the last two centuries were the most leisurely—no battles at all. One clone deepened comprehension of the Dao; the other watched the domains. His true body relaxed most, simply accompanying his wives. Paradoxically, in such calm he gained a new understanding of world-rules. His realm hadn't changed—already at the peak, needing domain fusion to reach Chaos Realm Perfection—and his body-and-soul power was likewise at its extreme. Yet his insights into the rules grew.
He gradually sensed the Great Calamity itself: like a vast black mist rising from the deepest Ancient Wilds, spreading across the world. When it shrouded everything, the Calamity's power would strengthen. He himself was the brightest spark within it—a flame in the fog that drew all eyes. As the Calamity advanced, he shone brighter, while its influence spread to all beings. Soon he would become the target of all. Tangled causalities would abound; many impossible events would become possible—and all those causes would ultimately point to him.
Because he was the calamity-bearer, it was as if the rules opened a window for him; he could more easily glimpse the world-rules beyond the Calamity. Heaven-and-earth are fair: being the calamity-bearer cannot be only bad; there must be yin and yang. The benefit is easier comprehension of the rules.
Two hundred years may be short, but to Lin Moyu they were more precious than twenty thousand. His deeper grasp fed back into Yushen Heaven & Earth. Though its master, he had not yet understood it thoroughly; through insights gained from the Ancient Wilds, he now knew his own world inside and out.
Another push of the Calamity came two hundred years later. Powerful Ancient Wilds creatures appeared—like hungry wolves scenting meat—boring into the lowest spaces to find his clone. This was the Calamity's work: beings that shouldn't appear did. The unlikely became certain; the unreasonable turned reasonable. The rules hadn't changed—only that, within the Calamity, they force minuscule probabilities to 1.
The attacking beasts lacked true intellect and, under the Calamity's sway, took him for an arch-enemy. Their combat power equaled Perfection-tier—but they were nothing to him. The soul-clone gathered soul into a fist and swept through; soon there were corpses in the Ancient Wilds. Chaos Realm Perfection no longer impressed him; even a top-tier Perfection like the Wine Venerable couldn't withstand a few punches. It showed his role as calamity-bearer was already warping things. Who knew what it would be like when he returned in person?
His lips quirked. Whatever it becomes, I'll break it with one punch.
In the Kedao Domain, he and a few companions were at play. This world was full of novelties: cultivation and technology coexisted; steel towers, cars, planes, entertainments unknown to other realms. It felt like a return to his prior life—yet different: cars and planes here were specially refined artifacts. Tech and cultivation.
At a giant amusement park, they tried "extreme sports"—which, to them, weren't very extreme. An Yuyan noticed his expression. "Husband, did something occur to you?"
He smiled. "Nothing major. The Ancient Wilds' Calamity just took another step."
"If you don't go back, as the calamity-bearer, do you still need to undergo it?" she asked.
"Some things cannot be avoided. I was born of the Ancient Wilds; I can't fully cut free. I brought you to Yushen so nothing unexpected happens to you. But what lies in the Ancient Wilds—I must settle it."
"Don't worry," he added. "After this Calamity, the Ancient Wilds will be truly at peace. This Calamity is a great cleansing, wiping away old sickness."
Seeing his confidence, An Yuyan asked no more. She knew him: he always held the great picture in his grasp.
Another three hundred years passed—five hundred in leisure. The remaining five domains were finally about to enter perfection. Lin Moyu's clone there slowly opened his eyes. "It's time."
With a beckon, the Calamity Scepter tore space and flew to his hand. "Preparations first."
He started with the Five-World Domain, performing an initial refinement. As its master, refining it posed no difficulty—only a few days to complete. If he continued and brought it back to the Ancient Wilds to bathe in world-rules, he could use it to step straight into Chaos Realm Perfection—a result he disdained.
After the initial refinement, he moved to the Great Thousand World—also an initial refinement, seeding his marks across every corner. Then the Kedao Domain and the Lingmiao Domain—each likewise initially refined, his marks laid down to say: this is mine; I'm not taking it yet, but no one else is touching it.
By the time the first four were done, the other five reached perfection. He continued refining, one after another. These took longer—they had no master, being independent domains. Though perfected, their populations were still sparse. As he refined, he relocated life from other domains—without living beings, a domain lacks vitality and can't manifest optimal power. He became a mover, shifting whatever a domain lacked until vitality flourished.
After several years, the moving was finished. All nine domains had undergone initial refinement, saturated with his soul-marks. His thought reached the Silverlight Rabbit clan:
"Begin."