With every law point of light he ignited, his Net of Existence expanded, and his connection to the world deepened. He wasn't controlling these laws, but affirming their existence. And in doing so, he affirmed, "I exist in a world that has these laws."
It was a cycle of mutual causality: the existence of the laws affirmed his existence, and his existence affirmed the existence of the laws.
The instant this cycle was established, a qualitative transformation occurred deep within Tang Wulin's soul.
All the points of light—whether of memory, emotion, reality, or law—pulsed in unison at this moment, then began to merge. It was not a physical fusion, but a unification of meaning: they were no longer isolated nodes, but formed a complete story, a complete chart, a complete "Tang Wulin Universe."
At the center of this miniature universe, a brand new point of light was born.
It was not memory, not emotion, not reality, nor law. It was the source and the sum of all of them—the manifestation of the most fundamental fact: "I exist."
Tang Wulin "saw" it—it was a seed.
A seed made purely of light, quietly suspended at the center of his soul's network, rotating slowly and emitting a warm yet firm radiance. It was minuscule, fragile, yet it held incredible potential, as if a complete world was gestating within it.
The instant the seed formed, a sudden change occurred in the real world.
Inside the quiet room, Tang Wulin's body erupted with a blinding milky-white light. That light was gentle yet unstoppable, piercing the walls of the quiet room, piercing the barriers of the Serenity Garden, and shooting straight into the heavens of the Divine Realm.
All the gods in the entire Divine Realm looked up at that very moment.
They saw a pillar of light rising from the Serenity Garden, piercing the heavens and the earth. It was not a fluctuation of divine power, nor an eruption of soul power, not even any known form of energy. It was a... "declaration," a "confirmation," a silent cry of "I am here."
The God of Destruction and the Life Goddess were the first to arrive. They looked at the pillar of light, their eyes filled with shock.
"This is..." the Life Goddess's voice trembled. "A manifestation of existence? He did it? He truly... condensed the 'Seed of Existence' deep in his soul?"
"More than that," the God of Destruction stared intently at the pillar of light, its pure radiance reflected in his purple eyes. "He's using this seed to establish a new connection with the world. Look—"
Following his gaze, the Life Goddess saw invisible ripples spreading out from the pillar of light. Wherever the ripples passed, the world's "sense of reality" seemed to be enhanced. The grass was greener, the flowers more fragrant, the wind gentler, even the light itself seemed more real.
The world hadn't changed; the way of perceiving it had. Tang Wulin's Seed of Existence was like a lens, making everything observed through it highlight the vividness of "existence itself."
"He's redefining his relationship with the world," the God of Destruction murmured, his tone filled with an incredulous excitement. "It's not 'I am in the world,' but 'the world and I co-exist.' This isn't a subject-object dichotomy, but a state of being integral parts of one another. If he can stabilize this state..."
He didn't finish, but the Life Goddess understood.
If Tang Wulin could stabilize this state, then the existence of "Tang Wulin" would no longer be an object in the world, but a part of the world's very structure of existence. Like time, space, and the laws, he would become a "background setting," a "premise of existence."
At that point, any attempt to erase him would be equivalent to attacking the fundamental structure of the world itself. The Eye of Annihilation might be able to erase an object, but could it erase the fact that "time exists"? Could it erase the fact that "space exists"? If not, then when Tang Wulin became such an existence, it would be equally unable to erase him.
"But this is only the beginning," the Life Goddess said softly, her joy tinged with worry. "The seed has just sprouted; the seedling is still very fragile. The road he has to walk is still very, very long."
The pillar of light lasted for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, then slowly receded, returning to the quiet room, returning to Tang Wulin's body.
Inside the quiet room, Tang Wulin opened his eyes.
His appearance hadn't changed; he was still pale, still weak, his soul power still only at the twentieth level. But his eyes—deep within those azure-blue irises, something was different.
It wasn't the light of power, nor the sharp edge of wisdom, but a... "sense of reality." When you looked into his eyes, you had an unshakable certainty that the person before you "absolutely existed"—not an illusion, not a projection, not a concept, but an undeniable, unquestionable "being."
"Wulin!" Qian Renxue was the first to rush into the quiet room, tightly embracing her husband. "How are you? What was that just now..."
"I'm fine," Tang Wulin returned his wife's embrace, his voice calm and solid. "I've never been better."
He looked at his parents, who had followed him in, then at the God of Destruction and the Life Goddess at the door, and gave a slight smile. "I've found the starting point. Not the starting point for power, but... the starting point of the path."
"That seed," the God of Destruction said as he entered, his gaze burning. "You can feel it, can't you?"
Tang Wulin nodded. He held his palm up, and with a slight thought, a point of milky-white light appeared in it—faint yet firm. It was the projection of the Seed of Existence from deep in his soul.
"I call it the 'Light of the True Self,'" he said. "Or, the 'Proof of Existence.' It isn't power, nor is it a law; it is the proof of the fact, 'I exist.' As long as this light is not extinguished, I will exist forever—not in flesh, not in soul, but as the very fact of 'having existed,' forever imprinted upon the history of the universe."
Xiao Wu covered her mouth, tears streaming down uncontrollably. They were not tears of sorrow, but of pride, of emotion, of relief at seeing her son rise again from the ruins, and stand more firmly than ever before.
Tang San walked up to his son, looked deeply at the point of light, then raised his head to meet Tang Wulin's gaze. "How far can this path go?"
"I don't know," Tang Wulin said honestly. "But I will walk it, one step at a time. The next stage, I want to try using this seed to re-understand soul power, to re-construct the cultivation system. If 'existence' is the foundation, then what should soul power be? What should soul rings be? What should martial souls be? I want to find the answers to these questions."
"What help do you need?" the God of Destruction asked directly.
"Two things," Tang Wulin said, not holding back. "First, I need to consult all the records in the Divine Realm regarding the origin of the world, the essence of the laws, and ontology—not cultivation techniques, but the most fundamental theories. Second..."
He paused, looking in the direction of the Abyss Gate. "Second, I want to periodically approach that fissure, to temper my 'Proof of Existence' in the aura of annihilation. Only in the face of absolute nothingness can existence be truly tested."
"That's too dangerous!" Qian Renxue blurted out.
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