The days blurred together for Li Xuan as he stood in the heart of his secluded chamber, deep in the center of his hidden domain. The air around him crackled with energy, dense with the aftershocks of his intense cultivation. His body, battered and torn by the agonizing process of assimilating the Voidheart Sutra, seemed to radiate a dark aura. His once youthful face was now marred by an unearthly coldness, an expression of someone who had seen the true cost of ultimate power.
After completing the grueling phase of his cultivation, Li Xuan knew that it was only the beginning. The Sutra had granted him an unparalleled understanding of karma, of the threads that bound every being in existence to fate. Yet, this gift of vision came at a price: his humanity. Every passing day, the pull of the Sutra's power grew stronger. His mind, once a sharp tool of reason, now teetered on the brink of insanity, threatened by the very power it sought to control.
Karma was no longer an abstract concept for Li Xuan—it was a force to be wielded, a weapon to reshape the world in his image. But in his quest for control, he found himself grappling with the cruel truth: true power required sacrifice, and the price of mastery over fate was the erosion of his own soul.
He had already sacrificed his trust in others. His closest allies, the ones who had once fought alongside him in the lower realms, were now nothing more than pawns to him. He had seen the threads of their fates—their strengths, their weaknesses, their desires. He knew the exact moment when they would betray him, the exact moment when they would be of no further use. He had seen the end of their paths, and it was only a matter of time before they, too, were swept away by the tides of fate.
Yet, despite the certainty that weighed on his heart, Li Xuan could not help but feel a flicker of unease. The Sutra had shown him the interconnectedness of all things—the delicate balance that kept the world in motion. If he cut one thread, it would cause a ripple effect that might shatter everything. He could manipulate fate, yes, but at what cost? Was the destruction of the lower realms, of his allies, truly worth the power that awaited him in the higher realms?
His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of an emissary—a cloaked figure, carrying a message from the highest echelon of the lower realms. It was a call to action, a reminder that there were forces outside of his control, forces that were stirring in the darkness, awaiting his response. The emissary handed him a sealed scroll, bearing the insignia of the Great Order of the Lower Realms.
Li Xuan's eyes glinted with a cold, calculating light as he unfurled the scroll. It contained a message from the highest-ranking official in the realm, one who had once considered Li Xuan a potential ally. The message was clear: the lower realms were facing an unprecedented crisis, and they needed his strength.
The weight of the message settled upon him like a cloak of iron. For a fleeting moment, he considered what it might mean to aid them. There was power in alliances, after all—power to be gained through support, through bending others to his will. But Li Xuan had long since moved past the notion of alliances. He no longer trusted anyone, least of all those who sought his help.
He crumpled the scroll in his hand, crushing the plea for assistance into a ball of useless paper. His thoughts were already on the next step. The lower realms, the people, the so-called "crisis"—it all felt trivial. He had seen the vastness of the universe, the countless destinies he could manipulate, the endless possibilities before him. Why should he lower himself to fight for a realm that was already so far beneath him?
Yet, a part of him understood that to control the lower realms completely, he could not simply ignore them. He needed to dominate them, to break them, to show that no one was beyond his reach. It was not enough to merely ascend—he had to break everything beneath him to truly understand the depth of karma. The lower realms, with their petty squabbles and fragile power structures, were his first test.
He turned away from the emissary, dismissing the messenger with a flick of his wrist. He could feel the weight of his decision, but he had no regrets. The Sutra had shown him that there was no path to power without destruction. He would destroy them all. The lower realms, the million supporting realms—everyone would fall before him.
He knew that it was time to begin the final phase of his plan.
The next several days were spent in complete isolation as Li Xuan worked to solidify his control over the lower realms. He did not move from his chamber, but instead, he focused his mind on weaving the intricate web of fate that would entrap the entire realm. The Sutra had given him a vast array of tools, but the most powerful weapon at his disposal was the power to manipulate the karma of others. Every action, every decision, every moment in the lower realms was now part of his domain.
Li Xuan's first target was the most influential and dangerous faction in the lower realms—the Throne of the Eternal King. The Throne, a group of cultivators who wielded immense political and military power, had long been a thorn in the side of his ambitions. They stood as the last true opposition to his dominance, and he knew that their fate was now sealed.
He reached out with his mind, threading his will into the vast network of karma that bound the Throne of the Eternal King. With each pull, he twisted their fate, snuffing out their most powerful leaders, tearing apart their alliances, and sowing discord among their ranks. In a matter of days, the once-proud throne was reduced to a shell of its former self.
Li Xuan felt the surge of power as their lives—so intricately bound to the web of fate—crumbled beneath his touch. It was only the beginning. His grip on the lower realms was now absolute, but he had no intention of stopping there. He would crush everyone who stood in his way, erasing entire legacies in pursuit of his ultimate goal.
His next target was the Nine Pillars Sect, a sect that had long been a protector of the mortal realm. Once, Li Xuan might have respected their resolve, their unwavering commitment to preserving life. But no longer. The Sutra had taught him that life and death were nothing more than fleeting moments, insignificant in the grand scheme of the cosmos. Power was the only truth, and those who failed to seize it were doomed to be forgotten.
The Nine Pillars Sect would fall, just as the Throne of the Eternal King had. Li Xuan's plan was simple: destroy the very foundation upon which the sect was built. He began by manipulating the karma of their leaders, sowing distrust and disarray. He made subtle changes in their decisions, pushing them to act out of desperation, making them vulnerable to internal strife. As the sect tore itself apart, Li Xuan's power only grew, and the weight of the Sutra's influence deepened.
As he watched the chaos unfold, Li Xuan's heart remained as cold and detached as ever. The Sutra had taught him that emotions were the enemy of power, and he had long since cast aside any notions of mercy or compassion. He was no longer the man who had once hesitated at the cost of his ambition. He was a force—an inevitable tide that would sweep away everything in its path.
But even as he solidified his control over the lower realms, he knew that the real test was yet to come. The Upper Realms awaited him, and there were greater forces there—forces that could challenge his rise. But with the Voidheart Sutra and his understanding of karma, Li Xuan knew that no one could stand against him.
For now, he had done what needed to be done. The lower realms were his. The million supporting realms were his. And soon, all would bow before him, as he ascended to the highest echelons of power.
But as the Sutra had shown him—power, once attained, must be carefully maintained. And in this game, every thread was a potential weakness, waiting to be exploited.
End of Chapter 13