Chapter 3866: Warmth

Lu Yin was quite impressed. This was truly an attack worthy of the strongest faction in the North Domain. Ku Ji had achieved the power of a peak Dukkhan entirely with his own abilities. His aura was absolutely no weaker than Venerable Lan Ye’s, and it actually had a more oppressive feeling.

The members of the Rift of Suffering cultivated the Heartrift technique, refining their mental state. When they finally attacked, the results were earth-shattering.

If Ku Ji and Venerable Lan Ye fought each other, Lu Yin was certain that Lan Ye would be no match for Ku Ji.

Ku Ji was one of the most powerful peak Dukkhans that Lu Yin had ever encountered. His strength was equal to Ying Mei’s before she had used the Autumnspring Slip, though the man’s mental state was far more profound.

“Mr. Lu, be careful,” Ku Ji growled as the nine dark rifts roared in unison. At that moment, darkness engulfed everything as the rifts devoured all that surrounded them.

The void collapsed around Lu Yin, and he plummeted into the rift.

This was the Rift of Suffering’s true fighting style; they used the rift to trap their opponent. The nine rifts forcibly devoured all that fell in them, and even peak Dukkhans would struggle to escape. The universe itself would be transformed into a rift that devoured all powers.

Heartrift came from the Mindscape Megaverse, and the more elevated one’s state of mind was, the stronger the cultivation art would be and the deeper the cultivator’s rift.

When the Nine Odysseys Megaverse had fought against the Mindscape Megaverse, more than one expert had been devoured by the rift. Legends claimed that even one of the Immortal Greater Sancti had nearly been devoured.

That was something that only those who had achieved a high spiritual state with Heartrift could accomplish.

While there were limits to human strength, the spiritual state heart was infinite.

The higher one’s spiritual state became, the deeper the rift that they could open.

Ku Ji and Ku Cheng were not at all on the same level. This was not nearly as simple as Ku Ji having mastered an additional rift.

It was a transformation of one’s mental state.

This was no different than the gap between the Spirit Nidus’s Seven Seraphs and the High Seraph.

Lu Yin looked around as he sank into the rift, constantly being devoured. He could feel his consciousness, manifested thought, and physical strength—everything—being consumed. In Lu Yin’s eyes, the only thing that existed, aside from the rift itself, was Ku Ji.

Ku Ji appeared to have grown countless times larger than before. He replaced the sky, and he even seemed to replace the universe.

It was impossible for Lu Yin to escape from Ku Ji’s grasp.

The man blotted out the sky and sun.

There was darkness, but Ku Ji radiated a dazzling light, illuminating everything with a boundless majesty.

Lu Yin was experiencing the true terror of Heartrift. Illusions were false and could only frighten those who saw them, but Heartrift was real. It allowed one to accomplish anything they could imagine.

However, illusions had no limitations in what they could reproduce, while Heartrift needed to match the user’s mental state.

Lu Yin sighed in admiration. “The Rift of Suffering’s Heartrift is truly terrifying; there are infinite possibilities.”

This comment caused Ku Ji’s expression to immediately change. How can he still speak so easily? That should not be possible! His voice should have been devoured by the rift, along with everything else. This man...?

Lu Yin looked up at Ku Ji. “Senior, I’m going to step out now.”

With that, Ku Ji watched in utter disbelief as Lu Yin took a single step forward. That step revealed the ground, a blue sky overhead with white clouds, and a breeze blowing through. The darkness that had covered the North Domain all returned to the rift that lay behind Lu Yin. The reality was that only a limited area had been covered, and Lu Yin stepped out of that region as easily as taking a single step.

But that one step was something unbelievable to Ku Ji.

In fact, all of the Rift of Suffering’s cultivators who saw what had happened could not believe their eyes.

Since when was it so easy to step out of their rifts?

Just one step, and Lu Yin was free? As simple as that?

Lu Yin turned back around to smile at Ku Ji.

The man stared at Lu Yin in a daze, and then he revealed a bitter smile as his rift dissipated. He slowly descended until he was standing in front of Lu Yin. “Mr. Lu, your strength is invincible, and your state of mind has reached perfection. I am in awe.”

Lu Yin shook his head. “It’s far too soon to mention perfection. If my state of mind had really reached perfection, I would not have merely stepped out of your rift, but into the Immortal realm.”

Ku Ji chuckled ruefully. “You escaped with just one step. My rift posed absolutely no obstacle to you. You have truly taught my Rift of Suffering a lesson.”

Lu Yin admiringly said, “The Rift of Suffering’s Heartrift has infinite possibilities. While I left it in a single step, it’s an obstacle that would stump ninety-nine percent of all cultivators in the cosmos. Of the remaining one percent, ninety-nine percent of them would have to rely on luck or sheer grit. There are far too few in all of humanity who are able to take that one step.”

Ku Ji replied, “There’s no need for you to console us. The hearts of us who are part of the Rift of Suffering are not so fragile. Of course we understand what you are saying—it’s just that you have amazed us beyond anything we could have imagined. That’s all.”

Ku Cheng walked over, still staring at Lu Yin in disbelief. “Mr. Lu, is it possible that you have already entered the Immortal realm?”

“Ku Cheng, do you believe that only an Immortal can take that step? You are overestimating our Rift of Suffering and underestimating Mr. Lu,” Ku Ji rebuked.

Ku Cheng hurried to apologize, but Lu Yin just smiled. “The Rift of Suffering’s Heartrift is truly impressive. Senior Ku Ji, I’ve heard that your sect doesn’t restrict anyone from learning it. Is that true?”

Ku Ji replied, “Of course it’s true. Do you wish to learn the Heartrift technique, Mr. Lu?”

Lu Yin nodded. “Yes.”

“In that case, you will need to wait for some time. Our Heartrift cannot be learned here.”

“In the Mindscape Megaverse?” Lu Yin asked.

Ku Ji nodded. “Only after seeing the main universe of the Mindscape Megaverse can one learn Heartrift. It’s a method that can augment many kinds of power, and it is only natural that you wish to learn it. Unfortunately, very few have truly succeeded in mastering the technique over the ages.

“Even seeing the main universe of the Mindscape Megaverse can only give a person an opportunity to learn the technique.

“Once every 100 years, the Rift of Suffering uses the Ninth Night Pillar to send a group of people to the Mindscape Megaverse, and other experts often accompany our disciples. If you wish to learn the technique, we’ll contact you before the next expedition.”

Lu Yin had not expected that he would have to wait multiple decades for an opportunity, though the years would pass quickly enough. “In that case, thank you, Senior Ku Ji.”

He was very eager to learn Heartrift, but throughout the countless years, only a handful of people from the Nine Odysseys Megaverse had ever succeeded; this meant that a number of exceptional geniuses had failed in their attempts. Lu Yin was not arrogant enough to believe that his talent surpassed all of those people, and it seemed unlikely that he would be able to succeed in mastering the technique if he tried to take an alternate path, which meant that his only option was to follow the Rift of Suffering’s method.

Besides, Ku Deng was still in the Mindscape Megaverse.

Ku Deng was the Rift of Suffering’s top expert, as well as the sect master. Lu Yin was very curious about the man’s strength.

Despite not being able to learn Heartrift just yet, Lu Yin was still in the Rift of Suffering. Heartrift was a method to cultivate Heartrift power, but there were many options when it came to refining the heart. For example, Ku Cheng incessantly climbed the Mother Tree, which was the method that most of the Rift of Suffering’s disciples used.

There were others who would actually create tribulations and struggles for themselves.

There were even some who, like what Lu Yin had done in the past, wandered the mortal world to observe all the aspects of human life.

The methods of cultivating one’s state of mind could vary greatly.

Lu Yin also needed to refine his state of mind, and he shared with Ku Cheng and a group of cultivators from the Rift of Suffering what he had previously done in performing divination on characters that mortals wrote. Many eyes lit up when they heard Lu Yin’s tale, and they said that they wanted to try it for themselves.

Mortal cities were the best places for people to train their state of mind. Ordinary humans only lived for a hundred years, but during those years, they would experience birth, aging, sickness, and death. There were even some ordinary humans whose states of mind had surpassed those of cultivators. This was not something that mere longevity could compensate for.

Once one experienced a breakthrough in their state of mind, there would be a qualitative transformation.

“What? You’re in the Rift of Suffering? You didn’t go to Skyveil City to meet with Second Sister?” Lu Siyu exclaimed.

Lu Yin replied, “I was on my way there, but there was an unexpected encounter during the journey. Since I happened to run into someone from the Rift of Suffering, I stayed with them.”

“Then what about Second Sister?”

“Is your second sister in a hurry?”

“Not exactly... but Second Sister has given many other people the same task that she gave you, and if anyone else completes her task, they can marry her. If someone succeeds before you, you’ll fail. You understand the consequences for that, don’t you?” Lu Siyu reminded him.

Lu Yin chuckled. “Are you worried for me?”

Lu Siyu bared her teeth. “No! But even if you fail, it has to be at the very last task. It would be most beneficial to us if you can complete six of our tasks.”

Lu Yin said, “Everything follows fate. Greater Sancte Green Lotus values fate, and so do I. How can you be sure that, even while I’m rushing to Skyveil City, someone else won’t complete your second sister’s task? Or that she won’t take a fancy to some talented young man who will be able to complete her task just by picking a flower?”

“Second Sister isn’t that shallow!”

“She’ll still marry someday.”

“What? You can’t handle that thought? You haven’t even met Second Sister, and yet you already can’t handle it? How petty!” She paused. “Hmph! In that case, when will you go to Skyveil City?”

Lu Yin glanced towards the Mother Tree. “I’m not in any rush. It’s possible that I’ll gain something here.”

With that, he ended the call.

In the East Domain, Lu Siyu was dazed from the conversation. After taking a moment to process things, she called her second sister.

“Second Sister, do you plan on going out anytime soon?”

“What do you mean?”

“Will you leave Skyveil City?”

“Aren’t I supposed to be waiting for Lu Yin?”

“Well, he ran into a little mishap, so he’s a bit delayed.”

“That’s fine. I can wait.”

“Thank you, Second Sister.”

“Hmmm? Seventh Sister, why are you thanking me?”

Lu Siyu froze, and then she quickly ended the call. Right, what does this have to do with me? There’s no reason for me to thank her.

The young woman’s face flushed bright red as she quickly put her communication device away.

In the North Domain, Lu Yin followed Ku Cheng to the Mother Tree.

“Can climbing the Mother Tree actually improve one’s mental state?”

Ku Cheng replied, “For ordinary people, even two neighboring cities can be unimaginably distant from each other. When they learn about the distance, deciding whether they will even start the journey or not becomes their greatest challenge.

“This serves as a transformation of their state of mind. Some might spend ten, or even a hundred years, walking down a road with no end in sight. For us, climbing the Mother Tree with the body of an ordinary human, regardless of if it takes a hundred, a thousand, or 10,000 years, we believe that we will one day reach the top. That is the transformation of our mental state.”

Lu Yin understood. Some people will forever remain within their little circle, never stepping out of their comfort zone. Others will instead travel the world and face danger. Naturally, these two people would have vastly different mental states.

“But how can we climb the Mother Tree with the bodies of ordinary humans?” Lu Yin asked in confusion.

Ku Cheng explained, “With Heartrift power. Heartrift power can empower any ability, but it can seal any as well.”

It was not long before the two men arrived at the bottom of the Mother Tree.

This was the first time that Lu Yin had been so close to the Nine Odysseys Megaverse’s Mother Tree.

The trunk stretched out endlessly, far beyond what his eyes could see.

He reached out a hand and laid it against the trunk. He was struck by an indescribable feeling that welled up from his heart. It felt so familiar, so... warm.

The warmth reminded him of the Mother Tree in the Perennial World.

That Mother Tree had protected humanity from Aeternus, serving as a shield for the Fifth Mainland in the Origin Universe. It had always protected mankind.

In both the Tianyuan Megaverse and the Nine Odysseys Megaverse, the tree was known as the Mother Tree.

The word “mother” carried a special meaning; it was a word that prompted feelings of reliance, trust, protection, birth, and more.

Lu Yin also thought of Sapling.

The Perennial World’s Mother Tree had stellular liquid flowing through it, and if Lu Yin’s guess was correct, then the predominant energy that the Nine Odysseys Megaverse cultivated flowed through their own Mother Tree: liquified spirit seeds.

Seeing Lu Yin staring blankly at the Mother Tree, Ku Cheng’s expression changed yet again. Whereas before he had shown respect, reverence, and admiration, there was now also a hint of kinship that suddenly appeared.

All of the people of the Rift of Suffering felt close to the Mother Tree.

There were many in the Nine Odysseys Megaverse who regarded the Mother Tree as nothing more than a plant. It was a common aspect of their lives, but that meant that they had never pondered the tree’s true meaning. However, the people of the Rift of Suffering were different. Many of them spent years climbing the Mother Tree, and they obtained a far greater understanding of it than almost anyone else. In the day, they would caress its trunk, and when they were tired, sleep upon its branches. To them, the Mother Tree not only aided their cultivation, but it was also something that they instinctively relied on.

That was why the people of the Rift of Suffering would always protect the Mother Tree.

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