8: Chapter 8 The End of Dharma and the Great Calamity

Two more days passed, and Xuanweizi was already able to walk.

Although the injury on his shoulder was still severe and the Devilish Qi curse had not been eradicated, a Saint's body was, after all, extraordinary. Even if it was just an Incarnation, its Foundation far surpassed that of worldly Cultivators. Lu Mingyuan saw with his own eyes the old Daoist standing before the gates of the ancient temple in the early morning, breathing in the rising purple qi from the east for a moment. His entire body then emitted a faint azure glow, and the Devilish Qi entrenched deep within his bones was suppressed by another thirty percent.

In the afternoon of that day, a fog suddenly rose in the mountains.

It was not an ordinary mountain fog, but a milky-white, dense haze that surged from all directions, enveloping the ancient temple. Within the fog, there were fine fluctuations of spiritual essence. Under the vision of the Eye of Clarity, Lu Mingyuan saw countless light-blue dots floating and swimming like fireflies, each dot containing pure Water-element Spiritual Qi.

“Earth Vein Tide,” Xuanweizi explained softly as he stood at the temple gate, gazing at the thick fog. “Around the time of every full moon, the Earth's Spiritual Veins will rise and fall like the tide. This place is where five veins converge; when the tide comes, the Spiritual Qi manifests as fog. For those who practice Water-element Cultivation Techniques, this is a rare Opportunity.”

Lu Mingyuan silently noted this down. Over the past few days, he had made it a habit to memorize the common knowledge of cultivation and the celestial phenomena that Xuanweizi mentioned in passing—the blank spaces of that ancient scroll of the classic of mountains and seas were already covered in dense annotations he had written with a charcoal pen.

“The fog is heavy today, it is not suitable for traveling.” Xuanweizi turned back and sat down by the fire. “It is just as well, there are some things I should tell you now.”

Lu Mingyuan's heart stirred, knowing that the key conversation was coming. He sat opposite the old Daoist with a solemn expression.

Xuanweizi did not speak immediately, but reached out and made a stroke in the Void Realm. Where his fingertip passed, faint golden light traces condensed into a simple Star Map, suspended between the two of them. The Star Map rotated slowly, with a total of three hundred and sixty-five main stars arranged according to the zhou heavens positions, but seven of those stars appeared exceptionally dim, their starlight flickering as if about to be extinguished.

“Do you know what a ‘Great Tribulation’ is?” Xuanweizi asked.

Lu Mingyuan thought for a moment and answered cautiously, “Junior has seen this term while reading ancient scrolls. The books say that heaven and earth have great calamities that recur in cycles, called Great Tribulations. Every Great Tribulation is a reshaping of the order of heaven and earth, and also a great disaster for all living beings.”

“Well said, but it is not enough.” Xuanweizi nodded. “The so-called Great Tribulation is actually a process of self-adjustment for the Great Desolation's Heavenly Dao. Heaven and earth have a lifespan, just as humans have birth, old age, sickness, and death. Since Pangu opened the heavens and created the earth, the Great Desolation has already experienced six great calamities.”

He pointed to the Star Map: “The first was the Heaven-Opening Great Tribulation. The Great God Pangu transformed his body into all things, laying the Foundation for the Great Desolation. This tribulation was the calamity of creation, and also the beginning of Karma.”

A cluster of Chaos-colored light lit up in the Star Map, then exploded, transforming into phantoms of mountains, rivers, the sun, the moon, and the stars.

“The second was the Ferocious Beast Great Tribulation. The resentment of the Chaos Demons remaining after the opening of the heavens transformed into Vicious Beasts, ravaging the land. This tribulation was settled by the Dao Ancestor Hongjun leading the Innate Gods and Demons, and only then did the Great Desolation begin to have order.”

Phantoms of various hideous giant beasts appeared on the Star Map, which were then suppressed by streaks of clear light and dissipated.

“The third was the Dragon-Phoenix Great Tribulation. The Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin races fought for supremacy, and in order to seize the Luck of heaven and earth, they nearly shattered the Great Desolation. This tribulation ended with the decline of the three races and the Dao Ancestor's first sermon at Zixiao Palace.”

The image changed to three giant dragons, two phoenixes, and three Qilins slaughtering each other in the sky, with the heavens collapsing and the earth rending.

“The fourth was the Witch-Demon Calamity. The Yao Race controlled the heavens, while the Witch Race controlled the earth. The two races launched a great war to compete for dominance over heaven and earth. During this tribulation, Mount Buzhou collapsed, the Heavenly River poured down, and Empress Nuwa refined stones to mend the heavens. Ultimately, both the Witch and Yao Races suffered heavy losses, and the Human Race rose.”

A giant standing between heaven and earth appeared on the Star Map, fighting a bloody battle against Yao Gods who controlled the stars, as a pillar supporting the heavens crashed down.

“The fifth was the Investiture of the Gods Calamity. Internal strife among the three sects of the Daoist Gate triggered the change of human Dynasties. This tribulation ended with the establishment of the investiture of the gods and the filling of the Heavenly Court's divine positions, and the Heavenly Court officially began to govern the Three Realms.”

The image changed to countless Cultivators slaughtering each other on the battlefield, with streaks of True Spirits flying into a golden scroll in the sky.

“The sixth was the Journey to the West Great Tribulation. Buddhism and Daoism competed, and Buddhist teachings were spread to the east. On the surface, this tribulation was the journey to obtain scriptures, but in reality, it was a game between the Buddhist Sect, the Daoist Gate, and the Heavenly Court to redistribute the Luck of the Three Realms.”

The images of a monkey, a pig, a monk, and a water demon flashed by, finally transforming into Buddhist light that filled the sky.

Lu Mingyuan's mind surged as he watched. These stories, which had only appeared fragmentarily in myths and legends, were now connected by Xuanweizi through the phantoms of the Star Map, forming a vast epic of the Great Desolation. And he, a mortal scholar, could actually sit here and listen to a Saint narrate history.

“Then the seventh...” He looked at those seven dim stars on the Star Map.

“The seventh is the approaching ‘Dharma-Ending Kalpa’.” Xuanweizi's voice lowered. “This tribulation is different from the previous six. No matter how tragic the process of the previous six tribulations was, they were all adjustments of the internal order of the Great Desolation and part of the operation of the Heavenly Dao. But the Dharma-Ending Kalpa...”

He paused, saying word by word: “It is that the Heavenly Dao itself has developed a problem.”

The Star Map suddenly vibrated violently, and those seven dim stars began to flicker uncertainly. Every time they flashed, fine black cracks appeared on the surface of the stars.

“Since the Journey to the West Great Tribulation, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi has been depleting at an extremely slow rate. At first, no one noticed, as every Great Tribulation consumes Spiritual Qi, which then slowly recovers. But this time, the recovery speed cannot keep up with the depletion speed.” Xuanweizi pointed to the Star Map. “What is more serious is that about three thousand years ago, cracks began to appear in the ‘Heavenly Dimension Barrier’ on the periphery of the Great Desolation.”

At the edge of the Star Map, a dark red rift appeared.

“Heavenly Dimension Barrier?” Lu Mingyuan was puzzled.

“You can understand it as a protective shell that envelops the entire world of the Great Desolation.” Xuanweizi explained. “After Pangu opened the heavens, the clear and turbid separated; the clear Qi rose to become the heavens, and the turbid Qi sank to become the earth. And beyond heaven and earth, there is the endless Chaos. The Heavenly Dimension Barrier is the barrier that isolates the Chaos and protects the Great Desolation. It is maintained by Pangu's will, the Laws of the Heavenly Dao, and the Power Of Will of all living beings, and it should have been eternally unbreakable.”

He changed the subject: “But three thousand years ago, the first crack appeared in the barrier. Although it was extremely small and soon healed itself, it was a dangerous signal. Since then, the frequency of cracks appearing has become higher and higher, and the scale has become larger and larger. And every time a rift appears, Chaos energy will seep into the Great Desolation—that blood-light in the Northwest you saw is the sign of the latest rift.”

Lu Mingyuan recalled that dark red rift, as thick as blood, and felt a chill in his heart.

“The entry of Chaos energy into the Great Desolation brings two consequences,” Xuanweizi continued. “First, it pollutes the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. After Cultivators absorb polluted Spiritual Qi, they easily suffer from Qi Deviation. Over time, it becomes difficult for there to be a truly pure place of cultivation in the world. Second, it awakens and spawns those ancient evil things that were already dormant—the descendant of the demon god who wounded me was awakened by the Chaos energy.”

He looked at the wound on his shoulder: “This kind of Devilish Qi is mixed with Chaos characteristics and is extremely difficult to clear. Even with the power of a Saint, it requires a significant amount of time and Karma to resolve.”

Lu Mingyuan remained silent for a long time, digesting this information. The Dharma Ending Age, Heavenly Dimension rifts, Chaos invasion... these concepts far exceeded his previous imagination. He had originally thought that Great Tribulations were just struggles between great powers, but he had not expected that this time it was a crisis of survival for the entire world.

“Daoist Master,” he looked up, “since there is a problem with the Heavenly Dimension Barrier, can it be repaired?”

“Naturally it can, but it is extremely difficult.” Xuanweizi smiled bitterly. “Repairing the Heavenly Dimension requires three things: the Origin magical power of a Primordial Saint, the Heaven-Opening Karma of Pangu's legacy, and... a complete ‘the one that escaped’ as a catalyst.”

“the one that escaped?” Lu Mingyuan remembered Xuanweizi mentioning this term before.

“The Great Desolation's Heavenly Dao originally had fifty Innate Great Daos, but only forty-nine were manifested. The remaining one escaped, leaving a sliver of life for all living beings.” Xuanweizi gave him a deep look. “And this one now happens to be manifested upon you.”

Lu Mingyuan's whole body shook.

“There is no need to panic.” Xuanweizi waved his hand. “You are not that Dao itself, but the person chosen by it. That is why Bai Ze called you ‘the one chosen by the one that escaped,’ why you were able to achieve the Awakening of the Eye of Clarity, have the ancient scroll recognize you as its master, and happen to save this old Daoist at the predicted time and place... all of this is Karma.”

He stood up, walked to the temple gate, and looked into the depths of the thick fog: “The Dharma-Ending Kalpa is approaching, and the Great Desolation may face its true end. And the only variable is this ‘the one that escaped’—which is you, Lu Mingyuan.”

Lu Mingyuan stood up as well, feeling as if a thousand-pound weight had been placed on his shoulders. He opened his mouth, but did not know what to say.

“Of course, that is a long time from now.” Xuanweizi turned around, his tone returning to being calm. “You are currently only at the Qi Refinement Stage; it is too early to talk about these things. But knowing in advance is better than being ignorant.”

He walked back to the fire and sat down again: “I am telling you these things today because I hope you understand three things.”

“Please instruct me, Daoist Master.”

“First, the path of cultivation is no longer just your personal matter from now on. You carry the Opportunity of the one that escaped; your growth speed and choice of path will all affect the direction of the Great Tribulation. Therefore, you must become stronger as quickly as possible.”

“Second, in the Dharma Ending Age, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is depleting, and the difficulty of cultivation will become greater and greater. You must cherish every Opportunity and build every bit of your Foundation well, because you do not have a chance to start over.”

“Third, and most importantly—” Xuanweizi looked directly into Lu Mingyuan's eyes, “no matter how difficult the future is, do not forget your original Heart-Nature. The reason the one that escaped chose you was not because of your talent, but because of your Heart-Nature. Maintain that kindness, that thirst for knowledge, and that persistence in not giving up even in desperate situations. These are your true strengths.”

Lu Mingyuan took a deep breath and bowed solemnly: “Junior... will keep this in mind.”

Xuanweizi nodded and said no more.

The ancient temple became quiet, with only the sound of the fire burning. The thick fog still enveloped the mountains and fields, and those light-blue spiritual lights floated and swam in the fog, like a dream.

Lu Mingyuan looked out of the temple, his heart surging with waves.

The Heavenly Dao cycles, and prosperity and decline are destined.

And he had actually become the variable in this cycle, the key in this prosperity and decline.

This path was a thousandfold heavier than he had imagined.