Chapter 748
Ren Xue
With each glimmer of a law he illuminates, his network of existence expands a little further, and his connection with the world deepens a little more. He is not controlling these laws, but rather confirming their existence, and in doing so, confirming that "I exist in a world with these laws."
This is a mutually reinforcing cycle: the existence of the law confirms my existence, and my existence confirms the existence of the law.
The moment this cycle was established, a qualitative change occurred deep within Tang Wulin's soul.
All the points of light—whether memories, emotions, reality, or laws—flickered in unison at this moment, and then began to merge. Not a physical fusion, but a unity in meaning: they were no longer isolated nodes, but constituted a complete story, a complete map, a complete "Tang Wulin Universe."
At the center of this miniature universe, a brand new ray of light was born.
It is not memory, not emotion, not reality, and not law. It is the source and sum of all of these, the embodiment of the most fundamental fact that "I exist."
Tang Wulin "saw" it—it was a seed.
A seed made entirely of light floats quietly at the center of the soul network, slowly rotating and radiating a warm yet steadfast light. It is tiny and fragile, yet it contains incredible potential, as if a complete world is being nurtured within it.
The moment the seed took shape, a sudden change occurred in the real world.
Inside the quiet room, Tang Wulin's body erupted with a dazzling milky-white light. The light was gentle yet unstoppable, piercing through the walls of the quiet room, penetrating the barrier of the Tranquil Garden, and soaring straight into the sky of the God Realm.
At that moment, the entire divine realm, all the gods, raised their heads.
They saw a pillar of light rise from the Garden of Tranquility, piercing through heaven and earth. It was not a fluctuation of divine power, not an explosion of soul power, not even any known form of energy. It was a kind of… “declaration,” a kind of “confirmation,” a silent cry of “I am here.”
The God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life arrived immediately, their eyes filled with shock as they looked at the pillar of light.
"This is..." The goddess of life's voice trembled, "The manifestation of existence? He did it? He really condensed the 'seed of existence' deep within his soul?"
“Not only that,” the God of Destruction stared intently at the pillar of light, its purple eyes reflecting the pure radiance, “he is using this seed to forge a completely new connection with the world. Look—”
Guided by him, the Goddess of Life saw invisible ripples spreading outwards from the pillar of light. Wherever those ripples passed, the world's "presence" seemed to be amplified. The grass was greener, the flowers more fragrant, the wind gentler, and even the light seemed more real.
It's not that the world has changed, but rather the way we observe it. Tang Wulin's seed of existence acts like a lens, making everything observed through it highlight the vividness of "existence itself."
“He’s redefining his relationship with the world,” the God of Destruction murmured, his voice tinged with incredible excitement. “Not ‘I am in the world,’ but ‘the world is with me.’ This isn’t a subject-object dichotomy, but rather a mutual integration. If he can stabilize this state…”
He didn't finish speaking, but the goddess of life already understood.
If Tang Wulin can stabilize this state, then the existence of "Tang Wulin" will no longer be an object in the world, but a part of the world's structure. Like time, space, and laws, he will become a "background setting," a "premise of existence."
At that point, any attempt to erase him would be tantamount to attacking the very foundation of the world. The Eye of Annihilation might erase an object, but could it erase the fact that "time exists"? Could it erase the fact that "space exists"? If not, then when Tang Wulin becomes such a being, it will be equally unable to erase him. "But this is only the beginning," the Goddess of Life said softly, her joy tinged with worry. "The seed has just sprouted, the seedling is still very fragile. The road he has to travel is still very, very long."
The beam of light lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, then slowly receded, returning to the quiet room and back into Tang Wulin's body.
In the quiet room, Tang Wulin opened his eyes.
His appearance remained unchanged; he was still pale, still weak, and his soul power was still only level twenty. But in his eyes—deep within those azure eyes—something had changed.
It wasn't the radiance of power, nor the sharpness of wisdom, but a kind of... "realness." When you look into his eyes, you will be absolutely certain that the person in front of you "absolutely exists," not an illusion, not a projection, not a concept, but an undeniable and irrefutable "presence."
"Wu Lin!" Qian Renxue was the first to rush into the quiet room, hugging her husband tightly. "How are you? What was that just now..."
“I’m fine,” Tang Wulin hugged his wife back, his voice calm and firm. “I’ve never been this good.”
He looked at his parents who followed him in, then at the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life outside the door, and smiled slightly: "I have found the starting point. Not the starting point of power, but... the starting point of the path."
"That seed," the God of Destruction entered, his gaze intense, "you sensed it, didn't you?"
Tang Wulin nodded, palm facing upwards, his mind stirring slightly. A tiny, milky-white light appeared in his palm, faint yet resolute, a projection of the seed of existence deep within his soul.
“I call it the ‘Light of the Self,’” he said, “or, ‘proof of existence.’ It is not power, not law, but proof of the fact that ‘I exist.’ As long as this light is extinguished, I will exist forever—not in the body, not in the soul, but in the fact that I have existed, forever imprinted in the history of the universe.”
Xiao Wu covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. They weren't tears of sorrow, but of pride, of being moved, of the joy of seeing her son rise again from the ruins, and stand stronger than ever before.
Tang San walked up to his son, stared intently at the point of light, then looked up and met Tang Wulin's gaze: "How far can this path take us?"
“I don’t know,” Tang Wulin said honestly, “but I will take it one step at a time. In the next stage, I want to try to use this seed to re-understand soul power and reconstruct the cultivation system. If ‘existence’ is fundamental, then what should soul power be? What should soul rings be? What should martial souls be? I want to find the answers to these questions.”
"What kind of help do you need?" the God of Destruction asked directly.
"Two things," Tang Wulin said bluntly, "First, I need to consult all the records in the God Realm regarding the origin of the world, the essence of its laws, and ontology—not cultivation techniques, but the most fundamental theories. Second…"
He paused, looking in the direction of the Abyss Gate: "Secondly, I want to periodically approach that rift and hone my 'proof of existence' amidst the aura of annihilation. Only in the face of absolute nothingness can existence be truly tested."
"That's too dangerous!" Qian Renxue blurted out. (End of Chapter)