Desolate Era (Book 16 - Book 18)

……

“So, under the pressure of the sinflames of karma…I had unknowingly reached the level of ‘iceheart’, improving my heartforce.” Ning felt a calm joy in his heart. “It truly is as others have said; so long as one can survive the descent of karmic sinflames, one’s Dao-heart will undergo a qualitative change, and one will increase in power dramatically.”

The descent of karmic sinflames was a portent for three great tribulations, each more powerful than the last.

Ning had just experienced the second round of tribulations, the ‘red dust tribulations’, resulting in him reaching the iceheart level of heartforce. From this, one could see that that although karmic sinflames truly did represent a tremendous tribulation…disaster and fortune came in a pair. If one survived this tribulation, one would reap certain rewards.

However, very few Immortal cultivators would willingly allow karmic sinflames to surround them. After all, once they did, even if one did survive the three rounds of karmic tribulations, in the future, the karmic sinflames would perpetually blaze around their bodies. One would constantly suffer from the agony of being burnt by karmic sinflames! Although the pain wouldn’t be as agonizing as during the three rounds of tribulations, to be constantly burnt alive…unless it was absolutely necessary, who would willingly endure such a thing?

In addition, it was extremely difficult for one to lower one’s level of sin by enough to drop back down to the level of being surrounded by a ‘bloody aura of sin’.

Karmic virtue, karmic sin. It was hard to gain karmic virtue, but karmic sin came with ease!

Killing mortals was a tremendous sin; doing so would allow one to effortlessly accrue an enormous amount of sin…

But it was far, far harder to acquire karmic virtue. For example, after Ning had killed that evil Patriarch and many evil Diremonsters that had been surrounded by the bloody light of sin, and after when he had taken on a disciple who had whole-heartedly devoted herself to him, he had only just barely been able to upgrade his level of karmic virtue to being surrounded by golden karmic light. The range of his aura of golden karmic light had been extremely small as well! To reach the legendary level of karmic virtue where one’s body would be surrounded by a rainbow of light would be unfathomably more difficult!

And in fact…sometimes, one might do evil, even with the best of intentions. Karmic virtue was something which even figures as possible as True Gods or Daofathers were unable to completely understand the rules of. Although saving figures of karmic virtue and killing sinners did seem to be virtuous acts, and although ninety-nine out of a hundred such actions would result in an increase in karmic virtue…there would always be one who would instead be condemned as a sinner.

For one to go from the level of having karmic sinflames to having a bloody aura of sin was comparable in difficulty to increasing from having a golden aura of karmic virtue to a holy rainbow-colored aura.

Thus…once one became bathed in karmic sinflames, it was virtually guaranteed that one would never, ever be able to escape from them.

To be eternally burnt by karmic sinflames…who would be willing to suffer such a thing?

……

“Is there anything else?”

For a time, Ning had transcended everything; it was as though he had been seated upon an imperial throne, as though he had unified the world, as though no one would disobey his orders.

But suddenly…everything in front of him disappeared.

The scene before him transformed. He now saw a very ordinary courtyard, within which was a woman who was carrying an infant. Another woman was next to her, teasing the infant. In the center of the courtyard, there was a muscular man who was slicing animal meat.

“Eh?” Ning suddenly realized that he had become that infant.

“What’s going on?” When Ning realized that he had taken on the role of the infant, he was puzzled; during all of the previous tribulations, he had always remained in his own body.

But as time went on…Ning slowly began to understand.

He had become the infant. The infant slowly grew up, becoming a toddler. All the toddlers received the same type of tutelage within the clan…but given how young he was, how could he possibly not be restless? Only after even more time passed did he slowly begin to study hard. And at eight years of age…his father went out hunting in the mountains, never to return.

He began to grow up, because he was the only man in the family. Under the tutelage of his mother and his second matron, he began to work hard. [2. Second matron here, as a term, means his father married two different women; polygamy was legal in ancient China, and the children would refer to their father’s wives in order of seniority as ‘first matron’, ‘second matron’, etc., with the birth mother being simply ‘mother’.]

His mother and his second matron, in order to ensure that he would receive good tutelage within the clan, suffered countless hardships.

He swore an oath to himself…

He would definitely let his mother and his second mother live a good life.

“Luo Jun, at the age of sixteen, you were able to train to the peak of the Houtian level; you have quite a bit of potential. What you need to do now is experience life-and-death dangers. If you can break through to the Xiantian level…then the lives of your mother and your second matron will be much better.” A middle-aged man smiled at him. “At that time…you’ll truly become acknowledged as a member of the Youngflame clan.”

“Right.” The youth’s eyes were filled with desire.

However…Ning, whose soul was riding with the youth, felt increasingly worried and uneasy.

Just as the youth had finished a dangerous adventure and had returned to his city, a green-haired Immortal had suddenly appeared in the skies above the city.

“Everyone in the city is to be evacuated,” the green-haired Immortal ordered, his voice echoing everywhere.

Within the courtyard, the youth and his two mothers both raised their heads to look. They felt puzzled and mystified; evacuated? How?

Whoosh.

Moments later, they could feel space twisting around them…and they then appeared in a different dimension.

“So many people?” The youth felt as though they were surrounded by an endless sea of people.

“Luo Jun, what…what’s going on?” His two mothers were both panicking.

“Don’t worry. This is a technique of Immortals,” the youth said confidently. “There are countless clansmen here; we’ll know what’s going on soon.”

Not too long later…

Whoosh.

They were once more teleported away. This time, even more people were here.

“This time…it must be when Old Demon Windraiser put everyone together?” Ning could vaguely sense what was going to happen, and he felt dread in his heart. After having spent more than ten years alongside the youth, Ning sympathized with him as he would for himself. He knew how honest and good this youth was…and he knew how deep the love was between this youth and his two mothers.

He already knew what was in the youth’s future. He didn’t wish to believe that this future would come true.

Rumble…

The dimension exploded.





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Book 16, Chapter 4 - The Third Sinflame Tribulation


The dimension blew apart, reality shattering into tiny little pieces. The more powerful Immortal cultivators within the dimension roared with fury, seeking to charge out from within it.

“What’s going on?”

“Heavens above!”

“Abu!”

Countless mortals were completely dazed and confused. They watched as the world itself shattered…and they were completely unable to resist. The cried out in terror, in pain, in panic.