"The Dao of External Elixirs..."
On the Ninth Stage of the Stone Pagoda, Li Yu watched the final illusion before him continually shatter, his face full of helplessness.
The illusion on the Ninth Stage was the path of seeking the Dao.
Li Yu became a scholar in a mortal kingdom, searching for his own path and the value of his life.
Rather than directly breaking this illusion of exploring and seeking the Dao, Li Yu voluntarily immersed himself in it.
He sealed his memories and truly became the scholar within the illusion.
He studied, took the imperial examinations, became an official. His life was ordinary, but peaceful.
Then foreign enemies invaded, and internal rebellion arose. War raged across the land, and the people suffered bitterly.
How could he survive in this chaotic age? How could he save himself? How could he save this storm-tossed kingdom?
The scholar tried countless methods. He abandoned his brush for the sword, suppressed rebels, and guarded the borders, only to be suspected by the emperor and framed by treacherous ministers.
He resolutely raised the banner of rebellion and prepared to remake the world. Yet as his forces grew, the followers around him became increasingly greedy and corrupt. During one great battle, he was betrayed by his own people and trapped in an encirclement.
After fighting his way out, he decisively defected to the foreign enemy, becoming a general of another nation and leading its armies across the world. But as his power grew ever greater, he once again returned to the same point—suspected by the emperor and framed by treacherous ministers.
Everything was futile.
He exhausted every possible method and made countless attempts, even changing sides several times. Yet he still could not pacify this chaotic age or restore peace to the world.
"I can't