Chapter 792: Insights
Since the appearance of the colossal black hole visible across the entire Dou Qi Continent, the world had undergone seismic changes.
If Xiao Ze's Nine Trees of Enlightenment once revolutionized alchemy and sparked a golden age for alchemists, the opening of the dimensional passage with the Vast Thousand Worlds was transforming the entire Dou Qi Continent.
The infusion of spiritual energy from the Vast Thousand Worlds began to replace dou qi, elevating not only humans but also magical beasts and unique life forms, granting them varying degrees of enhancement.
Xiao Ze's Personal Time
In recent days, Xiao Ze often remained in the small world he had created, spending his time in two ways:
Reunion with Xun'er and the others – After a long separation, their time together was filled with heartfelt conversations and cherished moments, deepening their bonds.
Guiding their cultivation – As a Heaven Sovereign, Xiao Ze offered his profound insights and resources to aid their growth, especially focusing on Xun'er.
Xun'er's breakthrough into a new realm would not only strengthen her but also provide Xiao Ze with additional binding slots through her feedback. Once Xun'er reached the Heaven Sovereign stage, Xiao Ze's binding slots would increase to five, allowing him to further refine his capabilities.
Though Xiao Ze's abilities were already comprehensive excelling in soul power, physical prowess, alchemy, and cultivation he sought unique and unparalleled talents to complement his journey.
For now, he continued to rely on the Ancient Wisdom talent gained from the Bodhi Ancient Tree, a power amplified by his Hundred Life Samsara. This talent enhanced alchemy, formations, and battle arrays, rivaling even his golden tier talents.
Strategic Support
With vast resources at his disposal, including the 80 billion Sovereign Spirit Liquids gained from defeating the Ghost Emperor, Xiao Ze allocated most of these funds to Mandala for the development of the Source Realm. Building a true superpower required substantial investment.
Xiao Ze kept a portion of the liquid to support Xun'er, Medusa, Xiao Yi Xian, Qing Lin, and Zi Yan. With sufficient resources and Xiao Ze's guidance, they advanced rapidly. Xiao Ze ensured they had everything they needed, enabling them to reach the Earth Sovereign stage, even if their natural talent fell short.
However, achieving the Heaven Sovereign realm required a convergence of talent, opportunity, resources, and willpower factors that even Xiao Ze couldn't guarantee for everyone.
Searching for the Ancient Heavenly Palace
After ensuring Xun'er and the others had entered their cultivation states, Xiao Ze returned briefly to the Vast Thousand Worlds.
Using a branch of the Origin Tree, he began his search for the Ancient Heavenly Palace, a promise he had made to Mandala. Her fragmented existence as a clone made reaching the Heaven Sovereign realm nearly impossible without first recovering her true body.
Though Mandala's split form was unique and far more stable than typical clones, her incompleteness posed a critical obstacle. While Xiao Ze could theoretically restore her using overwhelming power, the cost would far exceed the effort required to locate the Ancient Heavenly Palace.
For this reason, Xiao Ze delayed acquiring the remnant Mandala flower from the Danyang Ancestor. Although the flower could help Mandala break through to the Heaven Sovereign realm, Xiao Ze believed it would be easier to exchange for the flower later using his alchemy skills.
Cultivating the Dou Qi Continent
Back on the Dou Qi Continent, Xiao Ze began coordinating efforts to mass produce high tier pills. While he focused on crafting Sovereign and Divine Pills for use in the Vast Thousand Worlds, local high level alchemists took on the task of creating pills for cultivators below the Sovereign stage.
Through this, Xiao Ze aimed to establish the Source Realm's reputation in the Vast Thousand Worlds as a premier hub of alchemy, starting with the upcoming Alchemy Auction.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan, eager to explore the Vast Thousand Worlds, entered the dimensional passage alongside Yao Lao.
Xiao Yan's New Reality
Arriving in the Vast Thousand Worlds, Xiao Yan sensed the immense energy surrounding Tianluo City, the Source Realm's headquarters. However, the overwhelming presence of countless beings stronger than himself left Xiao Yan and Yao Lao stunned.
Before they could process their surroundings, a powerful figure approached, radiating a pressure so intense that they struggled to endure it.
"May I ask if you are Master Xiao Yan and Master Yao Chen?" the figure asked politely.
Xiao Yan nodded nervously, prompting the elder to smile. "I am Huang Lao, sent by Lady Mandala to ensure your safety. Tianluo City is teeming with all kinds of powerful beings, and we must guard against any unexpected dangers."
A New Perspective
Xiao Yan exchanged glances with Yao Lao, both feeling a sense of discomfort. Back on the Dou Qi Continent, they were considered unparalleled. Yet here, they needed protection a humbling realization.
Suppressing his pride, Xiao Yan asked cautiously, "Senior Huang, may I ask your cultivation level?"
"I am currently at the Earth Sovereign Great Perfection stage. You may call me Huang Lao," the elder replied with a smile.
Xiao Yan's surprise was evident. "At your level, you must be on the verge of breaking through to the Heaven Sovereign realm, no?"
Huang Lao shook his head with a bitter smile. "It's not that simple."
"Before reaching the Earth Sovereign stage, I saw the Heaven Sovereign realm as an attainable peak. But now, I realize it's like a firefly gazing at the moon an unattainable chasm separates the two. The closer one gets to the Heaven Sovereign stage, the more one understands its insurmountable nature."
"This 'small step' is one that countless cultivators fail to cross in their entire lifetimes."
Understanding the Gap
Huang Lao's words left Xiao Yan and Yao Lao speechless. They hadn't yet grasped the vast gulf separating them from Xiao Ze. Hearing Huang Lao's candid explanation, they finally began to comprehend the immensity of the challenge ahead.
For Xiao Yan, this was both humbling and motivating. His journey in the Vast Thousand Worlds had just begun, and there was much to learn, experience, and achieve.
(Chapter End)
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