Chapter 968: Ten Million Years of Great Despair, Discussing the Ten Realms of the Dao

Xu Zhi gave no reply to Caroline’s words.

Only he knew the profound shock he felt at that moment.

The difficulty of breaking through to the tenth level was far greater than imagined. It was understandable why tenth-level beings were so rare, existing only in ancient legends.

“I am truly grateful.”

Caroline’s voice was hoarse with emotion as she spoke softly, nestled in the embrace of the Primordial God.

“Those who broke through to the ninth level, their first reaction upon reaching this realm was… there could not possibly be a tenth level in this world! They realized that at this stage, four genes were the limit; it was impossible to integrate a fifth external gene. Their entire lives would be spent at the ninth level…”

Her gaze seemed to sweep across the entire history of the universe, observing the enlightened sages of the long river of time, witnessing their stories.

“Yes, the moment they broke through to become cosmic enlightened beings, it must have been the greatest joy of their lives—exhilarating and profound. They had mastered and warped the very laws of the universe… For they had truly become enlightened ones, surpassing all!”

Caroline continued to murmur, articulating her thoughts, as if pouring out her heart or speaking to herself: “But after experiencing the immense joy of their lives, they would inevitably feel a profound sense of despair, a feeling of inescapable destiny.”

Caroline seemed filled with immense emotion, seeing the cruelty of the entire universe.

“Yes, because at that point, they would inevitably discover that there was nowhere left to go, no further path for cultivation. They would sense their future destiny, standing at the very end of their lives.

How to break through?How to break through?How to break through?

They would frantically spend their entire lives searching for that path, until death arrived. Wailing, despairing, with white hair, floating in the desolate void of the aging universe, their clouded eyes long lost, welcoming their own demise.

That bitterness, sorrow, and despair were indescribable. They were truly, truly… indescribable.” Caroline’s voice choked. “It was a sense of destiny more cruel than death itself.”

She wasn’t grieving for herself, but for the great enlightened beings who had transcended the laws of the universe.

Which enlightened being capable of reaching the ninth level wasn’t an unimaginably peerless genius?

Consider that the Dil Empire, with tens of thousands of years of civilization, had never produced even one!

And even if they broke through, they would face…

Caroline closed her eyes, a flicker of pain crossing her face.

To reach the ninth level, they must have been the most devout seekers of truth, fanatics pursuing “truth,” prostrating themselves on the path of seeking, embarking from childhood with fervent, sincere, burning passion, cutting through thorns and thistles…

And she was one of them.

Pursuing the Great Dao, pursuing truth—there was no difference.

She deeply empathized with their profound sense of fated despair.

For those enlightened beings, the greatest fear in life was not how arduous the path to truth or how difficult the pursuit of knowledge might be; it was the inability to cultivate, the inability to continue seeking their truth.

“I have seen the whole picture, deduced what the ninth level faces throughout the heavens of the universe… It’s like a cosmic curse. After breaking through, they live the most sorrowful hundred thousand years, because there’s no possibility for them to advance further.”

“Low-level, mid-level, and high-level ninth stage are merely thresholds for energy accumulation, but they cannot advance further. They can no longer cultivate their genes… They cannot cultivate anything else.”

“They originally thought that after breaking through to the ninth level, they could continue to integrate a fifth gene and cultivate further, just like before. But they didn’t know… that at the ninth level, genes could no longer be integrated, and the door to the future was closed to them!”

Along with her sorrow, she also felt a lingering dread.

And for her to have transcended that terrible, tragic fate was truly an immense stroke of luck!

Without the Primordial God and the accumulated knowledge of these eras, she would have essentially become one of those tragic seekers, stuck at the same level for the next hundred thousand years.

Would they commit suicide?She didn’t know.

But if one could no longer pursue their truth, becoming completely stagnant in their realm, the long, hopeless future would only bring greater agony.

It was not impossible for desperate enlightened beings, after tens of thousands of years of confusion, to choose suicide.

Caroline was filled with emotion, her expression complex, and her admiration complete. “Thanks to you! And also to Di Zun, who stopped the three of us from battling back then and forced our breakthroughs… Otherwise, we were destined to go astray.”

Yes.

Di Zun, at that time, likely prevented their breakthroughs because he knew the method for reaching the tenth level and wanted to prevent them from making a foolish mistake.

It seemed then that Di Zun had brutally beaten them, but it was all for their benefit… Thinking of this, a trace of respect and gratitude appeared in Caroline’s eyes.

Fate is always so wondrous; a single turning point can determine the two ends of one’s future: life and death.

Only she knew that everything she had was given by the Primordial God.

“Yes, sometimes, ignorance is bliss… Even if they knew the secret to breaking through to the tenth level, they would suffer just as much, with no difference… Almost all enlightened beings at the ninth level are in pain, despair, and helplessness.”

The Primordial God smiled faintly and said, “How difficult is it to perfect four genes?”

“For most beings, breaking through to the ninth level is already a miracle.”

“During the eight thousand years as a god, to be able to reach the end of one path or two paths… and thus break through to the ninth level, is already a great fortune.”

“Perhaps not knowing the truth is still a blessing, at least there’s still hope. Those at the ninth level would spend their entire lives searching for a non-existent secret to break through to the tenth level, traveling through various cosmic ruins and the remnants of ancient beings… If they knew the truth, they would be even more desperate. They might even have died long ago as eighth-level gods, trying to perfect the impossible four genes, making a breakthrough to the ninth level impossible.”

The Primordial God said calmly.

Caroline’s expression grew more silent. “Is the path of cultivation in life always so despairing? Does breaking through to the ninth level for most mean a long hundred thousand years of despair?”

“Always has been.”

The Primordial God stroked Caroline’s hair and said, “Contending with Heaven for destiny, fighting against nature… that is inherently a very foolish thing. Many times, it’s best for mortals not to embark on the path of cultivation. Such lives, though short, are full of happiness… Mortals envy the high and mighty gods, judging success or failure, strength or weakness, by ‘lifespan,’ which is utterly ridiculous…”

“Secluding oneself for arduous cultivation, striving for longevity with the cosmos, barely living one’s own life—what good are a hundred thousand years then?”

The Primordial God fell silent for a moment, then softly said to Caroline, “I hope you don’t blame me for changing your life back then and leading you onto this path of cultivation.”

“On the contrary, I am very grateful.”

Caroline smiled, her expression calm as she said, “I have avoided so much, and even now, with your help, I’ve overcome the enlightened being’s curse of the ninth level and have the chance to step towards the tenth level in the future.”

“Only a chance, nothing more.”

The Primordial God ultimately fell silent. The path to the tenth level was even more terrifying than the ninth.

He didn’t know how to phrase it, and finally just sighed, saying, “The path to the tenth level is still unimaginably long, and not one that ordinary life can tread… But as long as I live, I will do my best to help you on your way to the ultimate future.”