After dealing with his last Heart Devil Tribulation, Wang Wei knew he was ready for the next stage of cultivation. So, he did not waste time and continued his seclusion.
The first step to entering the Void Shattering Realm is to pass through the [Road of the Heart]. And to do so requires cultivators to enter a profound realm of meditation, unlike anything they have experienced.
Then, they have to understand the concept of emptiness, which does not refer to the state of nothingness but the idea that there is a distinctive idea between how things are and how they appear.
Cultivators must understand the meditative method that focuses on perception and how cultivator views the world and their experience. Cultivators have to look at the world with no preconceived notions or bias about what they think it is or functions; they have to look at the universe through a “void” or “empty” mindset, then they can find the [Road of the Heart] and discover their true self.
And the process of discovering the self and sublimating it is called “Void Shattering.” In the past, this knowledge was common among cultivators–especially in the Ancient Emperor Era.
Unfortunately, over time, most cultivators think that Void Shattering refers to the ability to use Law to break the space and teleport. Although most Saint Land and above should know the truth, no one cared enough to spread the truth to loose cultivators.
So, Wang Wei theorized this is one of the many reasons the current New Emperor Era is so weak and a general failure compared to the other Eras.
[Void Shattering] is a difficult step that stopped many cultivators, so many people have found shortcuts and other methods to avoid this step over the years. And the result of that is that these people do not temper their Dao Hearts in the process, leading to some of them becoming Great Emperors with weak Dao Hearts and Pseudo-Emperors.
With Wang Wei’s comprehension and the [Origin Sutra] that has detailed information in each realm, he soon found his Primordial Spirit standing on a long road.
Upon closer examination, everything around the road seemed highly dark, making the environment a little eerie. As soon as he stopped paying attention and focused on the road, he instantly forgot about the atmosphere.
‘Is this the Road of Heart?’ thought Wang Wei before beginning to walk. The moment he took his first step, he felt like a powerful gravity weighted on his soul, making each step arduous.
At the same time, Wang Wei heard countless voices telling him that if he stopped walking and gave up, the pain would disappear. At first, he could only hear murmurs.
But the further he walked down the road, the clearer the voices became and the more powerful their charming ability became. Of course, Wang Wei ignored these voices.
With his Dao Heart tempered in the Pagoda and recent events, this temptation is nothing to him. Additionally, Wang Wei discovered that his [Oath of Silence] is perfect for tempering the mind and Dao Heart.
Without the ability to express his voice, he values his mind and thoughts even more than before, allowing him to understand himself, his thought process, and ideas even more than before, thus sublimating his state of mind and Dao Heart.
Furthermore, as a person who wants to be free and unfettered, having restrictions placed on him is another form of tempering. So, Wang Wei passed the first stage of the road with no difficulty.
After walking a certain distance, something changed. Wang Wei saw a beautiful woman lying on the floor, bleeding to death. In terms of beauty, even Xu Shi could not compare.
Moreover, her frail body on the ground seemed to amplify her charm. Wang Wei bent over her body before placing his hand on her injury–which so happens to be a stab wound on her chest.
Using his spiritual strength, he healed her. A few seconds later, the woman opened her eyes.
“Did you save me, benefactor?”
Wang Wei did not answer. So, she lowered her head before continuing:
“Yi’er has nothing to offer but this daughter’s body. If the benefactor wants, I will dedicate my life to repaying this debt.”
Wang Wei looked at her as he felt the charming aura emanating from her body. He shook his head before continuing walking. As he did so, he could hear her pleading cry followed by a sob that could melt the heart of the most heinous of criminals.
But his footstep did not stop. He knew that there were many choices he could take after encountering this woman, and each option represented a different path or mindset.
If Wang Wei chose to ignore the woman completely, that meant he was walking the path of [Ruthlessness]; he would abandon most emotions as he continued to walk the path of cultivation. From now on, he would have no real tether in the world as he pursued power and longevity.
Of course, another meaning behind this choice is that he walked Taoism’s path of [Inaction], which was the idea that things happened in the universe for a reason.
So, the woman’s death was because her time arrived, and interfering with her fate was interfering with the universe’s workings.
Although he could do so, this would result in Karma between them. So, most Taoist priests would choose this method–unless they were from another School of Thought.
The choice that Wang Wei made signified he would not abandon his emotions just for immortality; he would follow his heart and ensure that his consciousness was clear. At the same time, he will also not let the temptation of the flesh block his journey.
Another choice would be to allow the woman to follow down the road. However, she will constantly tempt cultivators to stop their journey, and they must resist.
Additionally, they also have to support her with their strength to allow her to continue on the road, thus bearing even more weight from the Road’s Gravity.
And once they give up, they would fail the tempering of this road and have to start over again. Honestly, Wang Wei pitied the fools who chose this method. Even if they can resist all the temptations and support her, they will have to wake up at the end of the road and realize that she is not real.
And this can be considered another form of tempering–especially if a cultivator developed affections for her.
As Wang Wei continued to walk down the road, he encountered many beautiful women. They all seemed to be the epitome of beauty and were designed especially for his preferences. As such, he could see many of Wu Hong’s qualities among these women–especially the long legs and beautiful feet.
On this section of the road, he encountered many cliche scenarios. Someone would chase these women, and he would save them. Some offered him unimaginable wealth and power as long as he stayed with them. One of them offered him immortality and even to become a Great Emperor.
Typically, a child would consider this kind of promise nonsense. And yet, deep in the back of his mind, he believed it to be true; he believed that this woman could give him either immortality or the power of a Great Emperor.
Nevertheless, Wang Wei ignored all the women until he reached close the end of the next stage of the road. He saw Wu Hong lying on the ground with blood all over her body, just like the first woman.
Looking at her injury, he could tell that healing her would severely weaken him and decrease his ability to support the gravity of this road as quickly as he used to.
But, he did not hesitate to do so. And once Wu Hong opened her eyes, joy appeared all over her face.
“I know you would save me,” she said with a smile. “Can you help me up so that I can continue walking?”
Wang Wei looked at her eyes, which seemed even more charming than usual. This was the first time he saw her in such a weak state, and somehow, this fact made her even more attractive to his male ego.
Nonetheless, Wang Wei ignored her as he walked away. And as he heard her sob and cried for help, he stopped briefly before continuing walking. And with each step, his mind and Dao Heart sublimated.
He loved and adored Wu Hong with all his heart but also knew how to control himself not to lose himself or his sense of identity in the relationship. And the same goes for her.
At the exact intersection of the next stage, Wang Wei saw Wu Hong again; this time, however, she was perfectly fine, without a single injury.
“I have something for you,” she said as a bright orb appeared in her hand. Upon inspection, Wang Wei could tell this orb would replenish his lost spiritual strength and return him to a peak state.
No, it would even increase his power and allow him to ignore the ever-increasing gravity and Temptating Voice that kept asking him to give up. Instantly, he understood the purpose of this test.
So far, his relationship with Wu Hong has been one-sided, with her always helping and supporting him. Wang Wei did not mind such help since he did not have that much ego when it came to things like this.
However, there is the possibility that he becomes too overreliant on her, which would affect his future. Luckily for him, the Outlaw Trial forced him not to rely on her, so the issue has not become a genuine problem.
After realizing this, Wang Wei once again felt a slight sublimation in his state of mind and Dao Heart. So, he walked to the third section. This part of the road involved enduring pain and suffering.
With his training in the Pagoda and masochist treatment he often placed his fleshly body in, he quickly passed this section. He even took this opportunity to cultivate his Pain Innate Talent.
However, when he stepped into the fourth section, Wang Wei’s body trembled slightly: he had to stop for a moment because of what he saw.
(I received two more 500 coins gifts, so I owe you guys 2 extra chapters, which will be released throughout the week.)