Chapter 185 - 167: The Ultimate Truth of the Ascension Problem

Chapter 185: Chapter 167: The Ultimate Truth of the Ascension Problem

But... the other five chose not to attack at this moment. Among them were Zhang Daoxuan, who was lost in deep thought, Chen Fuyao, who was staring blankly at Chen Sha’s punch, and three others.

But immediately after, all ten witnessed the imposing momentum behind Chen Sha’s punch.

Bearing the brunt of it, Wujie Divine Monk and the other four paled drastically. "This punch! Not good! He’s already showing signs of the Broken realm! How can his Cultivation be so high..."

However, the moment the thought arose, Chen Sha’s fist crashed down.

At the same time, a strange sensation surfaced in Chen Sha’s heart. He faintly felt that this move, executed within the Cosmic Light Fragment, seemed to be augmented by some sort of "rule," multiplying its power several times over.

BOOM!!

The punch landed right in front of the five Three Religions Innates. What was terrifying wasn’t the strength or Cultivation behind it, but the Broken Fist Intent it carried! Beneath this Fist Intent, the Innate Cultivation of the five felt suppressed, as if crushed by an absolute gap in Realm.

RUMBLE!

The five were struck simultaneously. Instantly, their bodies felt as if they were tearing apart from the inside. A terrifying sensation washed over them—a feeling that both their bodies and minds were shattering, marching straight toward death.

"He’s already a Half-step Ascender!" one of them roared in disbelief before being sent flying by the punch.

Immediately after.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

The other four Innates who had come to aid him also emitted sounds of "shattering" from their bodies. However, it wasn’t Broken Ascension, but the shattering of their Life Essence Qi!

One punch suppressed five people and injured five Innates.

Just as Chen Sha himself was greatly surprised by the move’s power in this world, he suddenly heard Zhang Daoxuan shout.

"Stop at once! This person’s Cultivation has already reached the brink of the Broken realm. There will definitely be a place for him on the Ascension Chart in the future. Just let him participate in the discussion."

Chen Sha looked toward the voice. He saw Zhang Daoxuan step forward, return the thumb ring, and say grimly, "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to make further shows of force. With your Cultivation alone, in this flawed End of Dharma Era, you are already at the pinnacle of Innates. Even if your identity is unknown, you are qualified to join the meeting. Please do not make things difficult for the others any longer."

Chen Sha smiled but remained silent. He mused that fists were indeed the most effective tool.

Turning his gaze to the five he had heavily injured, he said, "You heard him. A portion of the group no longer has any issues. If you still have objections, I have an alternative solution." Chen Sha shook his fist. "How about we turn this ten-person discussion into a six-person one?"

The five who had been severely injured by the punch fell silent. Wujie Divine Monk’s face turned Colored Cyan and pale, blood still lingering at the corner of his mouth. He glared angrily at the other five, seemingly resentful that they hadn’t attacked together from the very beginning. Otherwise, if all ten of them had struck at once, they definitely wouldn’t have suffered such a miserable defeat.

However, Zhang Daoxuan spoke again. "Fellow Daoist, it is extremely difficult for the world to produce an Upper Innate nowadays. Everyone’s Cultivation was hard-earned. Let’s stop here."

Chen Sha decided to quit while he was ahead. Although he ultimately had to clear this stage and defeat all ten people, it was better to first participate in the discussion of the Ascension Chart.

Soon after, under the mediation of Zhang Daoxuan, who was clearly a Daoist Leader, the other five stood up with dark expressions. After seeking the opinions of the remaining individuals and obtaining their tacit agreement, they reached a consensus.

Half a day later.

Chen Sha, acting as the eleventh member, arrived in a new grand hall. The crowd looked at him, their intent self-evident. With a thought, Chen Sha took out the Ascension Chart again and placed it in front of everyone.

Zhang Daoxuan glanced around. Seeing that Chen Sha had no intention of speaking first, and that the severely injured Wujie Divine Monk and his four companions were all sulking in cold silence, he resumed hosting the major discussion.

"Since an extra person has been added, we will start over. Ever since the world entered the Ninth Tribulation, beginning with Senior Sister Taie of the Buddhist Sect, who was the first Broken Vajra... To date, the Ninth Tribulation has lasted for 6,781 years. Within this period, every Broken Ascender since Senior Sister Taie has been recorded and listed on this Ascension Chart..."

Right at that moment, Chen Sha interrupted.

"Wait," he asked directly. "What is the Ninth Tribulation?"

For a moment, everyone else turned to look at him. Chen Sha showed no trace of embarrassment. He had done all of this precisely to ask these questions. He was genuinely clueless about this and naturally had to inquire.

Zhang Daoxuan gave Chen Sha a surprised look but didn’t ask why he didn’t know. Instead, he explained, "The so-called Ninth Tribulation is a term that emerged over six thousand years ago. It states that the world has already passed through the Eight Tribulations. Counting sequentially, we are naturally in the Ninth Tribulation."

Seeing that Chen Sha still had questions, Zhang Daoxuan elaborated further, "Ancient historical legends say that the world experiences tribulations. We are not very clear about the distant Eight Tribulations Era now, but the experiences of the past six thousand years prove that the concept of worldly tribulations is correct. Since the beginning of this period over six thousand years ago, the world has transitioned from its peak into the current End of Dharma Era.

"The world is just like a human being. It has a day when its lifespan ends, going from infancy to childhood, then to its prime, old age, and finally death.

"Today, we are in the world’s twilight years, the Late-Nine Tribulations Stage before its impending death."

Chen Sha nodded. "So, the strategy for Tribulation Crossing is Ascension?"

The others stared at him in silence.

Zhang Daoxuan nodded. "Correct. In the midst of the world’s great tribulation, only by achieving Ascension can one survive. We must Ascend to the legendary Immortal Realm and wait for that legendary era to arrive. When it does, we can descend from the Immortal Realm back to the mortal world and begin our Cultivation anew."

BOOM!

Zhang Daoxuan’s words struck like a thunderbolt, reverberating fiercely within Chen Sha’s heart. He asked, "What is this ’legendary era’? And what do you mean by ’descending from the Immortal Realm’?"

Zhang Daoxuan looked at Chen Sha and remained silent for a moment. He ultimately couldn’t understand why a Half-step Ascender like Chen Sha—someone whose Cultivation already contained the intent of the Broken realm—knew nothing about Ascending to the Immortal Realm.

What he didn’t know was that Chen Sha actually knew certain things too well, which only plunged him into deeper confusion. It was like a puzzle missing its most critical piece, making it impossible to form a complete picture.

After a brief silence, Zhang Daoxuan still explained everything one by one. "The so-called legendary era comes from sporadic records left over from the distant Eight Tribulations Era. They mention that the world didn’t always have tribulations from the very beginning. The primordial world was far more vast than it is now. It only reached its current state after declining through one tribulation after another. However... the ancient sages of the Eighth Tribulation prophesied that the world’s great tribulations wouldn’t last forever.

"It follows the cycle of prosperity and decline. Prosperity eventually gives way to decline, but when decline reaches its absolute limit, prosperity must return. This is the law of the Great Dao. We are currently in the Ninth Tribulation. According to numerological principles, nine is the extreme limit. By our era, the world’s decline has reached its absolute rock bottom.

"If there is a next tribulation, it will either be a period even more decayed than the Ninth Tribulation Period—where even a Broken Great Vajra is hard to produce—or...

"The next era will be the starting point where extreme decline rebounds into prosperity. The decay accumulated over the past Nine Tribulations will rapidly recover in the next tribulation cycle. We call that future era the ’Golden Era.’"

Chen Sha’s eyelids twitched. "Eight Tribulations have passed, making this the Ninth Tribulation. Counting sequentially, the future era after the Nine Tribulations... that would be the Tenth Tribulation..."

All signs pointed to it. That seemed to be... the era of the Divine Land.

The Divine Land he had come from was exactly the Tenth Tribulation Era that Zhang Daoxuan spoke of?! An era that continued to decline. An era that couldn’t even produce a single Broken Great Vajra.

So this was what his father, Chen Canxuan, meant when he said the world was flawed and the rules were no longer present? That the path was clearly there, but it was impassable?!

Immediately after, Zhang Daoxuan added, "As for descending from the Immortal Realm, that is even simpler. In legends past and present, there is a saying: ’A day in the Immortal Realm is a thousand years in the mortal world.’ It is said that the Immortal Realm is an eternal world. Once you Ascend into it, time no longer flows. However, the Ascenders who enter it also fall into a deathly stillness within those frozen years.

"Therefore, the Immortal Realm is merely a slumbering ground for Ascenders, making it the best place to wait for the Golden Era. Once the Golden Era arrives, the Ascenders from all the past tribulation eras will awaken, descend from the Immortal Realm, and return to a grand era—one at the absolute peak of prosperity, perfectly suited for Cultivation."