Lu Tian stood in stillness, unable to grasp the truth; the consciousness of heavenly Dao itself, the very essence of cultivation, was speaking into his soul.

What blessings did he cultivate in his past life?

"You have to defeat him in the trials. Do you want to be stronger than him?" The voice of Heavenly Dago echoed again.

"How so? I am but a lone thread of silk before his vast expanse. By what means could I hope to surpass him?" Lu Tian pondered aloud knowing it was like chasing shadows beneath the ever-moving clouds, a futile dream to achieve on his own.

"I can give you power. Are you willing to make a deal with me?" The Heavenly Dao's voice was soft but cold as ice, echoing in Lu Tian's head.

"I am willing to do anything. I need to be powerful."

"Then swear upon your soul, and all of your descendants, that you will obey me. Are you willing?" The Heavenly Dao asked.

"Of course!" Lu Tian immediately said.

"Speak the oath, if you dare." The Heavenly Dao replied.

"I, Lu Tian, swear upon my soul and all of my descendants, that I will obey the Heavenly Dao, and fulfill all the tasks given to me, until the end of time," Lu Tian said with determination.

A golden seal appeared in front of him, and he pressed his finger on it, leaving a drop of his blood.

The seal shattered into pieces, and his body was enveloped in a golden light.

"Hmmmmmmmmmm"

Lu Tian felt his body being reshaped, his meridians expanding, and his bones becoming stronger.

"Your cultivation has increased by one stage. Your cultivation base is now the Ensoulment realm. From now on, you are my pawn. Do you have any questions?" The Heavenly Dao asked once again.

Ensoulment is one realm above the nascent soul realm... it is not actually a cultivation realm in a sense but also a realm.

The ensoulment realm doesn't exist in anything but only a sense, gaining control over the seven soul seas.

This... this harmony surpasses the mingling of earth and sky, Lu Tian felt a serene joy rise within him, uncertain if it was a dream or reality.

His body felt light and his mind felt clear... he could feel seven seas inside him, aside from the sea of consciousness.

"Do you have any questions?" The heavenly Dao asked.

"This is truly a blessing. Thank you, Heavenly Dao!" Lu Tian said. He felt a sense of relief wash over him. He now had a chance to surpass Zhao Fan and beat him.

The heavenly Dao has placed its hand on his head, how can he lose!? That's not possible at all... nu uh, Zhao Fan should start counting his days. The river is destined to flow.

"You will receive more blessings in the future. But for now, you are dismissed." The Heavenly Dao's voice faded, and Lu Tian was left alone once again, with a smile on his face. He now has the power to defeat Zhao Fan. He is now a step closer to his goal.

...

Soul Seas:

1) Sea of Perception

- Enhances awareness, senses, and mental clarity.

- Enables deeper insight into surroundings, combat intent, and spiritual resonance.

2) Sea of the profound tome.

- Stores both inherited and self-created techniques, scriptures, formations, and arts.

Supports divine inheritance, reincarnation memory, and personal cultivation breakthroughs.

- Powered further by mind cultivation.

( You know those reincarnated cultivators have those books and arts from past life stored in their sea )

3) Sea of Origin Roots

- Connects the soul to the primordial source of existence through the spirit root.

- Strengthens spiritual roots, karmic identity, and Dao foundation.

4) Sea of Authority

- It represents willpower and dominion.

Allows command over weaker souls, creation of soul avatars, or projection of spiritual will into the world.

5) Sea of Balance

- Maintains harmony between all soul vibrations: Ohm, Shii, Kîî, Nhmm.

- Prevents deviation, mental breakdown, or Qi backlash.

- Essential for soul-body synchronization.

(In a sense all your Dao bones, physique, and other gifts will be reformed in case you create a new body— after soul wandering, you can separate your soul and body )

6) Sea of Fate and Destiny

- Reveals threads of fate, karmic entanglements, and future probabilities.

- allows manipulation or subtle redirection of fate (if soul cultivation is high).

7) Sea of Truth

- The profound and most mysterious sea.

- Said to reveal universal truths, Dao origins, and even defy the Brahman Reset.

- Unlocking this sea is equivalent to stepping on the path to Transcendent Tao-Yi.

* * *

[ Welcome, cultivators, to the 25th floor of the Divine Ascension Domain. ]

The mechanical voice echoed through the air.

[ This floor is designed to test your courage, wit, and will. You will face challenges that will push you to your limits, and beyond. Are you prepared to face what lies ahead? ]

[ Prepared or not, I couldn't care less, may Buddha see, may Buddha laugh. ]

As the voice faded, Zhao Fan and others found themselves standing on a vast, empty plain.

The sky above was a swirling mix of colors, like an oil painting brought to life.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled, and a deep rumbling sound filled the air. They looked around, trying to locate the source of the disturbance.

"What's happening?" Ling'er asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"I don't know," Lu Qingyan replied, her brows furrowed in concentration. "But I think we should be prepared for anything."

As if on cue, a loud roar pierced the air, causing them to cover their ears. They turned to see a massive beast emerging from the ground, its body covered in a mix of scales, fur, and feathers, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly cold light.

"It's a Chaos Beast!" Jia Mei exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. "This one has only read about them in ancient texts but they are said to be born from the chaos of the world itself."

The Chaos Beast roared again, its voice echoing across the plain. The ground shook beneath its massive paws as it began to move towards the cultivators.

"We need to get out of here..." Zhao Fan said with a calm tone like a breeze yet, his voice carried an edge of urgency. "That thing is beyond our reach... This Zhao fears we will be wiped out."

That's a mid-stage of grade 8 beast, something even hundreds of peak nascent soul realm cultivators couldn't fight.

And it's not easy... the difference between the peak of grade seven and the early stage of grade eight is like heaven and earth.

"But where can we go?" Yi Xin Xue asked, her eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of escape. "The plain is endless, and there's nowhere to hide."

Zhao Fan isn't stupid unable to see the surroundings...

Meanwhile, Lu Tian was observing the scene from a distance with a smirk playing on his lips.

He knew that this was his chance to prove his strength, to show everyone that he was more than just a lowly human.

With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a small, glowing orb. It hovered in the air before him, pulsing with dark energy.

"This will show them," he muttered to himself, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "This will show them all that I, Lu Tian am a true leader. I, Lu Tian, am born to lead."

With a wave of his hand, he sent the orb flying towards the Chaos Beast. It hit the beast with a burst of dark energy, causing it to roar in pain.

Hooooooo!!!!

All of them turned to see Lu Tian standing there with a confident smirk on his face.

"What are you doing?" Zhao Fan asked without any hint of emotion or pity.

Attacking a chaos beast is seeking trouble.

Monk sees once, shakes head twice.

"What do you mean by what am I doing!? I don't need your help," Lu Tian replied, his voice dripping with arrogance. "I can handle this beast on my own."

"You're being foolish," Jia Mei said, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. How dare he talk to the Holy Envoy like that?

Seeing this, Lu Tian gritted his teeth. This lowly woman dared to stand for a man. Hmph, have eyes but unable to see Mount Tai.

"You... You... You... I am the team," Lu Tian replied, his chest puffed out in pride.

"I am the strongest one here. I don't need any of you."

"I am stronger!!! I am smarter!!! I am better... I am just simply better!!!"

Before anyone could respond, the Chaos Beast roared again, this time directing its attention towards Lu Tian.

"You shouldn't have done that," Yi Xin Xue said, her voice laced with concern. "Now it's coming for you."

"I can handle it," Lu Tian replied, a confident smirk still plastered on his face.

The Chaos Beast charged towards him, its massive form barreling down on him with incredible speed.

Lu Tian stood his ground, a fierce fire burning in his eyes.

"What if you lose..." Jia Mei asked

"Nah, I'd win."

* * *