"Do you want my sixty-eight years of life that you hadn't seen yet or my entire life's knowledge of cultivation?"
"..."
Such a choice was ripe with endless temptation. Young Wei Wuyin stared intently at the clothed Wei Wuyin's expression, gauging the truth within those words. From the very beginning of their conversations, the clothed Wei Wuyin had been seeking to entrap him into a pit of taboo with trickery and deceit. It was hard to accept this generous offer, but everything was telling him that this Wei Wuyin was telling the absolute truth.
He would sacrifice his life to give young Wei Wuyin either of these choices, so as a show of respect, young Wei Wuyin genuinely considered the possibilities, implications, and benefits of each choice.
It was clear that Wei Wuyin was largely ignorant of many details that this clothed version of himself knew, and he clearly had a grudge against the Endless Voyage Realm, which could include a powerful female perpetrator, such as Zhangjie Wushu or Liu Yinlan. He was leaning towards the latter. Furthermore, there were bound to be various Karmic Encounters that he'd experienced or learned about regarding other Blessed that Wei Wuyin could capitalize on if given foreknowledge of events.
In a way, this choice would grant him a similar power as a Temporal Reincarnator. A power that he'd envied since learning of their existence, enough to cause him to alter his actions to induce as much disruption, disarray, and changes to their believed knowledge.
On the other side, however, the entire lifetime's worth of cultivation knowledge was unimaginably priceless. Considering this clothed Wei Wuyin had become a Soul of Mysticism Phase cultivator at sixty years old, likely given his age, he has tremendous experience concocting Mystic-Graded Alchemical Products and various comprehensions towards all sorts of powers, spells, arts, and more.
Wei Wuyin had experienced just sixty years of his life and greatly benefitted from simple observation by viewing through those eyes of his. While he couldn't experience the thoughts, feelings, insights, enlightenment, tribulations, and Bloodline of Sin's Karmic Powers, he grasped a lot of intricate details that improved his understanding. It couldn't be underestimated either.
It was an extremely difficult choice.
A cruel one.
To gain foreknowledge of possible outcomes, learn crucial details about Trueborn, the Endless Voyage Realm, the hidden experts and secrets of the Sealed Region, and even the events that led to the current Wei Wuyin becoming an Earthly Saint at merely one hundred and twenty-eight years old was endlessly useful to the current him that has Grand ambitions.
But, to gain his comprehension and insights into Arts, Spells, Cultivation Methods, Concoction Methods, and likely Mystic Intent was equally as useful to his personal strength.
Knowledge…
Or…
Cultivation…
Young Wei Wuyin knitted his brows as he seriously considered both options, weighing their pros and cons. For example, this clothed Wei Wuyin's path was notably different than his, so whether it was his knowledge of future events or cultivation insights, they could both be detrimental to his current developments.
Moreover, he didn't know what level of Calamity of Hell this version of himself completed. He knew that he couldn't outright ask anything regarding his future or past, so he didn't try to skirt the taboos or test them. But if he completed his fourth or fifth, then wouldn't life knowledge be far more valuable than cultivation knowledge?
The clothed Wei Wuyin seemed relatively relaxed, allowing Wei Wuyin to decide on his own. He gazed warmly at the Deep-Violet Lunar Roses, a faint smile on the surface of his extremely handsome face. If anyone were to observe this marvelous scene, the wind softly blowing his hair, the solar light cascading from this angle, and his stylish outfit, it was hard not to be enraptured by it.
Young Wei Wuyin closed his eyes.
"You should hurry, the tribulation won't last forever. The River of Time's power isn't limitless." The clothed Wei Wuyin calmly reminded, seemingly without any ill intent. And young Wei Wuyin could feel it, this strange space was quivering slightly. Even the River of Time was unable to maintain this type of Isolated and Paradoxical Space without consequences. Or at least, the very small portion of it that was governing this tribulation couldn't.
Eventually, young Wei Wuyin opened his eyes, the softest of silver and cyan light emitting from his irises, granting him an everlasting beauty that felt as peaceful and majestic as an Aurora Borealis of the night sky.
"I nearly fell for it; how can temptation muddy the mind so easily?" The young Wei Wuyin shook his head, looking at the Deep-Violet Lunar Roses with clear eyes, unaffected by any hectic emotions.
"Hm?" The clothed Wei Wuyin sounded genuinely surprised. "You think it's a trick? That I have some godly method to fool you into losing this tribulation?"
The young Wei Wuyin shook his head softly.
"Oh? Do you think I'm going to try to seize your mind or something? Or am I just stalling for the tribulation to end? Because I'll tell you honestly: I have no plans. When the tribulation ends, we'll both die, swept away in the River of Time, becoming insignificant specks before an unforgivingly long stretch of boundless time. One of many, there's no reason to stall." This time, the clothed Wei Wuyin ended his Magi Spell, speaking in plain Mortal Language. It was clear this information was genuine details of the tribulation.
"And taking over your mind does nothing for me. You exist as a True Soul, your mind is but a replica loosely linked to your Sea of Consciousness. None of it is real. None of this is real! I can't take over your True Soul. Perhaps if I've reached the Resonant Soul Realm, then I'd give it a shot. Haha." The clothed Wei Wuyin seemed amused by Wei Wuyin's decision. He couldn't help but think that he was always so cautious, so it made sense that this Wei Wuyin would do so.
He disappointingly shook his head, saying: "Then, don't accept it—just kill me." With those three words, he removed his hand from his hilt as the remaining fighting will within him faded. It was foolish to think he could defeat a younger, stronger version of himself using his Realm World Phase cultivation when this version of himself could invoke a tribulation vastly exceeding the Mystic Ascendant Realm.
If anything, he wanted to benefit a version selfishly. Since he was going to die, he didn't want those bastards to have an easy time in any timeline. It would be best if this version of himself brutally massacred the whole lot.
The clothed Wei Wuyin wistfully smiled with a wry chuckle. Knowing himself, how could he possibly believe in himself after being so deceitful? Given the circumstances, he surely wouldn't have accepted the slightest benefit from those that wanted him dead. Even if the probability of such an incident was ten-thousandth of a percentage of likelihood, he wouldn't do so.
"No," the young Wei Wuyin calmly spoke out, causing the clothed Wei Wuyin to frown, continuing with: "I meant that I've nearly allowed temptation to muddy my thoughts with your false dichotomy."
"...?!" The clothed Wei Wuyin was baffled. What did that mean? What false dichotomy?
"I know now why we're different, why I'm standing here at age sixty while you're here at one hundred and twenty-eight. I know why that one," Wei Wuyin pointed at the silver rose dancing amongst the violet roses, "had suffered so much."
"Hm? Haha, really? Do you REALLY?! The difference is clear, your cultivation base is higher because you've experienced greater fortune and no losses in your life after Dai Lyn. Isn't that it?" The clothed Wei Wuyin laughed with a tinge of mockery, feeling as if this was absurd.
"..." Wei Wuyin saw the frustration and envy in the eyes of this older version of himself, rage and loss, pain and suffering, and so much more was swirling within his silver eyes. It was incredibly moving but to Wei Wuyin…
Wei Wuyin no longer bothered to explain. He took a step forward, and as he did, the clothed Wei Wuyin's expression slightly changed as his cultivation base began to rapidly regress. Swiftly, it fell to the Realm World Phase. There was a light of acceptance in the clothed Wei Wuyin's eyes.
He turned to face young Wei Wuyin, unsheathing his saber, and then readied himself. Despite accepting his defeat and death, he was unwilling to simply lose. He circulated his four Astral Souls, and while they lacked their sentient consciousness, they were still extremely powerful. A light of reminiscence emerged in those eyes of his, clearly emotional regarding feeling the power of all four once again.
His cultivation foundation was revealed as four thirty-nine-centimeter-sized Astral Cores emerged, two in his Dantian, one in his Sea of Consciousness, and one in his fleshy heart. They thrummed with tremendous power!
A light of confidence emerged in his silver eyes. In the Sealed Regions, this was unprecedented at his age! Even Tian Xiaolu was six centimeters less than this despite being supported wholeheartedly by an Alchemic Saint. When he reached this point, he was unmatched in his cultivation despite rushing towards the Soul of Mysticism Phase at an early age.
"Do you know what my first thought when I arrived in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region was? Learning of its endless vastness, of its greatly powerful experts controlling it?" The young Wei Wuyin took measured steps as he calmly asked.
The clothed Wei Wuyin grinned slightly, "Let me guess: So even this place doesn't have those at the Realm of Sages?" In his life, this was his objective to find life amidst despair, and he thought of this every single time he found that the cultivation stage was far away from him.
Wei Wuyin shook his head, "My first thought was—this is mine."
The clothed Wei Wuyin's eyes contracted to needle points. An explosive tremor shook throughout his body. For some reason, his saber lowered itself, and his eyes lowered. Then, with the driest of chuckles, he heaved a deep sigh.
The young Wei Wuyin's Astral Cores manifested, revealing their eighty-one-centimeter-sized greatness, a sharp contrast to clothed Wei Wuyin's thirty-nine centimeters.
It didn't take long for both Wei Wuyins to stand face to face. Despite their age difference, their height was the same. As a cultivator, and one who fully matured at the Qi Condensation Stage, Wei Wuyin always looked considerably older and taller than those of his age in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region.
"I see; you're right—I was limiting you with my own limitations." The clothed Wei Wuyin was only able to achieve one of those before suffering a backlash, so he felt it was his only way to assist this younger version of himself, but this sealed off other paths.
The clothed Wei Wuyin closed his eyes as the young Wei Wuyin reached out with his hand, firmly placing it on his head. While this might be a manifestation of the River of Time, their powers and abilities were fully intact.
Wei Wuyin's eyes exuded a strong Alchemical Eden Force as they seeped into the orifices of this older version of him. Choose? Why choose?
Wei Wuyin was, by his innate nature, an Exploitative Blessed that had the greatest of ambitions towards everything, not thinking about just survival, but thinking about a continuation of his life after his inevitable success. His Heart of Cultivation was affirmed through constant introspection of what he wanted, and his fears of risk had drastically lowered in this life of his, only reinforcing his desire to forge contingencies and ample preparations.
He stayed in a doomed starfield to face the Tiangou, a Star-Devourer, off a mere instinct and unwillingness to leave Bai Lin behind, robbed a trio of Ascended beings of an entire planet beneath their noses, killed a Blessed knowing full well that a monstrously talented Demi-Mortal Lord would pursue him to the ends of the earth, faced 10,000 Ascended beings as a Mortal with only his Astral Souls and Saber in hand, dared to glimpse at the Heavenly Daos' secrets, willingly declared war against an organization solely for a woman he met and spent time with for merely an hour, and he was going to actively seek out that Void Creature.
These were things neither the scarred Wei Wuyin nor the clothed Wei Wuyin versions of himself would ever attempt to do, always passive until they needed to be active. They lost themselves in their greatest in the Myriad Yore Continent.
He didn't seek just survival. No, he sought his best path with the greatest future with no regrets in his wake.
He felt thankful for the Temporal Reincarnator, but he felt that even if the Temporal Reincarnator didn't exist, he wouldn't end up as either of them!
He was an Exploitative Blessed, and he dared to take risks and seize the greatest benefits! Right now, the Existential Framework of this older version of himself perfectly matched a Mortal's, so…
Why choose?
He can just take both!
The light in the clothed Wei Wuyin's eyes faded, the faintest of smiles on his face.
In his last moments, he mouthed a few words silently.
Wei Wuyin stared at this older version of himself for a long while, his astral force ravaging the remaining lifeforce of the clothed Wei Wuyin.
"I will." Was his reply.
And the smile on that dying face became peaceful.
An earthen light covered the clothed Wei Wuyin's corpse as he slowly sunk into the ground. In moments, a second silver rose grew amidst the Deep-Violet Lunar Roses, accompanying them in a gentle dance.