Storms atop the Cliff

Taiyi stood atop the cliff, cradling the Sea-Calming Pearl in his hand as chaotic winds whipped his sleeves with a howl. The pearl gave off a soothing chill in his palm, and the water-element spiritual essence within it seemed alive, pulsing wave after wave. Good stuff. Truly good stuff.

But good stuff could burn the hand.

His expression remained unchanged as he slipped the pearl into his sleeve, the movement as natural as brushing away dust. Yet his mind was clear as a mirror—this thing might look unremarkable, but the karma tied to it was vast. Twenty-four pearls, twenty-four threads, woven into a great net. What he held now was one end of one of those threads.

Don't be greedy. Don't rush. Taiyi silently repeated to himself. Yet under the cover of the chaotic wind, he quietly activated Causality Vision.

The moment he looked, the scene atop the cliff changed completely.

The spiritual treasures that had yet to be claimed still floated within their glowing spheres. But in Taiyi's "eyes," every treasure was tugged by densely packed Karma Threads—some as thick as hemp rope, one end connected to the treasure while the other stretched into the void, leading to some unknown mighty expert; some as fine as spider silk, trembling precariously as though they might snap at any moment; others tangled together in dead knots, as chaotic as a ball of knotted thread.

Taiyi's eyes slowly moved, taking in each thread and committing them to memory.

Thirty paces to his left floated a short ruler of green jade. Its body shimmered with treasure light, clearly a respectable Xiantian Spirit Treasure. Yet Taiyi saw seven or eight Karma Threads stretching from it, the thickest one leading directly toward the Three Pure Ones. There was no need to say more. This ruler was fated to the Mystical Sect and would likely end up in someone's hands someday. Touching it now meant competing with the Three Pure Ones for treasure. That was simply courting death.

Fifty paces to his right, a fire-bronze ring was wrapped in a mass of scarlet flames. Flames flowed across the ring, and its might was considerable. But its Karma Threads were even more alarming—three thick lines respectively connected to Di Jun, Nuwa, and, faintly, the Undying Volcano in the south. None of those three parties were easy to provoke.

Taiyi sneered inwardly. That old Daoist Hongjun kept saying, "Those with affinity may claim them," but in truth, he had already arranged the ownership of every spiritual treasure perfectly. The treasures left unclaimed atop the cliff were either too heavily burdened by karma for anyone to dare touch them, or involved too many parties and had become scalding burdens.

His gaze continued to sweep across the area.

The mighty experts atop the cliff had also calmed down somewhat. They were no longer rushing about like starving beasts fighting over food. Those who had suffered losses had learned their lessons; those who had obtained treasures were busy examining and comprehending them. Chaotic currents surged around them, causing the treasure lights to flicker between brightness and darkness.

Taiyi's gaze traveled through the shifting lights and shadows as Causality Vision operated at its limit.

Suddenly, at the very edge of the cliff, near the surging chaotic currents, he spotted an object that gave off almost no light at all.

It was inconspicuous. Truly inconspicuous—about the size of a fist, gray and dull, like a charred lump of wood, simply floating there in silence. Had Causality Vision not been active, Taiyi would never have noticed it.

Yet it was this "lump of wood" that caused Taiyi to narrow his eyes slightly.

Under Causality Vision, only one Karma Thread was connected to it—thin, faint, almost transparent. And rather than extending outward, this thread curled inward. The other end was indistinct, pointing toward... the object itself?

Strange.

Taiyi pondered inwardly. Karma Threads always connected two ends—they linked people, objects, or events. How could something connect to itself? Unless...

He recalled the fragmented information he had gained while refining the Karma Reversal fragment. Certain things, due to their exceptionally unusual nature or the extreme secrecy of the karma involved, could form a "closed loop" within the workings of the Heavenly Dao. Such closed-loop karma often meant that the object was either a great trouble or... a great opportunity.

Taiyi quietly shifted a few steps in that direction.

Once closer, he could see more clearly. It truly did resemble charred wood, its surface pitted and uneven, with several cracks running across it. Yet upon closer inspection, extremely faint streams of dark red light could be seen moving within the wood, as though something had been sealed inside.

He fixed Causality Vision firmly on the charred wood, attempting to analyze that self-connected Karma Thread.

The moment he did, Taiyi's heart lurched.

That seemingly frail Karma Thread revealed an incredibly strange structure in the depths of his vision—it was not a straight line, but a "loop" that continually entwined with and devoured itself. At every point along the loop, karma was simultaneously being created and annihilated, forming an eerie balance.

More importantly, Taiyi sensed from that karmic loop an incredibly faint yet remarkably familiar aura.

Tribulation and destiny.

It shared the same origin as the Qi of Tribulation and Destiny nurtured deep within his Primordial Spirit, but it was more obscure, more... ancient.

Could this thing be "tribulation ash" left behind by some past great tribulation? Or perhaps some strange treasure formed after being tainted by tribulation and destiny during a great calamity, then scoured by chaos?

Thoughts raced through Taiyi's mind.

If it was truly related to tribulation and destiny, then its strange Karma Thread made sense—tribulation and destiny itself disrupted and destroyed the normal order of karma. An object steeped in it for a long time developing such a self-contained karmic structure was entirely reasonable.

And... this object had so little karmic involvement that it was almost negligible. What did that mean?

It meant that it was most likely not on Hongjun's "treasure distribution list."

It meant that it was an "accident," an "unpredictable variable."

It meant—taking it would not immediately bring him any great trouble.

Taiyi took a deep breath. His face still bore that indifferent expression. He even turned slightly to the side, pretending to observe another spiritual treasure in the distance. Yet his divine sense had already silently reached toward the charred wood.

The instant his divine sense touched the surface of the charred wood—

"Buzz."

It was not a sound, but a tremor that struck directly at the level of the Primordial Spirit.

The dark red light within the charred wood suddenly surged like a venomous snake that had been awakened. Immediately afterward, an icy, chaotic aura filled with destructive intent rolled back along his divine sense!

Alarm bells rang in Taiyi's mind, and he nearly severed his divine sense at once. But in that flash of lightning, the strand of Qi of Tribulation and Destiny deep within his Primordial Spirit suddenly moved on its own.

That gray, hazy aura drifted out from the depths of his Primordial Spirit and traveled along his divine sense to meet it.

The two auras, sharing the same origin yet differing in nature, met halfway—there was no collision, no resistance. Instead, they merged together as naturally as water and milk.

After coming into contact with Taiyi's Qi of Tribulation and Destiny, the violent aura within the charred wood gradually calmed. The dark red light no longer darted about wildly, instead circulating slowly and giving off a... tamed feeling.

It worked.

Taiyi inwardly let out a breath of relief, but he did not dare reveal the slightest trace of it on his face. He quietly withdrew his divine sense, bringing back the Qi of Tribulation and Destiny that had already fused with the charred wood's aura, along with the charred wood itself.

The entire process took less than three breaths.

The chaotic wind continued to howl. The other mighty experts atop the cliff were either comprehending their newly acquired spiritual treasures or searching for their next opportunities. No one noticed the small disturbance in this corner.

Taiyi's sleeve shifted slightly, and the charred wood had already fallen into it.

The instant the charred wood entered his sleeve—

That familiar, cold palpitation came again from the depths of his sea of consciousness.

It was neither a sound nor words, but a direct "perception." It was like suddenly understanding something, grasping a principle— the Qi of Tribulation and Destiny nurtured deep within his Primordial Spirit had increased.

Though the increase was merely a trace too faint to notice, the rise in its "quantity" was real. It was like dripping one drop of fresh water into a pool. The pool was still the same pool, yet you knew something had truly been added to it.

At the same time, fragmented pieces of information regarding methods of utilizing tribulation and destiny poured into his consciousness.

Tribulation and destiny could attach to karma and disrupt one's fate; at critical moments, it could briefly strengthen one's ability to interfere with karma; it could be used to obscure heavenly secrets and conceal one's existence...

But the price was equally clear—use it too much, and one would inevitably suffer backlash. The backlash of tribulation and destiny could lead to declining fortune at best, or direct involvement in a great tribulation at worst, ending in death and annihilation.

As expected, it's a double-edged sword... Taiyi muttered inwardly.

Still, having it was better than not having it. Especially in the Great Wilderness, one more trump card meant one more chance to survive.

More importantly, through this acquisition, Taiyi's understanding of "karma" had deepened another layer.

Hongjun's distribution of treasures appeared fair, but in truth, the karmic ownership of every spiritual treasure had long been predetermined. Those with thick, conspicuous Karma Threads already had owners; touching them meant inviting trouble. Those with faint, strange threads, on the other hand, might be "fish that had slipped through the net."

Like this charred wood—because its tribulation-and-destiny nature had caused its karma to form a closed loop, it had become almost "invisible" within the order of the Heavenly Dao. That was why he had managed to pick up this bargain.

It seems that when searching for things in the future, I can't just judge by the strength of their treasure light. I need to see whether their Karma Threads are clean... Taiyi committed this lesson to memory.

He raised his head and swept his gaze across the cliff once more.

Causality Vision remained active, and those densely packed Karma Threads were visible in every detail. But this time, Taiyi viewed those threads from a different perspective.

Previously, he had only wanted to avoid the thick threads. Now, however, he consciously began searching for "abnormal" threads—those that formed self-contained loops, those that reconnected after breaking, those tangled into clusters with one end hanging free...

Such "abnormal" karmic structures often meant that unusual opportunities, or... secrets unknown to others, lay hidden behind them.

As he observed, Taiyi's eyelid suddenly twitched.

At the center of the cliff, beside that golden sphere of light that burned most intensely, its treasure radiance seemingly about to pierce through chaos itself, he saw an exceptionally strange Karma Thread.

The thread was so thin it was nearly invisible, its color an eerie translucence. It extended from the golden sphere, yet it did not connect to any mighty expert. Instead... it plunged directly into Treasure Distribution Cliff beneath his feet?

Even stranger, after entering the cliff, the thread divided into dozens of finer branches, spreading through the cliff like tree roots before finally vanishing into the depths of chaos.

What is this... A powerful curiosity rose within Taiyi's heart.

The object within that golden sphere was clearly an extraordinary treasure—even from so far away, he could feel its majestic pressure. It was at least a top-grade Xiantian Spirit Treasure. But why would such an important treasure have a Karma Thread connected to Treasure Distribution Cliff itself? And why would that thread split into so many branches?

Could Treasure Distribution Cliff be more than merely a place to store spiritual treasures?

Could there be some deeper connection between these spiritual treasures and Treasure Distribution Cliff?

As Taiyi pondered this, he suddenly sensed several gazes sweeping over him.

His heart tightened. He immediately gathered his thoughts, returning to the appearance of someone who had gained some insight after hearing the Dao, and even nodded slightly as though deducing some profound principle of the Great Dao.

The owners of those gazes soon looked away—they were several mighty experts who were likewise searching for opportunities atop the cliff. They had merely glanced at Taiyi when they saw him standing still.

Taiyi knew clearly that the cliff was filled with too many people and too many watchful eyes. This was not the time to investigate further. He had already acquired the charred wood and increased his tribulation and destiny. Knowing when to stop was the proper course.

He gave that strange Karma Thread one last look, firmly memorizing its location and characteristics, then turned and made as though to depart in a streak of light.

But just then—

"Wait, Fellow Daoist Taiyi."

A gentle yet somewhat magnetic voice came from behind him.

Taiyi paused, his heart skipping a beat.

That voice... was it Zhen Yuanzi?

He slowly turned around, wearing an expression of perfectly measured surprise and courtesy. "So it is Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi. You called for me. What guidance do you have?"

Zhen Yuanzi stood not far away, clad in an apricot-yellow Daoist robe and holding a whisk, with a warm smile on his face. Hongyun stood beside him—the good-natured man's complexion had improved somewhat from before, but his eyes still held lingering confusion and unease.

"I would not dare speak of guidance." Zhen Yuanzi cupped his hands and smiled. "I merely saw Fellow Daoist observing the treasures here for quite some time, so you must have gained something. This humble Daoist wishes to ask presumptuously—have you seen... well, anything unusual?"

Something unusual?

Alarm bells rang once more in Taiyi's mind. Zhen Yuanzi had asked cleverly. He had not specified what he was looking for, yet the word "unusual" was worth pondering. Had he noticed something strange about the charred wood? Or was he searching for something else?

On the surface, Taiyi showed a thoughtful expression and said after a pause, "Something unusual... There are countless treasures on this cliff, each with its own mysteries. I wonder what exactly Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi refers to?"

His answer was flawless, tossing the question back at him.

Zhen Yuanzi smiled, but did not press the matter. Instead, he said, "Fellow Daoist is right. This humble Daoist was merely asking casually. In this distribution of treasures, each relies on fate. Whatever one receives is predetermined. But Fellow Daoist—" His tone shifted as his gaze seemingly casually swept over Taiyi's sleeve. "You appear to possess considerable insight into the Dao of karma?"

That question was rather direct.

Thoughts raced through Taiyi's mind, but he only gave a bitter smile. "Fellow Daoist flatters me. The Dao of karma is profound and unfathomable. This humble Daoist has merely gained a little insight after listening to the Dao Ancestor's teachings. How could I claim any real understanding? Rather, Fellow Daoist and Fellow Daoist Hongyun, this time..." He paused deliberately without finishing, but the meaning was obvious—you had obtained the Primordial Violet Qi, while he had gained nothing. What did the two of you intend to do next?

Those words struck Hongyun's sore spot. The good-natured man's face paled several shades, and his lips moved, yet no words came out.

Zhen Yuanzi sighed and patted Hongyun's shoulder before speaking to Taiyi. "To be honest, Fellow Daoist Hongyun obtaining the violet qi should have been a tremendous opportunity. But fortune is where misfortune lies hidden. This thing... sigh." He shook his head and said no more, but the worry on his face was unmistakable.

Taiyi understood perfectly well. Zhen Yuanzi had seen that Hongyun's situation was dangerous, but could not say it openly. He could only probe indirectly, seeing whether he could draw in a few more "allies."

But Taiyi was barely able to protect himself. How could he dare wade into such muddy waters?

He immediately cupped his hands and said, "If the two Fellow Daoists have no further business, this humble Daoist will take his leave. My elder brother is still waiting outside, so it would not be proper to remain long."

With that, without waiting for Zhen Yuanzi's reply, True Sun Fire surged around him. He transformed into a golden rainbow that tore through chaos and sped toward the outside of the cliff.

While flying away, Taiyi looked back once.

Atop the cliff, Zhen Yuanzi stood where he was, watching him depart. The smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a deep solemnity. Hongyun stood beside him, still wearing that lost and helpless expression.

Farther away, several figures hidden amid the chaotic currents were faintly drawing closer in the direction of Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi...

Taiyi withdrew his gaze and silently sighed inwardly.

Primordial Violet Qi, the opportunity to become a saint.

But for Hongyun, this opportunity was likely more of a death warrant.

He stopped thinking about it and accelerated his escape light. The Sea-Calming Pearl in his sleeve remained cool, while the charred wood lay quietly beside it, its dark red light flowing slowly within and faintly resonating with the Qi of Tribulation and Destiny deep inside his Primordial Spirit.

His journey to Treasure Distribution Cliff had, for now, come to an end.

The road ahead was still long.