Chapter 316: The Path of Ten Thousand Ways to Divinity
Linyun smiled faintly. "Do not be deceived by the scrolls' simplicity. The artistic intent within them holds extraordinary power."
"All things under heaven lead to the divine. When calligraphy cultivation reaches its perfection, a single stroke can alter heaven and earth."
"Calligraphy that ascends to the divine? Impossible!" someone muttered skeptically.
Linyun did not argue, only continued, her tone calm but resonant.
"The scroll of Kill, when infused with soul power, releases a terrifying aura of slaughter. Those caught within it suffer varying degrees of damage—lightly, mental injuries; severely, their very lives are consumed by killing intent."
"The scroll of Trap manifests a powerful sealing array. The more soul power you pour in, the stronger the binding force grows. It can restrain nearly any living being."
"But a word of caution—the intent within the scrolls is finite. Each use weakens it until it is spent and becomes nothing more than ordinary parchment."
At once, the hall understood—these weren't just calligraphy pieces but single-use treasures of unimaginable might.
Even limited in application, they were priceless lifesavers—perfect tools to slay or survive against overwhelming foes.
Standing at the auction platform, Linyun twirled the faintly glowing scroll between her fingers, sunlight gleaming across its surface.
Her gaze swept over the varied expressions among the crowd, a knowing smile curving her lips.
"Though you marvel at these calligraphic scrolls, they only represent a fragment of the greater Dao."
Her voice, amplified by soul power, carried clearly to every ear.
"In the myriad paths of existence, there are no higher or lower ways—only deeper or shallower comprehension."
"Just as your martial souls differ—swords that cleave all laws, spears that pierce the heavens, towers that suppress mountains and rivers—what seems ordinary can, when mastered, reveal an entirely new world."
The audience listened in rapt silence. Even the proudest of the continent's elites unconsciously leaned forward.
Gu Yuena sat gracefully within the VIP seats, her silver hair cascading like moonlight. Eight elemental auras—fire, water, wind, earth, light, darkness, life, and destruction—flickered faintly around her.
As Linyun spoke, Gu Yuena's fingers tapped the armrest lightly, a ripple of emotion in her eyes.
She had always believed her mastery of the elements was flawless. But now she realized—each element hid a deeper truth behind its power.
Fire was not only destruction—it was rebirth and transformation.
Wind was not merely motion—it was both embrace and consumption.
At her side, Bi Ji had likewise fallen into contemplation. For the first time, she questioned her own path.
Was the true essence of life energy merely healing and growth?
Linyun's words felt like a key, unlocking knots that had long slumbered in their hearts.
Until now they had viewed their powers as tools bound by fixed functions—yet perhaps each force held infinite depth.
For Bi Ji, who had cultivated for a million years, her life energy's ceiling had seemed clear—to restore limbs, to resurrect the dying. But the Pavilion's teachings suggested that even life could transcend life itself.
She could only remain silent, waiting for what new truths the Pavilion would unveil.
"Take, for example, the blade-type martial soul," Linyun continued, her tone slicing through the silence.
"Ordinary soul masters swing blades for sharpness and strength. Yet if one masters the deeper meaning of the blade, each strike need not sever flesh—but instead, the very flow of time, the barrier of space."
"If a young child, freshly awakened to a blade martial soul, were to grasp the true intent of the Blade Dao through innate genius, then with mere intent alone—the blade will—they could slay even a Title Douluo. That is no mere soul skill's power, but the essence of the Dao itself—all things hold cracks, and the blade alone can sever them."
Gasps filled the hall.
Blade martial souls were common across Douluo. Yet no one had ever imagined such an ultimate realm.
To kill a Title Douluo with mere will—what terrifying concept was this?
In truth, on this continent, even the faint release of a Title Douluo's soul force could crush a child before a strike fell.
Yet Linyun's words overturned that order entirely. A child's comprehension, not cultivation, might transcend an adult's power.
Could it be that everything they practiced was but the shallowest reflection of true meaning?
"And what of the sword martial soul?" Linyun's eyes shone like crystal blades.
"The sword embodies intent. When Sword Intent flows within the meridians and fuses with soul power, transcending the limits of the martial soul, each swing no longer channels a simple technique—it echoes the very rules of the world."
"There was once a sword cultivator whose martial soul had not even awakened. Yet with a mortal iron sword, his Sword Intent clashed head-on with the Ninth Soul Skill of a Title Douluo. He won not through strength, but through the will of the sword suppressing the law of the soul skill itself."
"And beast-type martial souls?" someone in the crowd called out.
Linyun gave a knowing smile.
"As I said—everything has its Dao. Whether tool or beast, when cultivated to its extreme, even the smallest essence can wield world-shattering might."
"Comprehend the path for yourselves. Only by walking your own road can you open your heaven."
She offered no further explanation, only redirected their focus.
"All this I have said is to remind you—do not confine yourselves to what you see. The great Dao has no end."
"These two scrolls of Kill and Trap may be single-use tools, but within them lies profound artistic intent. From that intent, you may gain your own insight—your own Way."
Her voice deepened as she concluded, "Now, the auction begins! The Kill and Trap scrolls will be sold together. Starting bid: five million gold soul coins. Each raise no less than two million."
"Five million!"
The call came instantly in a booming voice—it was Du Bushi of the Body Sect.
He had not paid attention earlier, but after hearing her explanation, his interest stirred.
Just as Linyun promised, one could glimpse from the written characters an entirely new Dao—even for the Body Martial Soul.
Years of cultivation had brought him to Ultimate Douluo status, but also to stagnation. No matter how he trained, the true essence of his path eluded him.
If these scrolls could open his next step, then five million was nothing.
(END CHAPTER)
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