Once the Rod of Destiny (命运钓竿) is formed, one may use it to fish within the River of Fate, using the soul as bait to hook one's Heaven Soul, transformed into a soul-fish.
However, this opportunity is exceptionally rare and perilous.
The Rod of Destiny is not foolproof—it doesn't guarantee success. In fact, the failure rate is over 90%.
The River of Fate is not a passive force—it resists any attempt to draw something out of its current. Nor will the other soul-fish in the river ignore an attempt to extract one of their own. This process touches on the principles of karma and causality.
If the rod is too weak, it will snap.If the hook is too fragile, it will bend and lose the catch.If the line lacks toughness, it will break apart.And if any of these fail, the entire rod will collapse, and the attempt to retrieve the Heaven Soul will end in failure.
Worse yet, every failed attempt adds heavier chains of fate onto the Heaven Soul. The deeper it sinks into the River of Fate, the harder it becomes to pull it back.
The first attempt offers the highest chance of success, as the River hasn't fully focused on the soul's escape. But if one fails the first time, the soul's bonds strengthen, and success in a second or third attempt becomes increasingly remote.
🔺 A third failure all but seals one's fate—one may never break through again.
Hence, no one attempting the True Spirit Realm dares to claim certainty. A single mistake could be utterly irreversible.
Those like Lü Dongbin and the other ancient immortals are exceptions. They have long since drawn their Heaven Souls back and fully integrated their True Spirits into their main bodies. Though they now move through reincarnated avatars, their true selves remain intact.
As such, even their second bodies can cultivate True Spirits that grow and evolve—an incredible advantage.
🔶 The benefits of reincarnating as a second body with a True Spirit are immeasurable.
"He's an Emperor… For him to fish out the Heaven Soul will be far more difficult than for ordinary cultivators. Difficult… extremely difficult…"Pure Yang Zhenren sighed, casting a complicated look at Yi Tianxing.
Still, it was too early to dwell on that.
Cultivation is about relentless advance. Reaching this point, no one would shrink back.
"Strike while the iron is hot. Now that I've formed the Auspicious Cloud and reached the peak of the Yang God Realm, I must ride the momentum and break into the True Spirit Realm. Only then will I become a truly top-tier powerhouse. Never again will Eternal Night suppress me by virtue of cultivation."
Yi Tianxing's thoughts raced.
He had long yearned for this breakthrough, and now that it was within reach, how could he hold back? He was eager to push through.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, several spiritual messages transmitted directly into his mind.
"Fellow Daoist Yi, here are some of my personal experiences breaking into the True Spirit Realm. Take them—they may help you prepare."
"Emperor Yi, this breakthrough is no trivial matter. These are some insights from when I made the leap. May they be of help."
More and more thoughts followed.
Soon, dozens of memory sequences poured in—precious breakthroughs into the True Spirit Realm, filled with experience and recorded visuals.
"What the…?"
Yi Tianxing was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected such a flood of valuable inheritance.
After all, the True Spirit breakthrough was an incredibly precious and private experience. Having that kind of knowledge—or not—made all the difference.
Then he realized where these memories had come from: the fellow cultivators surrounding him, each of whom had sensed he was ready to break through and were giving him a helping hand.
He was moved by their kindness.
Naturally, he accepted the gesture and immediately began to study them.
With each memory he reviewed, his understanding deepened, and sparks of insight ignited within him.
"So that's how it works… It all makes sense now."
His thoughts churned rapidly, his comprehension soaring.
"If that's the case, then strike now. Let's take the final step—break through to the True Spirit Realm."
Yi Tianxing drew in a deep breath and, with no hesitation, focused his mind and will.
Following the experiences shared by others, he merged his consciousness into his Yang God, and entered the Heavenly Emperor Dharma Body, attuning himself to the fluctuations of his soul.
"Draw in the Heaven Soul. Ascend against the current."
With total immersion, he sent his awareness along the soul's internal connection, launching it toward a mysterious domain.
The link between the Heaven Soul and the body can never be severed, no matter the distance. That resonance drew him forward.
Suddenly, his spirit emerged in a marvelous realm.
Whooosh... splash...
The sound of flowing water echoed all around.
"This is… the River of Fate."
Yi Tianxing gazed in awe. Before him stretched a multicolored river, flowing endlessly with no beginning or end. Each drop of water contained countless memories, countless images.
Looking at it, one saw all of sentient existence unfold.
Within the water, he saw soul-fish of every color swimming and leaping.
There were hidden currents, dragging some fish under—never to emerge again.
Some were massive, cruising upstream and stirring the current. Others were weak and small, struggling to stay afloat—often pulled under, vanishing.
"The soul is one. If the main body is strong, the Heaven Soul will be nourished and grow stronger too. A robust Heaven Soul becomes a powerful soul-fish.
But if one is weak or unstable, the fish will likewise be frail—vulnerable to being swept away and erased.
This… is fate."
Yi Tianxing sighed, his heart stirring.
But he couldn't remain long. He was only able to arrive here by soul resonance, and he could already feel the River rejecting his presence.
Just then, a particular location drew his attention.
He spotted it—a violet-gold soul-fish swimming through the current.
It was strong, regal, and radiated tremendous energy—one of the most powerful among its kind.
Suddenly, the fish, which had been flowing downstream, turned and began swimming against the current.
The shift in direction stirred a spray of water.
"Now!"
Yi Tianxing's eyes lit up.
Without hesitation, he threw his entire mind and will at the water splash, enveloping it entirely.
The moment he succeeded, the River's rejection force surged, and the world spun violently.
He vanished.
The River of Fate flowed onward.
"Success! This… this is Fate Power."
Yi Tianxing's mind returned to his Sea of Consciousness.
Floating above the Tribulation-Free Auspicious Cloud, a multicolored liquid droplet appeared out of nowhere, brimming with mysterious threads of destiny.
A subtle connection formed—Yi Tianxing's sensitivity to fate instantly sharpened.
"Marvelous… So this is what it means to peer into fate. Anyone who tries to scheme against me—I'll sense it.The flow of the heavens and earth, the movements of fortune and calamity—all become clear."
He sat in quiet awe, feeling the change take hold.
His soul was transforming.
🔶 He had ascended into the True Spirit Realm – Peering into Fate stage (窥命阶).
A stream of fate energy flowed into his body, subtly cleansing his blood and soul, initiating a transformation that, while invisible from outside, was deeply felt within.
From this moment forward, his entire being was imbued with a faint aura of fate.
"So fast… truly worthy of being Emperor Yi. Not even a moment of hesitation, and he broke through to the True Spirit Realm. Such decisiveness is unparalleled. A true peerless genius."
"Fascinating. A real monster."
"Emperor Yi, we must exchange insights sometime. Once we leave the Divine-Demon Battlefield, he'll be like a dragon in the sea—stirring the tides of heaven and earth."
"This really is the golden era. The seal on Heaven's Dao may soon vanish forever."
All the cultivators nearby felt the change in his aura and were struck by a variety of emotions.
It was clear—their perception of Yi Tianxing had shifted. Cultivation wasn't just strength, it was status. And now, Yi Tianxing had stepped into their circle.
"Congratulations, Daoist Yi, on ascending into the True Spirit Realm.The world now has one more fate-wielding powerhouse."
The Dao Lord of Longevity, finishing his lecture, turned and smiled.