Chapter 4732: Just Half a Step Short
The gigantic insect was formed from countless rule lifeforms, packed together so densely that it was practically solid flesh.
When Lin Moyu crashed into it, it was like slamming into an entire world, and a tremendous counterforce surged back at him, almost blasting him away.
The power of the rule lifeforms poured over him in a torrent, instantly breaking apart the Power of Death from the Undying Dao so badly that it was hard to maintain any follow‑up.
Even the Elemental Stone did not have time to reverse anything in that moment.
In an Eighth‑Cycle world, rule lifeforms were evolved from the complete rules of the entire world, and their strength was terrifying, already surpassing most peak experts.
Lin Moyu understood this clearly, which was why he could not afford a drawn‑out fight.
He had to end it with a single, fatal blow.
Right now he was in an undying, indestructible state.
No matter how the rule lifeforms attacked, he felt no fear.
He forcibly suppressed the recoil, raised the Heavenly Calamity Scepter, and used it to break open a path, blasting rule lifeforms aside.
He had not used the Heavenly Calamity Scepter before because these rule lifeforms were effectively endless, and killing them would not change the situation.
Now, disaster would decide victory or defeat.
The Heavenly Calamity Scepter projected a phantom image that collided with the rule lifeforms, and the outer layer of the phantom took on a layer of black light.
Even the scepter was affected to a degree, its surface becoming tainted, though fortunately the corruption was only skin‑deep.
The Elemental Stone flared with light and reversed the contamination on the surface of the Heavenly Calamity Scepter.
The scepter swept out in a continuous arc, forcibly hacking open a passage for Lin Moyu.
The giant insect's body was ripped apart, a straight line leading to where the world core lay.
Sensing that something was wrong, the core tried to flee again.
Lin Moyu narrowed his eyes and shouted in a low voice, "You are not getting away!"
"Ninth Heaven Fate Art!"
"Wings of Heaven and Earth!"
With a hum, a pair of iridescent wings unfolded from Lin Moyu's back.
When the wings beat, they stirred up ten thousand ripples.
Space twisted like roaring waves, wrapped in boundless multicolored light that swept outward.
Any rule lifeform touched by this radiance froze where it was.
The Wings of Heaven and Earth seized the authority of a world and forced all things under heaven to bow.
"World" here did not mean the Divine Language World, but any world whatsoever.
At his current level, Lin Moyu could not yet make just any world submit.
However, he used the Ninth Heaven Fate Art to assist him.
The Ninth Heaven Fate Art forcibly altered the rules of this world, and then, with the Wings of Heaven and Earth, he compelled the rule lifeforms to submit for a short time.
This was the first time Lin Moyu had used the Wings of Heaven and Earth, and the effect was quite good.
Changing the world's rules to make the rule lifeforms submit would not last long, at most a few breaths.
But a few breaths were enough.
In the instant the rule lifeforms bowed their heads, Lin Moyu gave his command.
All the rule lifeforms under the radiance pivoted in unison and turned their attacks on their own companions.
The giant insect collapsed with a thunderous crash, and the world core was completely exposed.
With no more obstruction, Lin Moyu accelerated and, in a flash, appeared directly before the core, thrusting his hand toward it.
The Dark World's core a pitch‑black eight‑tiered pagoda spun frantically and spewed out endless black mist, trying to stop Lin Moyu.
The black mist was packed with rule lifeforms strong enough to pollute a Great Venerate in an instant and kill them on the spot.
A blazing flame roared to life in Lin Moyu's hand.
The World‑Burning Flame wrapped around him, erupting with a terrifying power.
Although the World‑Burning Flame was not particularly suited for burning these rule lifeforms, that did not mean it could not burn them at all.
It simply cost more effort and consumed a vast amount of power.
This time, Lin Moyu went all in, ignoring the price.
Relying on his undying, indestructible body and the World‑Burning Flame, he forced his way through the thick black mist and slammed his palm onto the pagoda.
Boom!
The World‑Burning Flame surged to the heavens, swallowing the eight‑tiered pagoda whole.
In that instant, the entire world screamed in agony.
The World‑Burning Flame was burning the very origin of the world, destroying the world's rules at their root.
Refining worlds was its specialty.
The whole world shook violently as countless rule lifeforms died on the spot.
The collapsed giant insect never again had a chance to reform, and the darkness retreated at an astonishing speed.
"It's done."
Lin Moyu laughed softly.
The moment the World‑Burning Flame landed on the world core, the outcome was sealed.
He had won this great battle.
When the duration of his undying state ended, his body and soul exploded with a bang.
Clinging to a final thread of consciousness, Lin Moyu stared fixedly at his shattered body.
Previously, he had grasped the concept of the body's "illusory aspect" and did not want to let any chance at insight slip by.
Unfortunately, with both body and soul blowing apart at the same time, there was no way to observe the body in its moment of destruction.
His physical form needed to be completely destroyed, then reborn, and only in that rebirth could he comprehend the body's illusory side.
It would not be a one‑time process.
Bathed in purple light, body and soul finished their rebirth.
Lin Moyu sighed softly.
"As expected, it is not that simple.
I don't know if the method I thought of will work.
If it doesn't, I will have to find another way."
He had a vague feeling that seeking out the illusory nature of the body would not be easy.
This was the final step in fully comprehending reality and illusion.
Once he understood this step, he would be able to use himself as the origin point and quickly comprehend the reality and illusion of all worlds, until he had fully mastered both concepts.
This step was the most crucial and the most difficult, and no one had ever achieved it before.
The Primordial Stone said, "Master, there is no need to be anxious.
Leaving aside the body's illusory aspect, even for the soul's reality and illusion, no one in all history has ever comprehended it.
Master has already surpassed others by too much."
Lin Moyu shook his head.
"Merely surpassing those before me is not enough.
I want to step across the Life Forbidden Zone, but there is always an uneasiness in my heart.
"At first I believed that possessing a world of seven cycles or more, together with a Great Venerate peak body and soul, would be enough."
"Later, I realized that was not truly safe.
Then I thought that pushing the world to the Ninth Cycle might suffice, but that still wasn't enough.
"Only after I understood the soul's illusory nature did I finally know what is actually required to cross the Life Forbidden Zone safely."
"All my previous assumptions were not wrong.
A Ninth‑Cycle world and a Great Venerate peak body and soul are both indispensable.
"But on top of that, I need a body and soul that have completed the fusion of reality and illusion."
"Only then can I block the annihilating power of the Life Forbidden Zone.
Besides the Life Forbidden Zone, I also want to enter the Wall of Worlds.
I still don't know what the requirements are for entering the Wall of Worlds, but it almost certainly demands power strong enough to match it."
"This step is one I must complete.
If I fail here, everything else is empty talk."
Lin Moyu spoke calmly and steadily.
Everything he said came from his genuine perceptions, without any falsehood.
"In my view, Master is actually just one step from the end," the Primordial Stone replied.
"As long as you can comprehend the body's illusory aspect, nothing else will be a problem.
"Master has already found a method for grasping the body's illusion, which means you have already taken half a step forward."
In its eyes, a Ninth‑Cycle world and the Great Venerate peak were not insurmountable hurdles for Lin Moyu.
So only this last half step remained.
"This half step is the hardest one in all my cultivation," Lin Moyu said.
"The difficulty is not in whether I can comprehend it, but in how to find the opportunity for enlightenment."
He needed to find a suitable place where his body could be destroyed without his soul being completely wiped out, while still being able to trigger rebirth.
Only by using that rebirth to observe the body's life and death could he possibly grasp the body's illusory nature.
Others had failed to comprehend it because none of them could observe their body's cycle of life and death.
They did not possess the talent of rebirth that he had.
"The right place will appear for Master sooner or later," the Primordial Stone said.
"Let's hope so."
Lin Moyu chuckled lightly and looked out over the world.
The world was collapsing, the darkness had retreated by more than half, and everything was slowly growing brighter.
It was all over.
This Dark World that had existed for uncounted years was about to come to an end.
AS MENTIONED BEFORE IM IN THE HOSPITAL HENCE THE DELAYS SORRY