At the moment, there were more people undergoing a Spirit Rebirth than at any point in time since the last recitation of the Everstone Discourse. There were many people who had not been at the right level to undergo a Spirit Rebirth, but they had done everything possible for two years to reach that level.
Countless cultivators, sects, and families had made endless preparations purely for this one moment.
At this moment, the Everstone sequence base was in the Wisdom Domain, and the first person to resonate with Everstone was a peak powerhouse.
The lower the reciter’s level, the more beneficial it was for weaker cultivators. However, the lowest requirement for a cultivator to resonate with Everstone was for them to be a peak powerhouse. Anyone weaker than that would not be able to even approach the sequence base, let alone resonate with it.
Since ancient times, those who were capable of helping weaker cultivators undergo a Spirit Rebirth had all been either peak powerhouses or sequence powerhouses. If an Ortuser were to recite, they would offer little help to weaker cultivators.
Everstone was a sequence base that visually resembled a millstone. It looked as though it could grind away the universe itself, and it could also expand or shrink at will.
An old man took a step into outer space, arriving before Everstone. His eyes hid complex emotions, including both excitement and nostalgia. "I never expected that I would one day have the honor of perishing during a recitation. I have reached the end of my years, dragging this broken body along. However, this makes it all worth it.
"I am Zhao Lingbo. May our Spirit Nidus’s martial path flourish for countless ages, and may my descendants bring glory to the past and the future alike. Even in death, I have no regrets."
Bang!
A deafening crash echoed across the megaverse, and at the same time, Zhao Lingbo’s body started to shine. Specks of light drifted away from his body, scattering with his voice to reach all who were listening.
At this moment, countless cultivators bowed low, overcome with gratitude as they received the man’s insights.
Of the thirty-six domains, within the Augury Domain, an entire family of cultivators had dropped to their knees. "Farewell, Ancestor."
"Farewell, Ancestor."
"Farewell, Ancestor..."
To die while reciting the Everstone Discourse was the highest honor that one could receive in the Spirit Nidus. It was comparable to dying and contributing to a sequence base.
In the Wisdom Domain, Old Yu looked up at the sky. Zhao Lingbo had once been heralded as an unparalleled genius, and he had competed against countless other prodigies. Unfortunately, he had never managed to comprehend the laws of the universe and become a sequence powerhouse. Despite that, he had been a Realmbreaker capable of challenging sequence powerhouses, which was a rare accomplishment in the Spirit Nidus. This was the minimum caliber for someone to qualify to resonate with Everstone.
If this man had been able to become a sequence powerhouse, he would have had a chance at joining the White Spirit List. It was a terrible pity, and his fate could only be lamented.
Every time the Everstone Discourse were recited, similar powerhouses would inevitably sacrifice themselves. To them, doing so was an honor. For countless cultivators throughout the Spirit Nidus, it represented an opportunity for growth. Those who sacrificed themselves could be regarded as half-masters for innumerable cultivators.
Aboard Boundless, Chu Yi, Lu Tianyi, and others spread out and quietly listened.
Lu Yin stood at the bow of the battleship, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared in the direction of the Wisdom Domain.
Zhao Lingbo, huh?
While the Spirit Nidus and the Tianyuan Megaverses were enemies, there were still people in both megaverses who were worthy of respect. Those who devoted themselves to their homeland were to be respected, and there were a great number of such individuals in the Spirit Nidus.
Those people were heroes to the Spirit Nidus, and even if they were enemies of the Tianyuan Megaverse, such people still deserved respect, even on the battlefield. The only fault of such individuals was that they stood on the other side.
In the depths of the Champions' Stage Purgatory, Lu Yin had imprisoned others like Zhao Lingbo. Qi Zun was one such person who had dedicated his entire life to the Spirit Nidus. That man also deserved respect, but that did not mean that Lu Yin would show him any mercy. Those people were still his enemies.
When massive battles broke out across the megaverses, he would have to face many more such people.
He hoped to give them honorable deaths, and in the same manner, he hoped that someone would be willing to grant those aboard Boundless honorable deaths as well.
As the Everstone sequence base continued to resonate, Zhao Lingbo’s body faded away, growing nearly transparent. As the man opened his eyes, he reflected on his entire life.
Throughout the thirty-six domains, many excited cultivators were attempting to undergo a Spirit Rebirth.
"This is Senior Zhao’s cultivation path... Sure enough, I was mistaken before, but it’s not too late for me to change now. Thank you, Senior Zhao!"
"A Spirit Transformation innate gift! I’ve awakened a Spirit Transformation innate gift! Hahaha!"
"Son, you obtained a Spirit Transformation innate gift?"
"Yes, Mother! I never imagined that I would actually be able to undergo a Spirit Rebirth or a Spirit Transformation! This is the start of my rise into the heavens!"
"That’s wonderful! Quick! Offer incense to your father and tell him that our son has finally made something of himself. However, you first need to thank Senior Zhao!"
"Thank you, Senior Zhao, for your guidance."
Countless cultivators knelt in gratitude. Zhao Lingbo had allowed many to achieve their dreams.
As the old man’s body faded away completely, at the final moment before he disappeared, he smiled.
Countless cultivators bowed to say farewell.
Old Yu let out a long breath. After a moment, he turned to look in a different direction. An elderly woman stepped into space, and moved towards Everstone. "With this single step of Blood Swallow, may those who come after me soar ever higher, surpassing all limits."
With that, she struck Everstone.
Some cultivators gasped in shock. "Madam Blood Swallow? She's still alive?"
"What? That’s Madam Blood Swallow? Weren’t there reports saying that she died while fighting in the Consciousness Megaverse?"
"Madam Blood Swallow was an amazing genius. She managed to become a sequence powerhouse, but then she lost her sequence particles due to an accident. Even then, her battleBlood Swallow technique allowed her to defeat numerous sequence powerhouses. This is amazing! Senior Zhao’s path doesn’t suit me, so I have to understand Senior Blood Swallow’s path!"
"All of us thank Senior Blood Swallow for her sacrifice."
"Thank you, Senior..."
Countless voices rose in gratitude. The old woman smiled, sat down cross-legged, and her body slowly started disappearing. Light radiated away from her, along with her voice that echoed across the thirty-six domains.
Every cultivator’s path was different and unique. Just because someone had reached a higher realm, it did not mean that their path would suit others.
Zhao Lingbo’s experiences had benefited some people, but most had no sense of connection to it. Thus, for many people, the deciding factor of whether they experienced any improvement depended on how many people participated in the recitation session.
The Everstone Discourse was an opportunity for people to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others. Such a sacrifice could help many individuals elevate their level in various ways. It was not that the Spirit Nidus was unwilling to hold the Everstone Discourse frequently, but rather that there simply were not enough cultivators who had reached the end of their lifespan and were willing to make such a sacrifice.
The recitations only took place to celebrate the rise of a new Seraph, or when too many cultivators were nearing the end of their lives.
Each time, countless cultivators hoped for more powerhouses to participate in the recitation. The more that spoke, the greater the chance that they would be able to resonate with the path of one of the speakers, thus improving their cultivation. It was a chance to break past bottlenecks or even awaken an innate gift or a spirit weapon. It was a chance to instantly experience a drastic improvement.