Sothing inside Jack stirred. So nascent understanding raised its head, too weak to take shape but still present. His mind returned to the cubes lines almost by itself as if drawn to their mysteries.
He followed one line, then another. He branched out. He let his mind wander freely, not sticking to one line but changing at every intersection. He was no longer following; he was swimming. And as his mind curved around the cube, guided by all these lines, Jack felt as if hed grasped onto a heavenly secret.
These lines he followed seed random, but they were not. By sticking to them, his mind moved to a certain rhythm, as if tracing an invisible path that shouldnt be part of the world. As if he was interacting with sothing that wasnt there. These revolutions he carried out contained profound secrets, things he could just barely glimpse at. Thoughts were born inside his mind, spawning out of thin air. They were not his. Not exactly.
By tracing the lines of the cube, he made his brain follow very specific patterns which activated areas he was unaware of and ford novel connections. It felt like hacking his own brain. These connections made no sense, they were sounds and colors, but they strung chords inside Jack that made him lancholic. His emotions acted up. And suddenly, through all these puzzling emotions and sensations rose a deep, intimate understanding of death.
He didnt know how this was happening. He barely knew what was happening. Yet, through tracing these lines and trying to understand them, an awareness of Death slowly appeared in his mind.
Jack was stunned. His focus wavered for just a mont, and all the intricate anings of the lines evaporated at once, becoming nothing but carvings on a stone.
Life and Death are one, he whispered. They are a cycle. One rises, one falls, and both connect to the sa spot. They will always connect. Death is just the inevitable conclusion. What starts must finish. What rises must fall.
His eyes widened in realization. This wasDeath?
Through ditating on this cube, Jack had directly comprehended the essence of Death. It was an infinitely small part, but it remained sothing that had been planted into his mind. Throughout his cultivation so far, everyone said that true understanding could only be achieved, not received.
Yet, now, this little dark cube had co dangerously close to directly carving its knowledge inside Jacks mind.
It was almost terrifyingand, at the sa ti, fantastical.
Just what is this thing? Jack asked himself, looking at the shape between his hands. How could anyone make this? Is it even possible?
This item was extrely mystical. Jack didnt even know the right questions to ask, let alone the answers. Could Elder Boatmans achievents in the Dao of Death originate from this little cube?
Every high-level cultivator had their own lucky chances. The higher one went, the more world-shaking the lucky chances theyd discovered in their youths. This cube might have been the cause of Elder Boatman reaching the A-Gradeor it could have been sothing he created.
In any case, it was an extrely precious item. Only now did he understand why Elder Boatman had to leave a wisp of his aura with the cube, and why he would directly co to retrieve it the mont Jack died.
Jacks chest swelled with gratitude.
Thank you, master! he cried out inwardly. And it wasnt even the only gift hed received.
The new insights hed just gained were a bit too base. They were closest to the essence of Death, which made them hard to wield in battle. Jack had to view them through the lens of his own Dao and slowly experint until he discovered practical applicationsand there was no guarantee his thod would be optimal.
However, Elder Boatman had anticipated this, and he had directly given Jack his own insights. Jack was too excited to think anymore. He dove into his mind, reaching that ball of knowledge and sinking into it. His world fell away. He saw an endless river of darkness floating alongside the stars, filled with ghosts and ethereal bodies. So were crying; others were laughing, and most seed indifferent or even sleeping.
A man sat in the middle of that river, letting the dark waters wash over him. He had pale, wrinkled skin and red eyes. As his mouth opened and closed in an unknown incantation, Jack saw sharp fangs protrude from his lips.
Elder Boatman is a vampire?
But that wasnt important. Vampires were just one of the many species in the universe. Suddenly, Elder Boatman stood. His eyes locked onto a distant teor passing over the river. He raised one finger, and the dark waters flowed around it, forming a little ball of death.
Nihility, Boatman whispered. He flung the dark ball away, which reached the teor in an instant. There was no explosion, no impact. Instead, the teor dissipated. Endless years passed it by. Its form cracked and splintered, becoming a hail of stones which experienced their own death, slowly turning into tiny particles that were no longer visible.
Boatman smiled. Everything ends as it begins. What rises must fall. What is must cease to be. Let everything return to nothingness.
That was where the vision cut off. Jack was back in his own body in the cave, sweating. There had been no danger watching this illusion, but the dark river gave Jack a feeling of imminent death. If he visited there in person, he would die as soon as he touched the water, his soul just another ethereal remnant flowing along its waters.
There were more Dao Visions inside the ball of insights. However, Jack didnt watch them yet. This first one was enough. In it, Boatman had used the purest energy of death to make a teor disappear. It was the basest, simplest application of death.
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It was the perfect starting point.
Jack had an elentary awareness of death. He had a simple yet optimized application. All he needed to do was ditate on the cube and this Dao Vision alternatingly until, eventually, he could use the Dao of Death himself.
This was traveling a hundred miles with a single step. Having an A-Grade master truly made cultivation much simpler.
Jack sighed for a mont, then sank into ditation. There was no ti to wastehe was impatient to learn, too. Ti flowed. Jack and Brock ditated on their own things, one on death and one on life, slowly forming a complete system. The inside of the cave turned half-black and half-white around their two bodies, like the shadow of a yin-yang diagram.
None of the two noticed it. They were too deep in ditation. Still, this was a happy accident for them, as the antithesis sharpened their respective Daos, making them clearer.
Eventually, Jack raised his hand. A tiny pebble flew into it. He stared at the pebble, deep in concentration, trying all sorts of things. Finally, sothing clicked inside his mind. His lips parted. Nihility ca a low whisper, and the pebble disappeared, crumbling like a pile of dust blown by the wind.
Jack showed the slimst smile.
Before he could truly rejoice, however, a massive roar echoed through the cave. The yin-yang diagram dissipated. Jack shot to his feet, and Brocks eyes snapped open, his cultivation interrupted.
What happened? he asked.
I dont know, Jack replied. I dont think that roar was aid at us, but it ca from nearby. Lets check it out.
Jack and Brock flew out of their cave and into the air. Vast blue skies t them, frad by an endless jungle that stretched as far as their eyes could reach.
I dont see anything, Jack said. What roared?
A second roar followed. Out here, it was even more deafening than inside. The sky shook. The earth splintered. Massive trees toppled to the ground, while flocks of draconic birds took flight all across the jungle, escaping at their maximum speed.
What the hell is going on? Jack asked, his body sweating involuntarily. Was thata B-Grade?
Such a great roar had swept over the world, and its origin was so far away that they couldnt even see it. It had probably echoed for thousands of miles around. What creature could emit such power if not a B-Grade?
It roars. It must be fighting, Brock said. He was conflicted for a second, then his eyes steadied. We should take a look.
Jack nodded. If such a creature was roaring, the most likely explanation was that the B-Grades were fighting it at the hidden realms core area. The other possibility was that soone had stumbled into a hidden overlord of the periphery. In both cases, taking a look wouldnt hurt.
This realm had no curvature; their eyes could see hundreds of miles into the distance, so they should be completely safe. And, if this turned out to be a lucky chance they could participate in
There was no need to think anymore. Jack and Brock turned into beams of light shooting into the distance. Endless jungle passed below them. As they approached the source of the massive roar, they could feel the energy density in the air rising; they were headed in the direction of the core area.
A few minutes later, a mountain entered their sight. It was shaped as a wide pyramid, with smoke rising from its peak. The jungle stopped a dozen miles away from this mountain, giving way to a blackened, burnt expanse that harbored no life.
This was an active volcano.
Jack expected to see so massive dragon roaring in the air, but there was no such thing. The area was eerily emptyyet, he could sense great energy fluctuations in the sky, as if a massive battle had recently taken place here.
They approached more. Soon, they could make out an assortnt of individuals standing in the sky fifty miles away from the volcano. They were a group of C-Grade Hand of God cultivators, including their leader, Arkenstal. However, he seed hurt; blood oozed from under his ribs, one of his arms hung broken, his wizard robes were torn and charred, and an entire half of his body was scorched black. It was a miracle he was still alive.
Jack and Brock didnt approach too much. After all, these were Hand of God cultivators. Soon, however, more people arrived in the distance. Everyone in the wider area had heard the massive roar, and they all rushed here to take a look. Of course, not all cultivators of the expedition were close enough, but Jack saw Min Ling, Baron Longform. He and Brock joined their group as everyone gathered together.
This place was close to the core area. Those who dared adventure here were all the strongest individuals of the expedition; besides himself, Brock, and Min Ling, Jack only saw a few eight-fruits. Most of the people present were nine-fruit cultivators.
Before long, a group of seventeen had gathered.
What happened, Arkenstal? Min Ling asked as everyone converged together.
Arkenstals angular face was cold. The more people who divided a lucky chance, the less each of them would getbut there was no helping it anymore. Not only had the roar summoned everyone, but even if it hadnt, he did not possess the strength to get this lucky chance by himself.
There is a massive treasure trove inside that mountain, he said. However, it is guarded by a B-Grade dragon.
Everyone was shaken, but they had expected it. Arkenstal was not a normal nine-fruitonly a B-Grade creature could injure him so heavily.
How powerful is it? Min Ling asked.
Not overwhelmingly so. It is only at the early B-Grade. I managed to escape with my life, so Im confident we could take it if we all tead up.
Min Ling considered it for a second. As the leader of the Church C-Grades, she had to weigh her words very carefully. It did not chase you. If it is reluctant to leave the volcano, there must be sothing it is afraid of having stolen.
My thoughts exactly, Arkenstal replied. This must be one of, if not the greatest lucky chance outside the core areas. I believe we should all work together to claim it, then divide it in accordance with everyones contribution.
His words were carefully chosen. Not to ntion his great personal strength, but discovering this place could also be considered a contribution. He wanted the lions share of the treasure.
As for his injuries, they would go away given a bit of ti.
Min Ling silently calculated their odds. Everyone looked at her, waiting for her response. If she judged that the danger was too high, then the Hand of God cultivators by themselves probably couldnt get the treasure, so they would be forced to give upor take a massive risk.
However, no cultivator could reach this level without being prone to throwing their life away.
Okay, Min Ling replied. However, the benefits should be equally divided between our two factions. After that, each faction can assign them to its cultivators based on their contributions.
Deal, Arkenstal quickly agreed. This was also reasonable. Since both factions needed the other to get the treasure, it should be equally divided. As for the contribution-based assignnt later, it guaranteed that the higher level people would get more benefitsand encouraged everyone to actually help instead of pretending to assist but staying on the sidelines to avoid any danger.
Jack and Brock also liked this arrangent. They had co here to look for lucky chances, and so far, the only decent thing theyd found were the tree dragon fruits. If Min Ling told the Church forces to withdraw, it would be unsatisfying.
The only problem here was that Jacks enemy, Baron Longform, was present. He would need to watch his backand so would Baron.
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