Storm on the Cliff

Chapter 49: Winds and Clouds on the Cliff

Taiyi stood at the cliff's peak, holding the Sea-Calming Pearl. The chaotic winds rustled his robes with a whooshing sound. The pearl in his palm felt cool and refreshing, its water-elemental spiritual essence within seeming alive, pulsing gently. A good item, truly a good item.

But good items could also be hot potatoes.

He remained outwardly unfazed, tucking the pearl into his sleeve with a motion as casual as dusting off his clothes. Inside, however, he was crystal clear: this unassuming item was connected to a vast sea of karma. Twenty-four pearls, twenty-four threads, woven into a great net. He now held the end of one of those threads.

"Don't be greedy, don't be hasty," Taiyi chanted silently to himself. Yet, under the cover of the chaotic winds, his eyes silently expanded his Causality Vision.

As he looked, the scene on the cliff top instantly transformed.

The Spiritual Treasures not yet claimed by others still floated within their light orbs. But in Taiyi's "eyes," each Spiritual Treasure was connected by dense Karma Threads—some as thick as ropes, one end attached to the treasure, the other extending into the void, leading to some unknown powerful being; some as thin as spider silk, trembling precariously, looking fragile; others were tangled together, tied in knots, as messy as a ball of yarn.

Taiyi's eyeballs slowly rolled, taking in each thread, committing them to memory.

Thirty paces to his left, a short, green jade ruler floated. Its body shimmered with treasure light, appearing to be a decent Xiantian Spirit Treasure. But Taiyi saw seven or eight Karma Threads extending from it, the thickest one leading directly towards the Three Pure Ones—no doubt, this ruler was fated to be connected to the Xuanmen, and might one day fall into someone's hands. To touch it now would be to snatch something from the Three Pure Ones, an act of suicidal folly.

Fifty paces to his right, a ball of crimson fire encased a ring of fire bronze. Flames swirled around the ring, exuding considerable power. But the Karma Threads were even more terrifying—three thick threads led separately to Di Jun, Nuwa, and another vaguely pointed towards the Southern Volcano of Immortality. None of these three parties were easy to trifle with.

Taiyi sneered inwardly. Hongjun, that old Daoist, spoke of "those fated to take it may do so," but in reality, he had already arranged the ownership of each Spiritual Treasure with meticulous clarity. Those still unclaimed on the cliff top were either too burdened by karma for anyone to dare touch, or too entangled to be anything but a hot potato.

His gaze continued to sweep across the area.

The powerful beings on the cliff top had also quieted down somewhat, no longer rushing about like they were fighting over scraps as they had at the beginning. Those who had suffered losses had learned their lesson; those who had obtained treasures were now contemplating and comprehending them. Chaotic air currents surged around, making the treasure lights flicker.

Taiyi's gaze darted between the light projections, his Causality Vision operating at its peak.

Suddenly, at the very edge of the cliff, near where the chaotic air currents surged, he spotted an object that emitted almost no light.

It was unremarkable, truly unremarkable—fist-sized, dull gray, like a burnt piece of wood, simply floating there quietly. If not for his Causality Vision, Taiyi wouldn't have noticed it at all.

Yet, it was this "burnt wood lump" that made Taiyi's eyes narrow slightly.

In his Causality Vision, this object was connected by only one Karma Thread—thin, faint, almost transparent. Moreover, this thread wasn't extending outward, but retracting inward, its other end blurry, pointing towards... itself?

Strange.

Taiyi pondered. Karma Threads always connected two ends—either to people, objects, or events. How could one connect to itself? Unless...

He recalled the fragmented information obtained from refining fragments of Karma Reversal. Some things, due to their extremely special characteristics or the hidden karma they involved, would form "closed loops" within the Heavenly Dao's operations. Such closed-loop karma often signified that the item was either a great trouble or a... great opportunity.

Taiyi subtly shifted a few steps in that direction.

As he got closer, he could see more clearly. It did indeed resemble burnt wood, its surface pitted and cracked. But upon closer inspection, extremely faint dark red flowing light pulsed within the burnt wood, as if something was sealed inside.

He stared intently at the burnt wood with his Causality Vision, trying to decipher the "self-connecting" Karma Thread.

As he deciphered it, Taiyi's heart leaped.

The seemingly thin Karma Thread, in the depths of his vision, revealed an extremely peculiar structure—it wasn't a straight line, but a constantly self-entangling, self-devouring "loop." Every part of the loop was simultaneously undergoing the "generation" and "annihilation" of karma, forming a bizarre balance.

More importantly, Taiyi sensed a trace of an extremely faint, yet exceptionally familiar "aura" from this karma loop.

Tribulation.

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

Could this be the "tribulation ash" left over from some Calamity? Or perhaps a strange treasure formed from being tainted by tribulation and then scoured by chaos during a great catastrophe?

Taiyi's mind raced.

If it was indeed related to the Qi of Tribulation and Destiny, then its peculiar Karma Thread structure made sense—tribulation itself was a disruption and destruction of normal karmic order. An item long steeped in tribulation forming such a self-closing karmic structure was quite reasonable.

And... its karmic entanglement was so minimal, almost negligible. What did this mean?

It meant it was likely not on Hongjun's "Treasure Distribution List."

It meant it was an "accident," a "variable."

It meant—taking it wouldn't immediately invite major trouble.

Taiyi took a deep breath, maintaining his calm expression. He even subtly turned his body, pretending to observe another Spiritual Treasure in the distance. But his divine sense had already silently probed towards the burnt wood.

The moment his divine sense touched the surface of the burnt wood—

"Buzz."

Not a sound, but a vibration directly at the Primordial Spirit level.

The dark red flowing light within the burnt wood surged violently, like a startled venomous snake. Immediately after, a cold, chaotic aura carrying a sense of destruction surged back along his divine sense!

Taiyi's internal alarm bells blared, and he almost severed his divine sense. But in that flash of lightning, the wisp of Qi of Tribulation and Destiny deep within his Primordial Spirit suddenly moved on its own.

That wisp of grayish aura drifted out from the depths of his Primordial Spirit, meeting the incoming energy along his divine sense.

The two auras, of the same origin but different natures, met midway—no collision, no confrontation, but instead, they merged silently, like water and milk.

The violent aura within the burnt wood gradually calmed down upon contact with Taiyi's Qi of Tribulation and Destiny. The dark red flowing light stopped surging and began to flow slowly, revealing a hint of... tameness.

Success.

Taiyi breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, but dared not show any outward sign. He subtly withdrew his divine sense, bringing back the Qi of Tribulation and Destiny, which had now merged with the aura of the burnt wood, along with the burnt wood itself.

The entire process took less than three breaths.

The chaotic winds still howled. The other powerful beings on the cliff top were either contemplating their newly acquired Spiritual Treasures or searching for the next opportunity. No one noticed the small disturbance that had occurred in this corner.

With a slight movement of Taiyi's sleeve, the burnt wood landed within his sleeve.

The moment the scorched wood entered his sleeve—

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, that familiar, icy tremor returned.

It wasn't a sound, nor text, but a direct "perception." It was as if he suddenly understood something, grasped a principle—the Qi of Tribulation and Destiny nurtured in the depths of his Primordial Spirit had increased.

Though the growth was imperceptible, the increase in "quantity" was real. It was like adding a drop of new water to a pond; the pond remained the same, yet you knew it contained a little more.

Simultaneously, fragmented information regarding methods of using the Qi of Tribulation and Destiny flooded his consciousness.

The Qi of Tribulation and Destiny could attach to karma, disrupting fate; it could briefly enhance one's ability to interfere with karma at critical moments; it could be used to obscure Heavenly Secrets and conceal one's existence...

But the price was equally clear—overuse would inevitably lead to backlash. Karma backlash, at best, caused one's fortune to decline; at worst, it directly plunged one into a Calamity, leading to death and the destruction of one's Dao.

"Indeed, a double-edged sword..." Taiyi murmured inwardly.

Still, having it was better than not. Especially in this Great Wilderness, having an extra trump card meant an extra chance to survive.

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

Hongjun's distribution of treasures, while seemingly fair, actually had preordained karmic affiliations for each Spiritual Treasure. Those with thick, prominent karma threads were already "spoken for"; touching them would invite trouble. Conversely, those with weak, peculiar karma threads might actually be "escaped fish."

Like this piece of scorched wood—due to its inherent karmic characteristics creating a closed loop, it had become virtually "invisible" within the Heavenly Dao's order. That was how he managed to get a bargain.

"It seems that in the future, when searching for items, I can't just look at the intensity of the treasure's radiance; I need to check if the karma threads are clean..." Taiyi noted this experience in his mind.

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the cliff top once more.

His Causality Vision was still active, and the dense karma threads appeared with absolute clarity in his eyes. But this time, Taiyi's perspective on these threads had changed.

Previously, he had only thought about avoiding the thick ones. Now, he began to consciously search for the "abnormal" threads—those that formed self-contained loops, those that broke and reconnected, those that were tangled together with one end dangling freely...

These "abnormal" karmic structures often indicated unusual opportunities hidden behind them, or... unknown secrets.

As he observed, Taiyi's eyelid suddenly twitched.

Right in the center of the cliff top, next to the most intense golden light cluster whose treasure radiance almost pierced the chaos, he spotted an extremely peculiar karma thread.

The thread was so thin it was almost invisible, its color a strange, translucent hue. It extended from the golden light cluster, not connecting to any powerful being, but instead... plunged directly into the Treasure Distribution Cliff beneath his feet?

Even more bizarre, after entering the cliff body, this thread split into dozens of even finer branches, spreading like roots within the cliff, finally disappearing into the depths of the chaos.

"What is this..." A strong sense of curiosity arose in Taiyi's heart.

What was wrapped inside that golden light cluster was clearly an extraordinary treasure—he could feel its magnificent pressure from afar, at least a top-tier Xiantian Spirit Treasure. But how could such a treasure have a karma thread connecting to the Treasure Distribution Cliff itself? And moreover, splitting into so many branches?

Could it be that this Treasure Distribution Cliff was not just a place to store Spiritual Treasures?

Was there a deeper connection between these Spiritual Treasures and the Treasure Distribution Cliff?

As Taiyi pondered, he suddenly felt several gazes sweep over him.

His heart tightened, and he immediately reined in his thoughts, his expression returning to one of calm contemplation after listening to the sermon, even nodding slightly as if deducing some profound principle of the Great Dao.

The owners of the gazes quickly looked away—they were powerful beings also searching for opportunities on the cliff top. Seeing Taiyi standing still, they had merely glanced at him.

Taiyi knew clearly that with so many people and eyes on the cliff top, it was not the time to investigate further. He had already obtained the scorched wood and increased his Qi of Tribulation and Destiny; it was wise to stop while he was ahead.

He cast one last look at the strange karma thread, firmly memorizing its location and characteristics, then turned, preparing to leave by escaping light.

But at that moment—

"Fellow Daoist Taiyi, please wait."

A gentle voice with a hint of magnetism came from behind him.

Taiyi's steps halted, and his heart skipped a beat.

This voice... was it Zhen Yuanzi?

He slowly turned, his face showing a perfectly calibrated expression of surprise and politeness: "Ah, it's Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi. You called for me, is there something you wish to impart?"

Zhen Yuanzi stood not far away, clad in an apricot-yellow Daoist robe, holding a horsetail whisk, a gentle smile on his face. Beside him stood Hongyun—the good-natured elder's complexion had improved slightly from before, but his eyes still held a lingering bewilderment and unease.

"Impart? I wouldn't dare," Zhen Yuanzi said with a cupped-hand salute and a smile. "I merely saw Fellow Daoist observing treasures here for a long time and presumed you must have gained something. This humble one ventures to ask, did Fellow Daoist see... hmm, did you see anything out of the ordinary?"

Something out of the ordinary?

Taiyi's internal alarm bells rang again. Zhen Yuanzi's question was cleverly phrased; he didn't specify what, but the word "ordinary" was worth pondering. Had he sensed the anomaly of the scorched wood? Or was he looking for something else?

On the surface, Taiyi appeared thoughtful, murmuring, "Something out of the ordinary... This cliff has numerous treasures, each with its own mysteries. I wonder what Fellow Daoist Zhen Yuanzi is referring to?"

His reply was watertight, tossing the question back.

Zhen Yuanzi smiled and didn't press further. Instead, he said, "Fellow Daoist speaks wisely. I was merely asking casually. This treasure distribution depends on fate; whatever one obtains is predetermined. Speaking of which, Fellow Daoist—" he shifted his gaze, seemingly casually sweeping over Taiyi's sleeve cuff, "—Fellow Daoist seems to have quite some insight into the Dao of Karma?"

This question was rather direct.

Taiyi's thoughts raced, but he forced a wry smile: "Fellow Daoist jest. The Dao of Karma is profound and unfathomable. I merely gained a little understanding after listening to the Dao Ancestor's sermon; I can hardly claim any 'insight.' However, Fellow Daoist and Fellow Daoist Hongyun, this time..." He paused, deliberately not finishing, but the implication was clear: Hongyun obtained the Primordial Violet Qi, while you were a runner-up; what are your plans now?

This struck a nerve with Hongyun. The good-natured elder's face paled further. His lips moved, but he couldn't utter a word.

Zhen Yuanzi sighed, patted Hongyun's shoulder, and then said to Taiyi, "To be frank, Fellow Daoist, Hongyun obtaining the Violet Qi is a tremendous opportunity. But fortune is often accompanied by misfortune; this item... alas." He shook his head, not elaborating, but the worry on his face was evident.

Taiyi understood perfectly. Zhen Yuanzi could see Hongyun was in a dangerous situation but couldn't say it directly, so he was trying to sound him out, perhaps to gain a few more "allies."

But Taiyi was struggling to protect himself; how could he dare to wade into this murky water?

He immediately cupped his hands and said, "If the two Fellow Daoists have nothing else, I shall take my leave. My elder brother is waiting outside, and I shouldn't linger."

With that, without waiting for Zhen Yuanzi's reply, the True Sun Fire around his body surged, transforming into a golden rainbow that pierced through the chaos and sped away from the cliff.

While fleeing, Taiyi looked back.

At the cliff's summit, Zhen Yuanzi stood in place, watching him leave. The smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a deep solemnity. Hongyun stood beside him, still looking dazed and helpless.

Further away, several figures hidden within the chaotic currents were faintly approaching the direction of Hongyun and Zhen Yuanzi…

Taiyi withdrew his gaze and sighed inwardly.

Primordial Violet Qi, the chance to become a saint.

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

He stopped thinking and urged his escape light to accelerate. The Sea-Calming Pearl in his sleeve remained ice-cold, while the piece of scorched wood lay quietly within, its dark red flowing light slowly circulating, faintly echoing the Qi of Tribulation and Destiny deep within his Primordial Spirit.

The trip to the Treasure Distribution Cliff had reached its conclusion.

The road ahead was still long.