"When are you departing?" Master Rain asked.
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"Tomorrow morning, I'll take my leave," I said.
"Good, how's the puppet?" Master Rain asked.
"Sadly, I overgrew it, it helped me a lot, but now, it's more of a tool than a shield. Do you want it back?" I asked.
"No, it is yours. Just treat it right," Master Rain said. "As for the kids… they're still not strong enough for what's coming next. It feels like you grew far faster than anyone else, and you're already at the level of us old-timers." Master Rain said.
"I had no option but to grow stronger, in case you forgot, it was either that or death," I said.
"I see, but take note of one thing," Master Rain said.
"What is it?"
"You changed…" he said.
"Did I now?"
"Yes, you became colder…as if you truly and finally became a cultivator, I've seen you grow, seen your progress on the path of cultivation, but all in all, you never changed this drastically, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but somehow it feels like right now, you're more…yourself than you used to," he said.
'… was that a hint? Perhaps, these cultivators never say shit directly, perhaps it's a hint on how to understand myself more, to finally grow into a true Emperor-ranked cultivator…"
I can't be overthinking these things, it will only lead to more confusion. Understanding of one's self can't be forced, it's mostly done by accident or a revelation, and seeking it and pursuing it will only drive one to cross uncharted territory that has more chances of confusing them than enlightening them.
I nodded to Master Rain and moved away.
Did I change? Sure
I spent a hundred years enclosed in a space with only a few other cultivators with far less mental and cultivation prows than even the people of the Barren Lands. It was not worth discussing Dao with them, not that I underestimate their own understanding of life, since all see life differently, but because I've been in that situation, lived through that experience, and cannot gain anything from it.
I sought to understand myself by myself, alone, since when alone all one has is themselves.
Looking back at my journey of cultivation, I spent more than two hundred years in this world, the majority of which was inside the Lord of Lords pagoda. But the bits I lived outside were far more interesting and vivid.
Solitary confinement and cultivation help one focus on nothing but to improve, and I've done that in the loneliest place in the Vast Expanse, I grew strong, disgustingly so.
But, it is still not enough to contend with the heavyweights of the Vast Expanse.
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Master Rain said so, if I were to fight against the Grand Elder, the elder would lose an arm at least, but what was implied was, that I would still end up dead.
And when considering the Fire Lord's might, if I were to fight him, I have no chance of winning whatsoever. That is of course, if I'm still in my current realm.
Of the Primordial Serpent God's essence, all I'm currently using is nothing but a fraction of the totality of its blood.
I cannot fully use it since my realm is lower than an Emperor, and the funny thing is, even at the Peak of the Emperor Level, I'd still not be able to fully use all of the powers of the blood.
Only when I'm one step above, only when I'm at the same level of existence as the Primordial Serpent God.
The level that no one even from the Vast Expanse had ever reached, the level that the Fire Lord and the Wind Realm Queen are perusing since they're the closest.
Only then will I unfold all of the secrets of that blood?
The Dragon Soul inside me seemed to have fallen into an incredibly deep slumber as it consumed the essence of the Primordial Serpent God's Soul.
As for my body, it's overly saturated with the Golden Blood Essence of the Primordial Serpent God. I can only galvanize a bit of it, and that's enough to take on a low-ranked Emperor realm cultivator. Which is my current objective.
I found myself in front of a familiar home, it was the same house that I'd handed to Liang Yu.
I entered and went into the chamber deep inside and began cultivating, calming my mind before the upcoming venture.
Later that evening, Liang Yu arrived home, she looked completely disheveled and exhausted, and not realizing I was already inside the house she began changing her clothes.
"Thank you for the view," I spoke before she began removing her undergarments.
Freaked out at first, then turned to notice it was me, surprise then a devilish smile crept up on her face.
"What?" I asked.
"You're currently above the Saint Realm," she said.
"Yes, and?" I asked.
"You remember your promise from back then?" she grinned.
"…"
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"Take 'em off!" she said.
"Hold on!"
"I said TAKE THEM OFF!"
***
Waking up in the morning, in my arms was a snuggled-up Liang Yu, fully nude and seemed to want to squeeze in even more as a cool breeze was playfully blowing through the crack of the window.
I extracted myself from her arm as slowly and gently as I could not to disturb her sleep.
All to no avail.
"You're leaving, aren't you," she said, I could hear the sadness in her voice without me needing to turn.
"I'll be back, I always come back," I said.
"Take me with you," she said.
I didn't reply.
She knew why I can't take her with me.
I didn't dare look back because if I do, I'll see her crying face, and I might have to stay.
"I'll come back, don't worry…"
"You have to. Because if you don't, Yuyu will be sad," she said.
"Yuyu?"
"Unless you're a complete idiot, that woman truly loves you," she said.
I sighed.
"I'll see to that, once I'm back," I said.
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This is even more confusing to me… but I can't afford to talk romance right now. The whole Vast Expanse is moving, and I only have so much time to deliver a decisive blow to the upcoming events.
I left the house and called little cabbage over.
The Thunderbull appeared the moment I called for it, and then said to it, "Take us to the Black Tower's main headquarter."
***
A couple of days later, in an area that seemed to have nothing but gigantic meteorites floating about in space. One especially large meteorite had a nine-floor tower on top of it.
The whole tower was obsidian black and had several windows overseeing the outer space.
"What in god's name is going on?! Who the hell is doing this? It's the fifth King Realm that died now!" one of the tower masters spoke shouting profanities at what was happening."
"Do they not fear the wrath of the Fire Lord?! We already are in alliance with him who in their right mind is doing this?!" another said.
"It must be some rogue cultivator who is tired of living!"
"No sane person dares attack the Black Tower like this! Someone find out their identity!" the owner of the Black Tower Madam Qin Zha began shouting orders as she was furiously biting on the nail of her thumb.
A messenger suddenly appeared at the entrance of the upper tower, "Madam! I brought news!" he said.
"Fucking hurry and spill it!" she cursed.
"Yes, the incoming person was identified, he's riding a Thunder Bull Carriage, a real on. The same one that Master Rain was using when escaping the Fire Lord's domain.
"Master Rain? Is the Heavenly Academy attacking us then!?" she cursed, if the heavenly academy decided to assault the Black Tower it would mean that today was their last on this plane.
"No, he came alone, and he isn't wearing the attire of the Heavenly Academy," the messenger said.
"What kind of psychopath is he to do that?! Without affiliation, he dares come here?!"
"We managed to identify him, madam, he's called Shen Bao," the messenger said.
"Shen Bao? Isn't he the rising cultivator that's been making waves in the Vast Expanse?" One of the elders said.
"You know who it is?" Madam Qin Zha said.
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"I thought he died, he was the one who emerged from the Poison God's trial, but immediately after he was swallowed by the serpent, this happened a few years ago. But, how did he escape the Primordial Serpent God?" the elder said.
"Our information network stated that the Primordial Serpent God had disappeared a few days ago, and Shen Bao appeared then," the Messenger said.
"Why is he doing this? What enmity we have against him to tear down several of our spatial bases, and him daring to come towards us means that the enmity is enough to risk his life for this…" Madam Qin Zha said.
"I…" the messenger hesitated before Madam Zha shouted once again.
"SPEAK OR I'LL RIP YOUR TONGUE OUT!"
"The investigation resulted in exposing some shady behavior from one of our lower branches in the barren lands, Feng Han is his name. He happened to have an enmity with Shen Bao…"
"Details! DETAILS!" she said.
"Yes!" the messenger said as he pulled a small ledger and began scrolling through it.
"Shen Bao earned the favor of the Black Tower earning him a Black Tower Golden Toke. But Feng Han happened to manipulate some facts and took away his token, not only that he promised the safety of Shen Bao's people by sending a shuttle out to save them, but his true goal was to blow it up and kill all of Shen Bao's relatives. He succeeded in doing that. Not only that, we discovered traces of trade between him and the Fire Lord. He happened to be the instigator of the assault on the planet Si Xue, as he informed the forces of the Fire Lord that Shen Bao, the person who saved the young lord of the Wind Realm Zhang Tian from imprisonment was on that planet. The Fire Lord decided to eradicate the entire planet with Shen Bao on it just to land a low blow to the morale of the Wind Realm who couldn't save their benefactor…"
"Where is that fucker?" asked Qin Zha.
"Which one, Madam?"
"THE FUCKING IDIOT WHO CAUSED THIS MESS!"
"Oh… he died…"
Qin Zha's eyes shook, a monstrous genius capable of escaping the Primordial Serpent God was coming their way, and the only thing to appease him was to offer him the head of the person who wronged him was not possible since he died in some ditch.
"Ready for battle… this is going to be ugly."
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"When are you departing?" Master Rain asked.
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"Tomorrow morning, I'll take my leave," I said.
"Good, how's the puppet?" Master Rain asked.
"Sadly, I overgrew it, it helped me a lot, but now, it's more of a tool than a shield. Do you want it back?" I asked.
"No, it is yours. Just treat it right," Master Rain said. "As for the kids… they're still not strong enough for what's coming next. It feels like you grew far faster than anyone else, and you're already at the level of us old-timers." Master Rain said.
"I had no option but to grow stronger, in case you forgot, it was either that or death," I said.
"I see, but take note of one thing," Master Rain said.
"What is it?"
"You changed…" he said.
"Did I now?"
"Yes, you became colder…as if you truly and finally became a cultivator, I've seen you grow, seen your progress on the path of cultivation, but all in all, you never changed this drastically, I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but somehow it feels like right now, you're more…yourself than you used to," he said.
'… was that a hint? Perhaps, these cultivators never say shit directly, perhaps it's a hint on how to understand myself more, to finally grow into a true Emperor-ranked cultivator…"
I can't be overthinking these things, it will only lead to more confusion. Understanding of one's self can't be forced, it's mostly done by accident or a revelation, and seeking it and pursuing it will only drive one to cross uncharted territory that has more chances of confusing them than enlightening them.
I nodded to Master Rain and moved away.
Did I change? Sure
I spent a hundred years enclosed in a space with only a few other cultivators with far less mental and cultivation prows than even the people of the Barren Lands. It was not worth discussing Dao with them, not that I underestimate their own understanding of life, since all see life differently, but because I've been in that situation, lived through that experience, and cannot gain anything from it.
I sought to understand myself by myself, alone, since when alone all one has is themselves.
Looking back at my journey of cultivation, I spent more than two hundred years in this world, the majority of which was inside the Lord of Lords pagoda. But the bits I lived outside were far more interesting and vivid.
Solitary confinement and cultivation help one focus on nothing but to improve, and I've done that in the loneliest place in the Vast Expanse, I grew strong, disgustingly so.
But, it is still not enough to contend with the heavyweights of the Vast Expanse.
Sponsored Content
Master Rain said so, if I were to fight against the Grand Elder, the elder would lose an arm at least, but what was implied was, that I would still end up dead.
And when considering the Fire Lord's might, if I were to fight him, I have no chance of winning whatsoever. That is of course, if I'm still in my current realm.
Of the Primordial Serpent God's essence, all I'm currently using is nothing but a fraction of the totality of its blood.
I cannot fully use it since my realm is lower than an Emperor, and the funny thing is, even at the Peak of the Emperor Level, I'd still not be able to fully use all of the powers of the blood.
Only when I'm one step above, only when I'm at the same level of existence as the Primordial Serpent God.
The level that no one even from the Vast Expanse had ever reached, the level that the Fire Lord and the Wind Realm Queen are perusing since they're the closest.
Only then will I unfold all of the secrets of that blood?
The Dragon Soul inside me seemed to have fallen into an incredibly deep slumber as it consumed the essence of the Primordial Serpent God's Soul.
As for my body, it's overly saturated with the Golden Blood Essence of the Primordial Serpent God. I can only galvanize a bit of it, and that's enough to take on a low-ranked Emperor realm cultivator. Which is my current objective.
I found myself in front of a familiar home, it was the same house that I'd handed to Liang Yu.
I entered and went into the chamber deep inside and began cultivating, calming my mind before the upcoming venture.
Later that evening, Liang Yu arrived home, she looked completely disheveled and exhausted, and not realizing I was already inside the house she began changing her clothes.
"Thank you for the view," I spoke before she began removing her undergarments.
Freaked out at first, then turned to notice it was me, surprise then a devilish smile crept up on her face.
"What?" I asked.
"You're currently above the Saint Realm," she said.
"Yes, and?" I asked.
"You remember your promise from back then?" she grinned.
"…"
Sponsored Content
"Take 'em off!" she said.
"Hold on!"
"I said TAKE THEM OFF!"
***
Waking up in the morning, in my arms was a snuggled-up Liang Yu, fully nude and seemed to want to squeeze in even more as a cool breeze was playfully blowing through the crack of the window.
I extracted myself from her arm as slowly and gently as I could not to disturb her sleep.
All to no avail.
"You're leaving, aren't you," she said, I could hear the sadness in her voice without me needing to turn.
"I'll be back, I always come back," I said.
"Take me with you," she said.
I didn't reply.
She knew why I can't take her with me.
I didn't dare look back because if I do, I'll see her crying face, and I might have to stay.
"I'll come back, don't worry…"
"You have to. Because if you don't, Yuyu will be sad," she said.
"Yuyu?"
"Unless you're a complete idiot, that woman truly loves you," she said.
I sighed.
"I'll see to that, once I'm back," I said.
Sponsored Content
This is even more confusing to me… but I can't afford to talk romance right now. The whole Vast Expanse is moving, and I only have so much time to deliver a decisive blow to the upcoming events.
I left the house and called little cabbage over.
The Thunderbull appeared the moment I called for it, and then said to it, "Take us to the Black Tower's main headquarter."
***
A couple of days later, in an area that seemed to have nothing but gigantic meteorites floating about in space. One especially large meteorite had a nine-floor tower on top of it.
The whole tower was obsidian black and had several windows overseeing the outer space.
"What in god's name is going on?! Who the hell is doing this? It's the fifth King Realm that died now!" one of the tower masters spoke shouting profanities at what was happening."
"Do they not fear the wrath of the Fire Lord?! We already are in alliance with him who in their right mind is doing this?!" another said.
"It must be some rogue cultivator who is tired of living!"
"No sane person dares attack the Black Tower like this! Someone find out their identity!" the owner of the Black Tower Madam Qin Zha began shouting orders as she was furiously biting on the nail of her thumb.
A messenger suddenly appeared at the entrance of the upper tower, "Madam! I brought news!" he said.
"Fucking hurry and spill it!" she cursed.
"Yes, the incoming person was identified, he's riding a Thunder Bull Carriage, a real on. The same one that Master Rain was using when escaping the Fire Lord's domain.
"Master Rain? Is the Heavenly Academy attacking us then!?" she cursed, if the heavenly academy decided to assault the Black Tower it would mean that today was their last on this plane.
"No, he came alone, and he isn't wearing the attire of the Heavenly Academy," the messenger said.
"What kind of psychopath is he to do that?! Without affiliation, he dares come here?!"
"We managed to identify him, madam, he's called Shen Bao," the messenger said.
"Shen Bao? Isn't he the rising cultivator that's been making waves in the Vast Expanse?" One of the elders said.
"You know who it is?" Madam Qin Zha said.
Sponsored Content
"I thought he died, he was the one who emerged from the Poison God's trial, but immediately after he was swallowed by the serpent, this happened a few years ago. But, how did he escape the Primordial Serpent God?" the elder said.
"Our information network stated that the Primordial Serpent God had disappeared a few days ago, and Shen Bao appeared then," the Messenger said.
"Why is he doing this? What enmity we have against him to tear down several of our spatial bases, and him daring to come towards us means that the enmity is enough to risk his life for this…" Madam Qin Zha said.
"I…" the messenger hesitated before Madam Zha shouted once again.
"SPEAK OR I'LL RIP YOUR TONGUE OUT!"
"The investigation resulted in exposing some shady behavior from one of our lower branches in the barren lands, Feng Han is his name. He happened to have an enmity with Shen Bao…"
"Details! DETAILS!" she said.
"Yes!" the messenger said as he pulled a small ledger and began scrolling through it.
"Shen Bao earned the favor of the Black Tower earning him a Black Tower Golden Toke. But Feng Han happened to manipulate some facts and took away his token, not only that he promised the safety of Shen Bao's people by sending a shuttle out to save them, but his true goal was to blow it up and kill all of Shen Bao's relatives. He succeeded in doing that. Not only that, we discovered traces of trade between him and the Fire Lord. He happened to be the instigator of the assault on the planet Si Xue, as he informed the forces of the Fire Lord that Shen Bao, the person who saved the young lord of the Wind Realm Zhang Tian from imprisonment was on that planet. The Fire Lord decided to eradicate the entire planet with Shen Bao on it just to land a low blow to the morale of the Wind Realm who couldn't save their benefactor…"
"Where is that fucker?" asked Qin Zha.
"Which one, Madam?"
"THE FUCKING IDIOT WHO CAUSED THIS MESS!"
"Oh… he died…"
Qin Zha's eyes shook, a monstrous genius capable of escaping the Primordial Serpent God was coming their way, and the only thing to appease him was to offer him the head of the person who wronged him was not possible since he died in some ditch.
"Ready for battle… this is going to be ugly."
Tip: You can use left, right, A and D keyboard keys to browse between chapters.
