Tang Wulin didn't answer immediately. He let go of his reliance on the Sea God's divine power, allowing a trace of the aura of nihility to penetrate his protective barrier and touch his body.
An instantaneous cold, colder than absolute zero—that was the temperature of "nothingness." Skin, muscle, bone; every fiber of his existence trembled before that aura, as if it would all dissolve into nothingness in the very next second.
But just at that moment, the Seed of Existence deep within his soul suddenly burst into radiance.
The light was not intense, yet it was incomparably resolute. It did not deny the existence of nihility—nihility was right there, indisputable—but it proclaimed: *I am here. I exist. I choose to exist. I affirm my existence.*
"I exist," Tang Wulin opened his eyes and enunciated every word, each one driving into reality like a nail. "This is not a question, but an answer. Not a doubt, but a declaration."
The aura of nihility recoiled half a step.
Though it was an infinitesimal retreat, though it lasted only a fleeting instant, Tang San caught the detail. A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes—not divine power, not soul power, but merely the will to "affirm existence" had actually forced back the aura of annihilation?
Cold sweat seeped from Tang Wulin's forehead, and his body trembled slightly. This seemingly minor confrontation had exacted a massive toll—not a depletion of soul power, but a consumption of his "Will of Existence." Yet, he smiled. It was the most genuine, the most exhilarated smile he had worn since his soul was damaged.
"It works," he said. "This path actually works."
One month later, Tang Wulin's understanding of the Seed of Existence grew increasingly profound.
He discovered that the Seed was not static, but growing at a slow pace. Every time he affirmed his own existence within the aura of annihilation, the Seed's radiance would solidify a fraction; every time he grasped the true essence of existence from ancient tomes, the Seed's internal structure would grow a fraction more complex; every time he observed the world from a brand-new perspective, the network connecting the Seed to the outside world would expand a fraction further.
This was a positive feedback loop: affirming existence allowed the Seed to grow, and the Seed's growth made existence easier to affirm.
On this day, Tang Wulin made a groundbreaking discovery in the archive.
It was a stone tablet inscribed with unknown characters. No one in the Divine Realm could decipher it, so it had been relegated to a corner as an ancient ornament. But as Tang Wulin walked past, the Seed of Existence deep within his soul suddenly throbbed violently.
"Wait," he murmured, halting his steps and walking toward the tablet.
The tablet was dark gray, its surface riddled with cracks, yet within those cracks, a faint, patterned vein could be discerned. The instant Tang Wulin reached out to touch it, the radiance of the Seed of Existence flowed down his arm and infused the stone.
A miracle occurred.
The undecipherable characters began to glow—not reflecting external light, but emanating a faint luminescence from within. Then, as if coming alive, the characters detached themselves from the tablet's surface, rearranging and assembling in mid-air, ultimately forming a message Tang Wulin could comprehend:
"In the very beginning, there was only 'Is' and 'Is Not'. The 'Is' expanded, becoming all of existence; the 'Is Not' contracted, becoming nihility. All things exist within the tension between 'Is' and 'Is Not'. To understand existence, one must first understand nihility; to oppose annihilation, one must first become the incarnation of 'Is'."
Once the message was delivered, the radiance of the characters dissipated, and the stone tablet crumbled with a crack, disintegrating into dust.
Tang Wulin stood rooted to the spot, digesting this revelation.
"Is" and "Is Not." Existence and nihility. Expansion and contraction.
If the world was fundamentally the expansion of "Is," then the Eye of Annihilation was the extreme manifestation of "Is Not." To oppose "Is Not," one could not merely become a part of "Is"; one had to become the incarnation of "Is"—making one's own existence so solid, so fundamental, that "Is Not" could not negate it.
"Become... the incarnation of existence," he repeated under his breath.
At that moment, a subtle shift occurred within the Seed of Existence deep in his soul. It was no longer merely a testament to "affirming existence"; it began to proactively "spread existence" outward. The objects touched by its light—bookshelves, ancient texts, tables, chairs, even the dust motes in the air—were all endowed with a stronger "sense of existence."
This was not a deliberate act on Tang Wulin's part, but a natural phenomenon that occurred once the Seed reached a certain stage of growth. Like a light source, when it shone brightly enough, it naturally illuminated its surroundings.
"Spread..." Tang Wulin mused thoughtfully.
If the Seed of Existence could spread a sense of existence outward, could it also "affirm the existence of others"? If existence was a relational network, then by deepening his connections with others and the world, could he make his own existence even more unshakable?
He thought of Qian Renxue, of his parents, of his companions, and of the billions of living souls on the Douluo Continent. Every person connected to him was a node in his network of existence. With each additional node, the network grew more intricate, and his existence became that much harder to erase.
"I see," Tang Wulin's eyes gleamed with enlightenment. "The best way to resist nihility is not to isolate oneself, but to embrace the world. Not to stand alone in rigidity, but to become a network. When your existence is tethered to countless others, erasing you would mean erasing the entire network—and that is a price even the Eye of Annihilation might not be able to bear."
This realization caused the Seed of Existence to grow once more. Its radiance grew warmer, more encompassing; it was no longer merely the declaration of "I exist," but an invitation proclaiming "We exist."
Three months passed. Tang Wulin made regular trips to the edge of the Abyssal Rift, tempering the Seed of Existence within the aura of annihilation.
The first time, he could only endure for ten breaths.
The second time, twenty breaths.
The third time, the duration it takes an incense stick to burn.
Now, he could stand at the edge of the rift for half a shichen without any protection. The aura of nihility crashed against him like a tidal wave, attempting to negate everything about him: Your body is an illusion, your memories are fabricated, your emotions are delusions, your existence is a mistake.
But the Seed of Existence stood firm like a pillar amid the torrent, unmoved by the onslaught of nihility. It did not refute or argue; it simply declared with unwavering conviction: I am. I exist. I am.
Every impact made the Seed more condensed; every negation made the affirmation even more resolute.
Tang Wulin's soul power rank had not increased—it remained at level twenty. However, his "Existence Intensity" was growing at an astonishing rate. To quote the God of Destruction: "If the current Tang Wulin stood in the center of the Divine Realm Council, no deity would be able to ignore his presence. That isn't the pressure of power, but the pressure of absolute reality. You would instinctively know that the person before you is 'undeniably real,' just as surely as you know the sky is above and the earth is below."
On this day, Tang Wulin returned from the Abyssal Rift and encountered the God of Destruction, who had been waiting for him for a long time in the Garden of Tranquility.
"There's news," the God of Destruction cut straight to the chase. "Over on the Douluo Continent, the Abyssal Rift has expanded again. Although it's very slow, it is undeniably growing. If this trend continues, in ten years at most, the rift will erode the Core of Life, and by then..."
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