The black dog sniffed beside Dongbo Xueying, then bared its teeth and growled lowly, “Little one, you’re only at the World Deity realm—far too weak. The four levels of trials left by our master are the World Deity realm, Heaven-Earth realm, Creation realm, and Sovereign realm. You’re at the lowest tier. Train harder.” With that, it wagged its tail and ambled leisurely into the distance.
Dongbo Xueying was speechless.
He had actually been looked down upon. But given that this creature could even wound the master of the Lakeheart Island and was left behind by that ancient ancestor to guard the Primordial Domain, it had every right to criticize him.
“It’s rare for someone at the World Deity realm to come here,” the white-haired elder chuckled. “Come, let’s go.”
He led the way toward the three thatched huts at the center.
Dongbo Xueying followed and asked, “Are there treasures in those huts?”
The elder smiled mysteriously. “Don’t underestimate them just because they’re thatched. These are the most important structures in the entire Primordial Domain. The central hut was where the ancestor once resided—only those at the Sovereign realm who have passed the trials may enter. The left hut… only those at the Creation realm who have passed the trials may enter.”
“What about the right one?” Dongbo Xueying pressed. “Are we heading there?”
“That’s for me to enter!” The elder shook his head. “A mere World Deity like you isn’t qualified. The right hut is the treasure vault. Think carefully about what kind of treasure you want—I’ll retrieve it for you.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded, though inwardly he sighed.
The lowest tiers—World Deity and Heaven-Earth realms—were clearly not valued much by the ancestor. They didn’t even have the right to enter the huts.
The Creation realm was for Venerables, just one step below Sovereigns.
The Sovereign realm was the domain of masters like his teacher, the Bloodblade Divine Emperor, and the Island Master of Spacetime.
Only these two tiers were deemed worthy of entering the huts.
—
Moving as slowly as mortals, Dongbo Xueying and the elder took quite some time to approach the huts.
“We’re almost there,” Dongbo Xueying murmured, his heart burning with anticipation as he gazed at the huts just a couple hundred meters away.
But as they drew closer, the space around the huts began to distort. No matter how many steps he took, the distance never shortened—the huts remained just out of reach.
“What’s happening?” Dongbo Xueying was stunned. At the same time, he felt his strength rapidly returning.
“Your power will fully restore once you reach the huts,” the elder explained. “As for the spatial distortion, though the huts appear close, they’re actually shielded by countless layered worlds. Without my guidance, any intruder would find it nearly impossible to breach these barriers and reach the huts. Of course, the Swordmaster once succeeded—his will was unstoppable.”
Dongbo Xueying nodded.
This was one of the ancestor’s protective measures.
As he advanced, he observed the distorted layers of worlds around him.
“This is fascinating,” he murmured, studying them intently. “The ancestor’s mastery over worlds is beyond comprehension—far surpassing the broken scroll’s world array or anything I’ve witnessed at Lakeheart Island.”
“Worlds should be real, yet here they’re layered and twisted like illusions.”
“Without guidance, one could easily fall into these illusory worlds, never to escape.”
Dongbo Xueying marveled.
These were illusory worlds, yet the worlds they manifested were indistinguishable from reality. Once trapped, breaking free would be nearly impossible.
The ancestor’s technique here far surpassed the ‘Illusory Path’ within the True God artifact dagger.
“There’s no trace of artificiality,” Dongbo Xueying whispered in awe.
As he walked, his pace slowed further.
The white-haired elder noticed but simply smiled and matched his pace, neither urging nor disturbing him. There were no time limits in the Primordial Domain—one could stay until the end of this cosmic epoch if they wished.
Gradually, Dongbo Xueying came to a complete stop, closing his eyes.
“Who would’ve thought the ancestor’s illusory worlds would inspire enlightenment in him?” the elder mused with a grin.
—
Dongbo Xueying stood motionless, eyes shut.
Over his 700,000 years of cultivation, he had learned from the failures of the Destruction Legion’s commander and the Bamboo Mountain Manor Lord, avoiding the reckless pursuit of power. Yet, given his talent, mastering other divine hearts posed little challenge. Thus, he had devoted nearly all his efforts to unraveling the mysteries of worlds.
The principles of worlds and illusory realms shared common ground.
By studying both, he had created five secret techniques, aspiring to unify all divine hearts under the framework of world laws to grasp the complete Heavenly Dao.
Though it had been 700,000 years, accounting for temporal acceleration, his research into world mysteries spanned far longer.
Now—
The layered illusory worlds surrounding the huts revealed a higher understanding of the cosmos, showcasing more profound applications of world principles. It stirred something deep within him.
In his mind, countless insights collided, sparks of inspiration flashing like stars.
Days passed.
At his level, each spark of inspiration led to deeper deductions. As mysteries intertwined with reasoning, his perception of ‘worlds’ evolved—a process that demanded time.
“Who knows how long this little one will meditate,” the elder muttered, lying down for a nap.
A year and two months slipped by.
Finally, Dongbo Xueying’s insights and deductions merged into a new realization.
At that moment—
“This is…”
He was stunned.
“Boom!”
Like a seed breaking through soil, sprouting, bearing fruit—
Dongbo Xueying opened his eyes.
The once-inscrutable illusory worlds now seemed transparent to him. He could faintly perceive an invisible law governing these countless worlds, weaving them into a vast illusion. This law, once hidden, was now within his grasp.
“The Heavenly Dao is like shackles, a cage. No matter how much we comprehend, we remain trapped within its confines. Only by breaking free and forging our own path can we truly command and reshape all.” He felt the power he now wielded—a force entirely his own, capable of destruction or suppression, yet unstealable.
“True strength lies in realm,” he whispered.
“Hmm?” The napping elder abruptly awoke, staring at Dongbo Xueying.
The young man stood there, his form flickering between reality and illusion, as if one with the countless illusory worlds around him.
“Creation realm?” The elder hesitated, uncertain.
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