Chapter 305: It's My Turn to Seek the Truth

The Age of Potions had evolved over millennia, giving rise to countless legendary and epic hidden professionals. Now, this ancient land was experiencing a cataclysm unlike anything seen in thousands of years.

"The Gate to Another World has opened!"

"It's a pure land, teeming with treasures!"

Word has it that academies from the major Potion Kingdoms have dispatched their strongest members, the Orc Kingdom has launched a massive invasion, and the Undead Kingdom has even unleashed a horrifying cataclysm.

The entire land buzzed with discussion, as even more dreadful news surfaced: ancient monarchs and emperors from bygone eras were awakening. Monarchs and emperors from across different ages, once believed to have perished from old age or defeat, were now stepping out of millennia of history. Whispers spread that the first Undead Monarch, Necromancer Windham, recorded in the annals of the Undead Empire, hadn't died but had transformed himself into a Skeleton Mage. From the ancient monarch tombs of Fedeqi, the strongest man in the Human Kingdom, Bafien Morton—hailed as the mightiest individual on the surface in a millennium—was said to have emerged. He was still alive!

Ancient, epic beings, long thought lost to millennia of history, were now appearing in the mortal realm, stirring unrest across the shadowed lands. In their own eras, lacking the chance to ascend to godhood, they had merely fallen into slumber. Now, this was their sole opportunity, and they were awakening and returning, prepared to risk everything. Each of them had reached the pinnacle of their respective realms. As monarchs and emperors, they had suppressed brilliant eras, and their combat prowess was incredibly formidable. Even among their peers in the Ancient Desolate World, they stood among the elite, possessing the innate talent for godhood. Throughout history, numerous prodigies with the talent for godhood had accumulated; all they lacked was the opportune moment. An oracle from the Underworld proclaimed this to be both a great opportunity and a matter of life and death.

As more ancient beings continued to emerge, the entire land became a tempest of activity. Undeniably, it was both the best of times and the worst of times. It offered the chance for godhood, but also threatened the world with ruin—not merely the fall of nations, but the entire world being enslaved and left to the mercy of others.

In the past fortnight, even an ancient lineage of Light Saints emerged from long reclusion, traveling across the land, bearing the Holy Artifact of the Church of Light—the Book of Light and Truth—which granted omniscient wisdom. She proclaimed that the anthem of humanity was the anthem of history, and the anthem of courage. She began her address, captivating many in her audience.

Before this surging tide of history, many mortals felt uneasy. Even those who initiated the wars, unaware of the divine rivalries and believing themselves to be the dominant aggressors, with the opposing side merely awaiting subjugation, still harbored deep anxieties. At such a time, comforting speeches were undeniably the most effective way to gather faith and devotion.

One could blend into the vast currents of history and then rule the world with comforting platitudes. Xu Zhi, currently a swimming fish in the deep sea, heard this news and offered a calm assessment. Outside, war raged, the world in turmoil, and the immense tide of history was being driven forward. He, however, remained unconcerned, merely observing with detachment, seizing the opportunity to expand his knowledge and contemplate his future breakthrough to the seventh stage.

Water rippled. He was surrounded by schools of vividly colored fish. He swam underwater through a flourishing expanse of deep-red, coral-like growth, eventually reaching the depths of a cave densely covered in rough, spiky, grass-like crimson coral. As he ventured deeper into the cave, at its furthest point, the seawater transformed into a faint vortex, hinting at a hidden restriction.

His body, from when he was Monarch Emperor Messiah, seemed to be hidden there. Swimming through the water, he gradually spotted an ancient black coffin, sealed by a special sorcery. To deter grave-robbing necromancers, Xu Zhi had long hidden it in the deep ocean.

"After all, a clone couldn't cultivate beyond the main body's sixth stage to reach the Seventh Heavenly Emperor realm," Xu Zhi mused. "To comprehend the Dao and achieve various breakthroughs... I still need a physical body. It's fortunate I kept Messiah's body from back then." The original Messiah had been used to research and establish the Cube System, which subsequently spawned the civilization of the Ancient Desolate World. That body also contained an inner spatial sea of consciousness, which was originally the prototype for his research into the Path of Faith. It wasn't perfected at the time; there was no concept of a primordial spirit or distinct physical body. Now, this Messiah body possessed a sea of consciousness but no primordial spirit, making its combat power quite low compared to its peers, as it couldn't keep pace with the current era. It was, however, perfectly suited for a clone to enter and act as the primordial spirit, thereby controlling the body. This was currently the most ideal choice.

Furthermore, the Messiah from back then had diligently researched for decades. The main body had continuously supplied energy to this 'little ant,' and its cultivation foundation had already reached the sixth stage. Its wizardry knowledge even rivaled that of some weaker Monarch Emperors. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to bypass cultivation hurdles so swiftly before, breaking through from the fourth, fifth, and sixth stages with such ease. But now, that well of accumulated knowledge had been depleted. While his current existence was privileged, with clones assisting in learning and accumulation, they were ultimately just learning machines. They saved him much of the time spent on gathering knowledge, but the ultimate synthesis and the final step of forging his own path still depended on him.

"With my previous reserves exhausted, the path to the Seventh Stage Heavenly Emperor must be re-explored. This body is perfect for that purpose..."

With a splash! Xu Zhi's clone, its face devoid of expression, swiftly merged into the waiting body.

On the surface of the sea, a slender young man with black hair and black eyes slowly emerged. With a single shake, the seawater instantly evaporated from his form. Strictly speaking, this black-haired, black-eyed young Messiah was the true progenitor of humanity in the Ancient Desolate World, and the genuine pioneer of the Sea of Consciousness cultivation system.

Xu Zhi closed his eyes, swiftly assessing the after-effects of his body's near-millennium slumber. He had not only employed the dormant cryostasis technology, once used by the Alchemy Emperor to preserve seven young witches, but also utilized his own control over temporal flow, adjusting it to a normal rate. Thus, a thousand years in that world amounted to merely ten days in reality. It was as if he had only slept for ten days; all bodily functions were perfectly intact.

"I will continue as before, using the main body to recharge and replenish energy, to break through to the Seventh Stage and become a true Heavenly Emperor...." He abruptly opened his eyes and swiftly ascended from the sea's surface. With the main body's continuous support, his research and cultivation had always progressed rapidly, and he was confident this endeavor would also be smooth.

Three days later, Xu Zhi, familiar with the route, once again reached the edge of the Wizarding World. He secretly connected with his main body, continuously drawing upon its vast energy reserves for replenishment, and then resumed his secluded research. His current goal was to cultivate his physical body, first breaking through to the Seventh Stage of 'Body Cultivation'! He did not practice the Nine Revolutions Profound Art, which involved nine acupoints surrounding the Dantian. Instead, he cultivated the most common single-Dantian method found in the Ancient Desolate World. After all, he was merely exploring a path, and this body served as an experimental subject, so there was no need to cultivate an excessively powerful technique. He considered Body Cultivation. He would first try to become a Heavenly Emperor.

Utilizing boundless energy, Xu Zhi began his cultivation. He reasoned that as a Dao cultivator, whose cultivation centered on the sea of consciousness within his mind, he needed to alter his meridian pathways and open another inner world in his lower abdomen to serve as a Dantian.

Time progressed. Outside, the world remained embroiled in constant conflict, with wars escalating in intensity.

One year, then two... Xu Zhi, already possessing a wealth of knowledge, cultivated at an exceptional pace thanks to the ceaseless influx of energy. By the seventh year, over two thousand days had passed. Xu Zhi had reached the peak of the sixth realm in Body Cultivation. The energy within his meridians surged like tides, rapidly flowing and converging in his Dantian, where the scorching energy coalesced into a solar furnace. A tremendous surge of energy erupted, as if something within his body had been broken through.

A thrill went through Xu Zhi's heart as he realized he had reached the Seventh Stage. Although this body was merely an ordinary Seventh Stage, having achieved the breakthrough through the knowledge accumulated by numerous clones and the vast energy of the main body, there was nothing particularly boastful about it. Nevertheless, it was undeniably the crucial first step. This was experience. His own direct experience of the realm. In the future, when his main body received immense energy, effectively undergoing a re-cultivation, it would be able to break through to the Seventh Stage of Body Cultivation without any cultivation barriers.

With a thought, Xu Zhi silently rose, feeling his body and clenching his fists. He strode out of the forest and gazed up at the sky. It was time, he mused, to adapt to this power and explore another path of cultivation—that of Truth, or the Dao Heart.

Images of various figures flashed before his eyes, each bearing tales of joy, sorrow, and pain. He recalled Hu Rennong, who had embraced mortality, married, and had children, only truly understanding the essence of faith after enduring life's hardships. He recalled Dao Changsheng, who had suffered heavenly tortures and the agony of lightning strikes, shed tears before Da Luo Tian, and stood alone against ancient Heavenly Emperors, forging his own path amidst grief and indignation. He also remembered Liu Wenjian, who had agonizingly severed an arm, forged a sword with herself in a fiery furnace, transformed into an old woman for thirty years, and then returned as a mortal Heavenly Emperor, finally ushering in the era of Shushan.

"That was them," Xu Zhi mused, striding forward and falling into deep thought. "But what about me? What truly was his truth, his Dao Heart?"