The thin, elderly man sipped his wine and asked curiously, “From what I know, your mastery of illusions is now unmatched among cultivators. You don’t seem that old—how did you reach such heights in the art of illusions?”
Dongbo Xueying smiled faintly. “Cultivation is simply a journey taken step by step. Even in my weakest days, as a mere Transcendent, I had profound insights into the illusory realms. I suppose I had a natural talent for it. Through relentless refinement and progress, over countless millennia, I unknowingly arrived at where I am today.”
“Ah, ‘unknowingly,'” the old man murmured, his gaze distant. “Back in my weakest days, I was nothing but a lowly, dim-witted beast. All I wanted was to survive, to avoid being hunted. Just clinging to life by instinct. And now, here I am—unknowingly.”
Dongbo Xueying was inwardly startled.
A beast?
Low intelligence?
This ‘Venerable Stone’ had mentioned that the stone mirror was a scale shed from his body, which had already given Dongbo Xueying some hints. But he had assumed the old man hailed from some illustrious lineage. To think his origins were even humbler than his own.
“Ah, age makes one reminisce,” the old man chuckled. “Even the drive to cultivate wanes. Tell me—what do you think of illusions? Do you believe everything within them is real?”
“Sentience, self-awareness, personal experiences—the countless lives within an illusion are undoubtedly real,” Dongbo Xueying replied. “My illusions are now but half a step away from reality. When I dispel them, I merely pause time for those beings. The next time I cast the illusion, they continue as they were.”
To shatter an illusion forever would be akin to annihilating all those lives within. Dongbo Xueying couldn’t bear such cruelty.
Not out of foolishness.
At his level of cultivation, the beings within his illusions were no different from those in the real world—they had selves, emotions, the capacity to cultivate… joys and sorrows alike. Thus, his illusions were always the same vast realm, merely expanding with more lives each time.
“All real? And you merely pause time when the illusion ends?” The old man seemed lost in thought before shaking his head with a soft laugh. “Cultivation often hinges on the power of belief. If you believe, you can succeed. If you don’t, failure is inevitable.”
“Well, I’ve eaten and drunk my fill. Time to go.” The old man rose, casting a knowing glance at Dongbo Xueying. “If fate wills it, perhaps we’ll meet again.”
With that, he wobbled to his feet, leaning on his cane as he ambled away. Step by step, his figure gradually dissolved into the air.
Dongbo Xueying didn’t even sense how he had vanished.
“Incredible,” he murmured in awe. “I always thought the Ninecloud Divine Emperor was the greatest in spatial manipulation, and now the Void Primogenitor. But this enigmatic ‘Venerable Stone’ is just as unfathomable. That vanishing act alone surpasses even the Void Primogenitor.”
—
Elsewhere, within the Heavenly Void Palace.
Dongbo Xueying’s avatar immediately sought an audience with Patriarch Tianyu.
“Patriarch,” he greeted.
“Dongbo Xueying? What brings you here in person?” Patriarch Tianyu asked, surprised.
“Do you recognize this man?” Dongbo Xueying waved a hand, conjuring an image of the gaunt, cane-bearing elder. “His power is immense—his mastery of the void seems to surpass even the Void Primogenitor. I believe he must be a Cosmic God, and among the very strongest. Perhaps not on par with the Sacred Master, but certainly comparable to the likes of the Realm Ancestor or the Chaos Mother.”
“Oh?” Patriarch Tianyu studied the image intently before shaking his head. “No, I’ve never seen him before.”
Dongbo Xueying frowned.
Though the Swordmaster was mightier, Patriarch Tianyu had lived far longer and seen far more. If even he had never encountered this ‘Venerable Stone’…
“A Cosmic God, at least on the level of the Realm Ancestor?” Patriarch Tianyu muttered. “How could someone of that stature remain hidden all this time? Dongbo Xueying, are you certain you met him? Could you have been deceived?”
“Impossible,” Dongbo Xueying said firmly.
“True. With your mastery of illusions and your dominion over laws, deceiving you would be near impossible.” The patriarch sighed in puzzlement. “Yet I’ve never heard of such a figure until now. Strange.”
—
After consulting Patriarch Tianyu, Dongbo Xueying later approached the Swordmaster, who also claimed no knowledge of the old man.
For now, Dongbo Xueying set the matter aside. At the very least, the mysterious elder bore him no ill will. But his identity remained an enigma.
—
In the Eastern Lin Sacred Realm.
Atop a towering desolate mountain, where icy winds howled, the thin old man stood leaning on his cane. Suddenly, a figure materialized beside him—the Realm Ancestor, clad in loose green robes, his diminutive frame belying the indomitable aura he exuded. Even the Sacred Master could scarcely harm his body, and had he chosen wickedness, he would have been a calamity beyond measure.
Yet this usually domineering figure now bowed deeply to the old man, his voice thick with emotion. “Master… you’ve awakened. I feared I might never see you again.”
The old man chuckled, patting the Realm Ancestor’s head. Though they stood at the same height, his tone was fondly teasing. “My little demon, now the mighty Realm Ancestor, still acting like a child.”
“I will always be just your disciple,” the Realm Ancestor said meekly, his usual ferocity absent. Few in this world were truly family to him—most long dead, leaving only his master.
“Why have you awakened so suddenly?” he pressed, knowing his master preferred to cultivate in slumber, rousing only for matters of great import.
“Because of that young one—Dongbo Xueying,” the old man replied.
“Dongbo Xueying?” The Realm Ancestor blinked. “He is talented.”
“My ‘Four Extremities Legacy’ was originally crafted to achieve perfect unity of body and soul, hence the ‘Vermilion Nightmare Legacy’ based on the Zhu Yan Divine Beast. Illusions were never my forte.” The old man sighed. “Yet this Dongbo Xueying not only mastered my legacy but pioneered an unprecedented tenth transformation.”
The Realm Ancestor nodded. “His illusions are formidable. He recently rendered great service by extracting intelligence from the Annihilation Demons.”
“All of you excel in physical prowess,” the old man mused, his gaze drifting across the void to where Dongbo Xueying pursued the Annihilation Demons in the distance. “But he is the only one who specializes in the soul.”
“Master, do you intend to take him as a disciple and nurture him?” the Realm Ancestor asked.
“The thought has crossed my mind,” the old man said with a chuckle. “But there’s no hurry. I’ve only just awakened and met him once. I’ll test him a few times, observe him closely, before deciding.”
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