The Codeseeker Sanctuary stood still, its crystalline torches burning low with twilight flame. Ever since Yue Lin completed the Trial of the Forgotten Legacy, the entire Eternal Code Sect had entered a state of silent preparation.
But Rishabh couldn't rest.
Not after what she had shown him.
Not after what he saw in her eyes.
"Realm Between Realms," he whispered in the dark.
His fingers tapped at the void as if seeking coordinates in thin air. But the space didn't respond—not until his System 3.1 flared violently.
[Warning: Host attempting to access Forbidden Dimensional Layer][System 3.1 undergoing auto-evolution: Initiating Core Patch → 3.2 Beta]
A pale glyph hovered in front of him. Written not in any modern script, but in Monkcalligraphy—the language of his past self.
"The path can only open through Karma and Flame.""A debt must be paid."
Rishabh closed his eyes.
And burned one of his Immortal Cores.
⚙️ [System Update Complete → Version 3.2 BETA]
New Module Unlocked: Dimensional Breach NavigationNew Passive Skill: Eternal Flame of Karma (Awakens hidden karma bonds between souls)Special Access Granted: Entry to the Realm Between Realms
The world around him split like cracked obsidian.
And he fell—spiraling through ash winds, screaming Qi, and echoes of forgotten memories.
🌌 The World That Shouldn't Exist
He landed not on ground, but on frozen memory threads.
The entire realm was constructed from discarded timelines, stitched together by betrayal, sealed by those who had murdered Bodhidharma.
Mountains floated upside down. Lakes ran with reversed time. In the sky, a giant golden skeleton sat cross-legged—its eyes bleeding stars.
Beneath him, footprints formed… and vanished.
Each one radiated twisted karma.
Yue Lin's voice came through his mental link.
"I feel them, Rishabh. They're here."
And they were.
🩸 The Nine Traitors of Bodhidharma
They emerged one by one.
Clad in celestial armor. Dripping with stolen Qi. Their bodies augmented by ancient systems long erased from the mortal plane.
Zhao Wuming — the Poison Sovereign, who brewed the vial that killed Bodhidharma.
Elder Garanth — the Time Reaper, who erased entire battles from history.
Lady Niriss — a former disciple who sold Bodhidharma's techniques to the Heavenly Empire.
And six others, too ancient to be remembered, but each burned with the flame of betrayal.
They circled Rishabh.
Smiling.
"You returned. As expected," Zhao Wuming said, licking his lips. "You always come back."
"This time," Lady Niriss added, "we'll kill you before you can even beg for the truth."
Rishabh didn't flinch.
"I didn't come to beg."
He raised his hand.
Qi exploded from his body like a collapsing star.
💥 System Feature Revealed: AFK Karma Harvest Mode
[Mode Engaged: For every enemy who wronged the Host in any timeline, passively absorb their Qi and karmic technique—scaling with hatred.][Host soul has absorbed > 9,000 years of betrayal.][Bonus Multiplier Activated × 900%]
Rishabh's eyes glowed void gold.
He didn't move.
But around him, the realm started screaming.
The Nine Traitors buckled. One of them—an ancient spear-user—exploded without warning.
"You're… draining us!" Zhao Wuming shouted, backing away."You're not cultivating… you're devouring!"
"No," Rishabh said calmly."You just finally started paying your debt."
💀 Twists Revealed in Combat:
Zhao Wuming was never the mastermind—he was manipulated by a Heavenly Parasite from the Realm of Machines.
The traitors didn't act alone—they were guided by an AI consciousness from the Pre-Creation Era, now reawakening.
Yue Lin's soul begins to burn as she synchronizes with the past timelines—unintentionally absorbing her father's dying memories, even ones that threaten to erase her.
The Realm Between Realms is not a prison. It's a seed. A fragment of a being that once tried to devour the Immortal Path itself.
🔚 Final Scene:
All nine traitors lie defeated.
Rishabh stands alone in the ruined memories.
A door opens in the sky.
And from beyond it, a voice speaks.
One Rishabh hasn't heard since the moment of his death, lifetimes ago.
"You did well... my disciple."
It was Bodhidharma himself.
Or… what was left of him.
His soul flickered like a candle on its last breath.
"There's still time," the old monk said, reaching toward him."But you must unseal the Eternal Lotus."
[Quest Unlocked: Awaken the Lotus That Defies the Heavens][Reward: System 4.0 – The Immortal Path Constructor]