Karmic Spirit Fruit

As the first light of dawn spilled into the room, Lu Feng awoke. He followed the method outlined in the Immortal Vajra Scripture, guiding the three energies along the prescribed pathways of his meridians.

After a night of intense cultivation, Lu Feng sensed the foundational essence of the Vajra body establishing itself firmly within his being.

He retrieved the Immortal Vajra Scripture manual from his storage ring. As Lu Feng leafed through the manual, he surveyed its contents.

The opening pages outlined the meridian chart and the circulation path of the three energies—Qi, Essence, and Spirit Energy.

The body not only absorbs these energies at varying rates but also naturally generates them at different levels. The Immortal Vajra Scripture meticulously details the technique for harmonizing these energies.

The distinctiveness of this method lies in its unique circulation path and the order in which energies traverse the meridians.

Moreover, this cultivation technique distributes the energies uniformly across the body's cells rather than concentrating them within the meridians.

Only an eccentric and unorthodox individual could have created this unusual method, and that is indeed the case. The Sixth and last Buddha of the Apsara world, the creator of the Immortal Vajra Scripture, was one such individual.

With the rise of the Sixth True Buddha, the constant war-torn and disunited Apsara world witnessed a miracle.

He forged a trail of bloodshed, asserting dominance over the myriad forces of the Apsara world. Upon ascending to the pinnacle of power, he consolidated his dominion and commenced a pilgrimage to advocate for Buddhism.

He was a living paradox. While advocating Buddhist principles, he utilized Daoist means to achieve his ends.

He was a figure epitomized by the phrase "Never before, Never after." Criticized by both Buddhists and Daoists, his power nonetheless silenced all dissent.

Under his rule, the Apsara world, which had never experienced tranquility, began an epoch of enduring peace, allowing mortals to flourish and cultivators to ascend to unprecedented heights.

When the Apsara world descended into chaos and faced threats from malevolent otherworldly evil, the man at the pinnacle chose to sacrifice himself. By merging his Dao fruit with the world, he ensured an era of peace, free from the clutches of this otherworldly evil.

It was only through this act of selflessness that he came to be acknowledged as the Sixth True Buddha, revered by both Buddhists and Daoists.

Lu Feng transmigrated into the Apsara world eons after the legendary events had unfolded. During his millennium-long journey through this world, the malevolent force of otherworldly evil once again reared its claws.

During a pivotal battle, Lu Feng, through a chain of unforeseen events, discovered the legacy of the Sixth True Buddha.

The lingering will of the Buddha, perceiving Lu Feng's uniqueness, decided to integrate its Karmic Spirit fruit with Lu Feng's soul.

Lu Feng, still unable to access his newfound inheritance, could only watch as the world crumbled before him, propelling him into his seventh life.

Disillusioned, Lu Feng decided against pursuing cultivation, opting instead for a tranquil life as a mortal.

Yet, life is unpredictable, and Lu Feng was no exception to this rule. In what seemed like a blink of an eye, he found himself in his ninth and final life.

***

As Lu Feng sat in his room, meditating on the Immortal Vajra Scripture, the elusive Karmic Spirit fruit began to manifest within his soul for the first time.

Identifying deeply with the tale of the Sixth True Buddha, Lu Feng closed his eyes in expectation and commenced a secret soul technique.

The scripture had evoked profound memories when he chanced upon it in the System Space, and Lu Feng had longed for this moment ever since. Nevertheless, he opted to exercise caution.

Employing the secret technique, he carved out a sliver of his soul, embedding his memories and intentions, and sealed it in the deepest part of his soul. This measure would serve as his safeguard should things turn sour.

In contrast to the Dao fruit, which bestowed cultivation inheritance, the Karmic Spirit fruit imparted the cultivator's understanding, experiences, and Karma.

The elusive and enigmatic notion of Karma, though intangible and fleeting, significantly influences a person's life, especially for cultivators. As practitioners who defy the natural order, they must heed this or face the retribution of the Heavens.

The various terms — Heaven's Will, Grand Order, Celestial Mandate — all denote the same concept: the collective consciousness of all beings — Mortals, Magical Beasts, Demons, Cultivators — which forms the ethereal Heaven's Will that loosely dictates the world's order and its laws.

Possessing cultivated or inherited Karmic power enables one to sway Heaven's Will, thereby impacting the world and its inhabitants.

Thus, the Karmic Spirit fruit from the Sixth True Buddha held vast potential. With the destruction of the Apsara world, any negative Karma within was cut off, leaving Lu Feng without fear of any consequences.

Early on in his journey, Lu Feng found that the System shielded him from negative Karma and the adverse effects of Heaven's Will.

As Lu Feng began to assimilate the Karmic Spirit fruit, he was besieged by excruciating, soul-rending pain. Bracing himself, he was determined to withstand the agony.

***

The midday sun shone brightly, warming the city. Neither cultivators nor mortals seemed to mind the sweltering heat as they carried on with their activities.

Unbeknownst to them, a phenomenon was about to unfold at the city's core.

As the last remnants of the Karmic Spirit fruit merged with Lu Feng's soul, he became enveloped in a divine aura, emitting a brilliant white light.

As the process neared completion, a low hum began to spread throughout the city and, it seemed, the entire world. Initially faint, the hum grew into holy chants that everyone in the city could hear, growing louder with each passing minute.

Shock, confusion, indifference, curiosity — the chants evoked a myriad of emotions as they intensified.

With the Karmic Spirit fruit fully integrated, Lu Feng remained in a deep trance, oblivious to the events unfolding.

The chants grew louder, the midday sky turned golden, and hail began to fall.

Beasts and animals roared in unison, some in reverence, others in fear.

Cultivators and mortals felt a sense of calm, and the sick and injured found their pain eased.

Flowers bloomed, and lifeless trees regained their color.

As the chants dwindled, an intense sorrow enveloped the city, bringing many to tears, though they were uncertain of the cause for this abrupt wave of sadness.

When Lu Feng's eyes opened, the holy aura vanished, and Li Wei burst into his room.

"Brat, what were you doing? I tried to check on you, but got no response, and I couldn't enter no matter how hard I tried... Did you see what just happened!?"

Lu Feng was bewildered.

'He couldn't enter? What is he talking about?'

"What happened?" Lu Feng asked, puzzled.

Li Wei scrutinized him before asking, "Were you asleep?"

Lu Feng pondered for a moment before he remarked, "Yeah, something like that. I was in deep meditation and used a formation disk in the room so that I wouldn't be disturbed."

Li Wei looked at Lu Feng suspiciously and smirked, "Brat you were doing something naughty weren't you?"

'WTF'

Lu Feng laughed out loud at Li Wei's remark. "Hahaha... No, Uncle Wei, trust me, I was in deep meditation... Would you explain what just happened?"

Li Wei recounted the entire ordeal.

'So exaggerated!? I must've looked like a god during those moments...'

Lu Feng was grinning ear-to-ear. It was no doubt a glorious moment for him, unfortunately, he couldn't witness it himself.

"Uncle Wei, have you eaten? If not, let's go to the Jade Pavilion and have a feast, I'm famished. We can talk while we wait for food."

"Sure, let's go."

***