A few seconds prior, Wei Wuyin had stopped his third step. This prevented the vivid memory of Long Chen's arrival from emerging, but the urge to continue forward within his soul kept reverberating with an increasing intensity. However, his thoughts were fiercely circulating within his mind as he recalled this calamity.
"What is it?" Ori asked innocently. It felt the changes in Wei Wuyin's thoughts, but shockingly enough, the pace and pieces of his thoughts were swift, jumbled, and difficult to follow. It couldn't even gleam into its intent. This didn't only shock it, but Kratos and King were similarly baffled and concerned.
It was only Eden who was fluctuating at a similar frequency as Wei Wuyin. The speed of their thoughts were like faster than light mobility formations propelling the ship called the mind. They flowed smoothly together yet the outside could understand nothing.
After a few seconds, Wei Wuyin pressed his foot down and took the final step. He once again was brought to the beginning of his vivid memory.. The coquettish laughter of his female companion alongside the happy and content heavenly laughter of his others.
The beauties that surrounded him filled the room with an intoxicating fragrance that ignited one's lust. He relived his ravaging of their soft and varied bodies, tasting them in every way imaginable. They were fierce, gentle, proactive, or passive. There were all types with every interest that could evoke his inner fire.
Ten heavenly beauties in total, all for his partaking. They didn't really have any distinct faces, belonging to none of his actual women. He couldn't tell their races immediately, and if he wanted them to be demons, they would be demons, and if he wanted them to be elves, they would be elves. They were everything and anything he wanted at the time.
He couldn't recall their name, but if he said a name he liked, they responded with joyful laughter and a playful call out of their attendance before they 'attended' him in all sorts of manner. A few used their mouths, swallowing and kissing with a gushing excitement and pleasured moans. They seemed to deeply enjoy making him feel incredibly good.
This was a heavenly bliss that all men who sought after a harem would desire. Furthermore, it even incorporated his ideal number when he was young—ten. This was his ideal dream.
Yet after a distorted sense of time later, what felt like both decades and minutes at the same time, all of it crumbled as Long Chen arrived as he always did. Without fail, he was unable to resist and was castrated in humiliation, and then forced to, as he was beheaded anr his consciousness faded, realize Long Chen's dastardly intentions towards his idyllic harem.
In the end, he would suffer endless regret at neglecting his cultivation, leading him to experience such great loss.
Then, he would wake with the soul-stirring desire to continue forward in a world of darkness, what would normally be construed as death everlasting.
'So it's like that.'
Those four words caused Ori, King and Kratos to become increasingly curious. They experienced the same things as Wei Wuyin did, but they lacked a few critical aspects that exemplified their roles as Spirits of Cultivation, not cultivators.
Kratos, who was a defier of things, suggested in confusion: "Should we escape?" The unease it felt after experiencing two close calls were horrifying to say the least.
"We wouldn't be able to escape," Eden stated. The Calamity of Hell was inescapable, and if they did leave, who knew what consequences would await. After all, who knew if they could survive the outside world or escape the Heavenly Daos punishment trying to escape Hell. They were mere mortals, and they were Inheritors of Sin.
They couldn't even swear Heavenly Oaths without being discovered, unable to find a Dao Companion. While the Scripture of Sin detailed the disadvantages of being discovered, the means to take if you are, these means were for those at the Realm of Sages with True Souls of Sin!
They were mere mortals.
Kratos released a faint dissatisfied roar, but it didn't retort. It trusted Eden's judgment more than anyone else's. If it said they wouldn't be able to escape, then it'll wait for another option.
"Tch!" King added its two cents.
But Eden shut that down, "If slicing Hell apart was something we could do, why would we even be here?"
"Tch!!"
"If three swings doesn't work, just continue until something gives? Really?" Eden's tone grew exasperated. One wanted to escape, the other wanted to use its edge to end Hell. Were they all really born from the same soul?
"Hehe," Ori chuckled. It was just as uneasy as the rest, but with these siblings with it, how could it be fearful? Even if the heavens were after them, it felt that they would survive as long as they were together. As an Elemental Origin Astral Soul that was composed by the united fusion of nine different elements, giving birth to a greater whole, her thoughts aligned with that concept perfectly.
Eden laughingly sighed. At least Ori wasn't reckless.
"Should we stop moving?" Eden asked, focusing its attention back to Wei Wuyin.
Wei Wuyin was still invested in his thoughts, only breaking away after hearing this question. 'Yes. I've always believed my instincts. If we stop for too long, our soul will instantaneously explode.'
"But is it possible?"
Wei Wuyin sighed in his thoughts, 'You mean: Is my theory correct?'
"Yes."
Wei Wuyin was truly unable to answer. However, he knew one thing for certain: he wasn't able to survive this Calamity. All of his preparations led to him being more alert, not surprised by the endless darkness and the various changes. However, this only got him this far.
He didn't know what other changes this Calamity would have, but he didn't underestimate it. When he recalled the first Calamity, it was divided into increasingly difficult stages that contained varied trials. He had no doubt that this Calamity would experience similar changes, becoming increasingly difficult as well. If he experienced yet another erosion of his soul's outer shell, he might meet his end even with his Astral Souls external support.
In fact, they might be influenced later on, affected by the isolation and imagery. If they all plunged into an inescapable swirl of regret somehow, it would truly be their end. To bet on this possibility was too dangerous.
He hated those odds.
Wei Wuyin had never been one to look for a single path, but to thoroughly understand, consider, and manipulate as much as possible in his favor.
'If the First Calamity had a loophole, then so does this one. Actually, it might not be a loophole.' When this thought that was born out of desperation emerged in his mind a few seconds ago, he was brought into a chaotic swirl of varied theories.
"I can remove your memories, seal your sense of self like before." Eden suggested, but Wei Wuyin instantly refused.
'Regret isn't based on memories, but innate desires. A new 'me' would fall deeper into regret from these events. After all, while my memories were taken away, my true self remained relatively consistent. Any man who just experienced a luxurious lifestyle filled with perfect heavenly beauties, enjoying unimaginable pleasures with utter content would feel regret at being unable to protect it, suffering humiliation due to their weakness.
'I also can't be certain if the vivid memory changes if my innate desires were altered.' Wei Wuyin explained with a ponderous tone.
"How insidious," Ori added.
"Indeed," Kratos quivered. If it was subjected to this Calamity, it might experience being caged in its truest form, forever unable to escape while suffering various indignities to its pride. Likely forced to watch as each of its siblings were tortured and abolished in horrendous ways. It would go mad with regret.
Eden understood Wei Wuyin's thoughts. The suggestion was a last ditch idea, but the possibility of it working was unfathomably low. Still, it had to be suggested.
'Let's think about this from another angle: What's the purpose of this Calamity?' Wei Wuyin changed his avenue of thought, seeking another alternative.
"I know! I know! To make one feel regret!" Ori answered excitedly.
'Simple enough. But not entirely correct. I have internal regrets right now and with every breath I take, and while I've learned to push through them, to strive for the future, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist in my heart. I regret not finding my parents, my brother dying to protect me, losing Dai Lin and my unborn child. These are regrets that I'll always feel, no matter what.' Wei Wuyin thought out these terrifying instances in his life without aversion, showing that, while he held regret over these events, they no longer dictated his life. Instead, they fueled his future that he chose.
"…" Ori went silent. A brooding feeling emanated from her.
"To make one feel regret towards a single memory, right? The memory we experience over and over—the deterioration only affects that." Kratos answered with a tinge of doubt.
'Correct! It only responds to regret I feel from that particular memory. And from what we know, if I experience changes in myself because of that memory, then I'll suffer as well from the deterioration.'
"What is this line of thinking leading to?" Eden, the one closest to Wei Wuyin's thoughts, couldn't help but ask.
Wei Wuyin moved.
Step. Step. Step.
The vivid memory replayed itself. The heavenly beauties, sensual pleasures, and pleasant smells followed by abrupt interruption, humiliating castration, and beheading.
He returned to the endless darkness.
The four Astral Souls were unsure of what Wei Wuyin was trying to do.
'I don't know. I'm trying to formulate an idea.' Wei Wuyin answered.
Step. Step. Step.
The vivid memory replayed itself. The heavenly beauties, sensual pleasures, and pleasant smells followed by abrupt interruption, humiliating castration, and beheading.
He returned to the endless darkness.
"What idea?" Kratos asked.
Step. Step. Step.
The vivid memory replayed itself. The heavenly beauties, sensual pleasures, and pleasant smells followed by abrupt interruption, humiliating castration, and beheading.
He returned to the endless darkness.
"Isn't this just torture!" Ori mournfully exclaimed.
Step. Step. Step.
The vivid memory replayed itself. The heavenly beauties, sensual pleasures, and pleasant smells followed by abrupt interruption, humiliating castration, and beheading.
He returned to the endless darkness.
"Tch!" King's tone was filled with a hint of realization. Out of all the souls, it had the most unyielding nature. Even in the face of this disgusting event, it could remain calm and focused throughout.
'That's right!' Wei Wuyin shouted in his thoughts. King's meaning behind that single sound was a single word: Memory!
From the beginning, he was under the assumption that what he experienced was an incredibly vivid memory that kept repeating in his thoughts. However, King had found out a slight chink in this train of thought.
How can a memory be as if he was reliving it entirely?
He had, with a slight possibility of being true, traveled through time before and had relived his entire life through memories in this very Calamity, yet the memory was more like the former, not even remotely similar as the latter. To relive a memory versus experiencing an event, there were two very different feelings between them.
What he realized through King was that this recurring event wasn't a memory, but an actual event that kept repeating. He felt every touch, smelled every fragrance, and heard every laughter with a renewed sense.
"What do you mean its not a memory? You can't…OH!" Eden was connected with Wei Wuyin's thoughts, so it understood the things he did with much ease than others. It continued, "But is it possible? You haven't changed anything before."
'This Calamity is about regret. From the Scripture of Sin itself, Hell was devised by the Heavenly Daos to cleanse the Karmic Sin that would infect the River of Souls, polluting the cycle of reincarnation. It's original means to handle this was exclusion or destruction. However, these actions could devastate the reincarnation cycle itself, losing powerful souls and balance.
'To balance out this development, the Heavenly Daos was forced to implement the Karmic Luck benefit for particular souls that could overcome certain levels of Hells. They would accrue Karmic Luck in Hell, not in the living world, and when they reincarnated, they would become Blessed. They would then be allowed to re-enter the reincarnation cycle and those Sinners cleansed without overcoming any trial would as well.
'I was likely a Blessed that performed virtuously in my past life, because my Karmic Luck was ungodly low at birth. In comparison to Long Chen, Yuan Longshi, or even the Temporal Reincarnator, they most likely were sent for cleansing and survived multiple Hells. This explains their outstanding talent. This led to the sinful souls being allowed entry to the cycle of reincarnation after cleansing, restoring the balance.' Wei Wuyin recalled the details from the Scripture of Sin, what he had gathered since the beginning.
When he overcame the First Calamity, he received an explosive infusion of Karmic Luck Value. This wasn't specific to certain special Sinners, but for all Sinners. The only difference is that those who inherited the Bloodline of Sin can bring their true bodies and leave after overcoming a Hell, where they could temper their souls further while obtaining karmic fortune in the world of the living.
They could fool Heaven and Hell, stalling the next level of Hell for a period of time to develop and grow. However, when they kill Blessed, the Heavenly Daos' wrath lessens this time.
But the fact remains: Inheritors of Sin were plunderers of the Heavenly Daos, the resistance of its will!
The others were confused, however. What did this have to do with the Calamity?
Wei Wuyin's silver eyes closed, no longer standing out in the darkness. 'All the Calamities of Hells are just trials to overcome, but it is fairly designed for balance. So what happens if you can overcome the principle of your regret? If you can no longer be affected by this regret? Will it change or…'
"Oh!!" Kratos roaringly exclaimed in realization.
"I GET IT! I GET IT! I GET IT!!!" Ori finally grasped the concept that Wei Wuyin meant, a brimming excitement roared from it.
"Tch." King felt they were a little too slow. Unlike him, just like the speed of his edge, he moves faster than them.
King's smugness aside, they all understood the idea Wei Wuyin formed. Facing a difficult situation, the only alternative was to find another solution.
But the question remained: Was it possible?!
Wei Wuyin didn't hesitate.
Step. Step. Step.
"You're so bad!" A coquettish laughter resounded that could cause tingling of the soul. It was accompanied by heavenly laughter of numerous women, like music to the soul. Just from their voices that were as harmonic as an orchestra led by a grand maestro, one could tell every last one of them were beauties of the ages.
The event replayed itself just like before. But this time, Wei Wuyin's silver eyes seemed to have opened twice!
"So it is possible." He regained his awareness within the 'memory' itself!
