"How about we go back and take a proper look this time? Maybe even claim that sword while we're at it," Mortevant said teasingly.
Varos, however, wasn't reckless. Without hesitation, he ignored Mortevant's words and continued eastward toward the herb's location.
••••
Lex was sitting in a meditative posture below the world tree, sorting through plans to advance to the Dao initiate realm.
He wanted to develop a new technique—something unprecedented that would increase his chances of becoming a Dao initiate as a universe.
However, this would require not only time but also vast resources. Fortunately, Lex had the resources, Origin Energy, but time was not on his side; it never was.
He was acutely aware that a powerful creature could devour him at any moment. Even now, at this moment, he could be devoured or caught in the crossfire of chaotic creatures' attacks.
Such was the danger of his situation and the dangers of the Voidsea.
Before even tackling the Dao initiate realm, he needed to create a technique to hide himself—an approach that would allow him to remain unseen by the chaotic creatures lurking outside. "
But if I hide, those who can see through my method may be drawn by curiosity, wondering why a small universe like mine is hiding and what makes it possible," Lex said to Luna, who floated in front of him.
"What if you hid in plain sight?" Luna suggested.
"Hiding in plain sight," he contemplated. "That might work, but the danger will still exist unless I can project a phantom of myself." He sighed, recognizing that it would be wonderful if he could move faster in the Voidsea instead of drifting aimlessly toward the unknown. Then maybe he could escape, but his physical body—the universe—said otherwise.
He stood up, his gaze sweeping over every existence in the universe. Some were meditating, others were fighting, and some simply lived their lives, unaware of the dangers lurking beyond.
"Sometimes ignorance is bliss," he thought. "The more you know, the closer you come to death."
"I have to grow stronger. I can't keep feeling like this," Lex thought, frustration consuming him. "I hate this weakness. The fact that I am the will of the universe, the creator, yet still can't control my fate—it's absurd."
With unwavering determination, Lex decided to change the course of the universe. He would interfere with its order and balance despite once wishing to guide the creatures and protect the universe from unknown invasions.
He now realized that the absurdities of the past no longer mattered. What was better: order, balance, or living well? The answer was obvious: life.
Yet, he vowed not to interfere so much that the creatures would become mere puppets bound to his every command.
Before he could proceed, he needed to create a method to hide. He decided to use Luna's ability—Nihilty's Embrace—as a guide.
He sat down again, this time focusing solely on developing the method. Luna removed the core of Nihilty's Embrace and made it hover in front of Lex.
He activated the infinite understanding ability and began constructing his technique from the ground up. He started with the most fundamental stage: the Insight-Level Technique. At this level, the technique allowed one to hide one's physical form, similar to the natural camouflage of chameleons, which blend seamlessly into their surroundings.
This stage was elementary, relying on altering one's external presence rather than truly erasing it.
While effective against lesser beings, it would be worthless against those with heightened perception. But for Lex, this was only the foundation. His goal was far beyond simple invisibility.
As Lex refined his technique further, it evolved through multiple levels, each elevating his ability to obscure his presence.
At the Principle Stage, the technique enabled him to mask his breath, severing his presence from those who relied on energy signatures to track him. Moving forward, at the Path Stage, the technique allowed him to disappear entirely from sight, blending seamlessly with the fabric of space itself—rendering him imperceptible even to those with heightened perception.
Beyond this, the technique reached the Domain Stage, where weaker beings could not even remember encountering him, as though his existence had been erased from their consciousness. Progressing further, the technique ascended through the Edict, Law, Grand Law, and Universal Law stages, each iteration refining the technique's ability to manipulate the very nature of perception and reality itself.
Finally, at its pinnacle, the technique stepped into the realm of Origin Level, where he would not merely vanish but cease to exist within the confines of conventional reality. To perceive him would be to defy the very essence of the universe.
The entire process stretched for hours—an eternity compared to the mere seconds it would have taken had he accepted anything short of perfection. But Lex was not one to settle for less.
He was forging something unprecedented, a technique that could, at its foundation, rival even the arts of Dao Sovereigns if such a feat was even possible.
He had no way of knowing for sure, but he knew this was the most powerful technique he had ever created.
It was not a mere concealment technique. No, this was something far beyond that. It was a technique that did not merely conceal but erased, although there was still final refining needed to be done.
Every law in the universe became its foundation, weaving together in an intricate balance of power and subtlety. These laws formed an unshakable framework, elevating the technique to something beyond mere stealth; it was an art of nonexistence. At its core, one law reigned supreme, the pillar upon which all others bowed—the Law of Stealth.
As Lex completed the final refinements, he raised his hand, and a book materialized before him—a codex formed from his very will. Without hesitation, he inscribed the technique onto its pages, each stroke carrying the weight of cosmic truths' profundity.
The book trembled as if gaining sentience when the final words were inscribed.
Then, without warning, it vanished, slipping from the physical world into a hidden dimension, a sanctuary it instinctively created for itself.
"Worthy of the Codex I created," Lex murmured with a smug grin.
Luna, floating beside him, gave him a look and said, "Praising yourself now?"
"Would you expect anything less from me," he said, gesturing to the book. "I'm stating facts. This is the definitive compendium of stealth techniques in the universe."
"Should I bow, oh Keeper of Obvious Secrets?" Luna asked, mock-serious.
"Please," Lex said, raising a hand with royal flair. "I'm but a humble manifestation of cosmic genius."
Still, despite its brilliance, the technique was lacking.
"I don't think this origin-level art can fully conceal my physical body," Lex said, frustration evident in his voice.
Luna gave a small shrug. "My memories are still sealed, so I don't know how much help I can be. But..." She hesitated. "It would've been perfect if you had Dao books—something to draw from. A deeper source."
Lex immediately retrieved several ancient Dao books, relics he had salvaged from ruins that had drifted into his universe. Each contained the wisdom of Dao Initiates, holding secrets that could bridge the final gap in his technique and elevate it into true Dao initiate technique.
As Lex opened one of the Dao Initiate books, intricate patterns and runes unfolded before his eyes, revealing the technique inscribed within.
The moment his gaze fell upon it, understanding dawned upon him, not through study, but through absolute comprehension.
The crystal ball's infinite understanding immediately dissected the technique, stripping it down to its most fundamental principles.
The technique was an escape method, designed to evade pursuit rather than erase presence. It wasn't a perfect match for his stealth technique, but he saw potential in it.
He integrated the escape technique into his existing framework with a mere thought. The integration took only a minute, yet the results were profound.
The origin level technique's complexity surged, its effectiveness climbing higher, though it still fell short of a true Dao Initiate technique.
Even so, Lex knew he was getting closer. Without hesitation, he opened another Dao Initiate book; this one containing Dao Sword techniques. Though its principles vastly differed from stealth, he refused to overlook any possible synergy.
With a thought, he merged the sword technique into his evolving stealth technique. The effect was subtle, increasing the complexity and power by a small margin, but Lex understood that every refinement mattered.
Determined to continue, he applied the same process to three additional Dao techniques, each distinct in purpose but valuable in concept. With every fusion, the technique gained strength and deepened in complexity. Ultimately, it ascended into the realm of true Dao Initiate techniques.
As if in response to this transformation, the dimension where the book resided expanded, no longer a mere pocket space but a world of its own. The book's presence weakened, becoming so imperceptible that even Lex—the very will of the universe—could barely sense its existence. The sheer depth of concealment proved the technique's success and power.
Lex felt a subtle tremor deep within his comprehension of the Origin Law as he refined his technique. It was a familiar sensation—a nudge toward a breakthrough. However, something was off.
The shift came only from the Law of Stealth, while the rest of his comprehended laws remained untouched.
A realization struck him. If he chose to break through at this moment, he would abandon every other law he had learned, trapping himself on the path of stealth alone.
That was unacceptable. His goal was not to achieve mastery in just one, three, or even thousands of laws like the creatures of the Voidsea or those from other universes. Instead, he aimed for mastery of the totality of the Origin Laws.
For Lex, the path forward was now clear. He needed to bring every law he comprehended to the peak of Origin Law, allowing them all to simultaneously resonate against the threshold of Dao Initiate.
Now, he has discovered one of the method to reach that threshold: creating a true Dao Initiate technique for each law. The path to his greatest breakthrough had just begun.
Luna watched in astonishment as the aura of breakthrough enveloped Lex. "How is this happening? Wasn't he just at the peak of the Origin Law?" she exclaimed.
To her, a breakthrough of this magnitude should only be possible when one transcends the universe, coming into direct contact with the chaotic energies beyond.
Even then, it wasn't merely about touching that energy; one had to endure it. The sheer destructive force of the Voidsea's chaos energy had erased countless geniuses who dared to step beyond their limits.
But Lex was an anomaly. He wasn't just a being within the universe—he was the universe itself.
Luna took a deep breath, steadying her thoughts. "I need to stop being surprised every time he does something impossible. If I keep measuring him by normal standards, I'll never understand him. I need to accept that he isn't bound by the same rules as everyone else