Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

Tao, Bai Lufeng, and Yan Zaizen were currently situated in a residential area within the Anima Syndicate Headquarters. Surprisingly, the organization actually had rooms like this for their Lieutenants and Commanders. With his upgrade in title-rank, he was capable of utilizing it with Tao and Bai Lufeng. He was also capable of inducting them as Anima Initiates, allowing them some access in the organization during their stay.

"So, we’ll be staying here for three years?" Bai Lufeng asked, his eyes flickering with an indiscernible emotion. However, Yan Zaizen could understand his thoughts. He saw the same type of emotion fluttering through Tao’s eyes as well. It was reluctance! Having arrived at the Xiantu Continent, they wanted to explore the outside world.

This emotion may be temporary, but it made sense. The Dead Soul Desert alone was fascinating, who knew what other miraculous areas this continent had? As an individual with the lowest time alive, he didn’t have their intense desire to travel at first light.

He had many years to live, after all.

He could afford to take it slow. Not to mention, he truly wanted to peruse the archives of the Anima Syndicate! If he could gain experience, knowledge or train in his arts wouldn’t his cultivation in general benefit? As the most inexperienced, he was also the weakest in terms of progression in arts. Disregarding his profound soul and body cultivation base, his arts were still at its lowest mastery.

"How about this: Both of you travel the Xiantu Continent, gather information, establish connections, and go sightseeing. I’ll join you after Wu Yuanxu is revived." Bai Lufeng’s eyes shone with excitement. Tao, however, had a complex gaze. In truth, he wished to travel the myriad realms with Yan Zaizen.

Just as he was about to shake his head, Yan Zaizen interrupted, "I know you’re reluctant to stay, also reluctant to go, but I need you to gather detailed information about the Xiantu Realm that couldn’t be obtained normally. That way, I avoid offending those I shouldn’t offend. Also, I said the myriad realms. Not just a single continent."

Yan Zaizen remembered his promise clearly, and he also held some reluctance within his heart about the situation. However, he understood his priorities. His increase in art mastery and experience was a must! He also had other plans as well, plans where Tao could not follow him.

Tao’s eyes flickered with refusal but after several days of convincing, he finally agreed. Bai Lufeng, however, required no convincing. He was ready to explore the outside world, meet the varied women of the continent, drink grand wine, and see the sights!

After handing them the Heretical Lightning Skyship, wealth with resources and his well-wishes, he saw them off. They had his spiritual sense infused with his Mortal Dao on them, so even if they met an initial-True Essence expert, they should be safe.

As for this Mortal Dao of his, he couldn’t help but be a little surprised as he learned more about it. The Mortal Daos could be divided into three tiers: lower-tier, middle-tier, and upper-tier. Depending on the type of dao, the fusion of daos, and quality of said daos, it could be classified as one of those tiers.

His Dao of Sovereign Ascension was an upper-tier Mortal Dao!

After merging six daos together, which was an exceedingly high amount to begin with, it could be considered as the highest form of Mortal Dao possible. It seems that if he had returned home, it’s likely his dao would’ve formulated right then and there as the Dao of Imperial Ferocity. This would’ve been considered a peak lower-tier dao.

Both fortunately and unfortunately, his experiences left him with a dao of the highest tier. With this, he felt it was a little worth it to experience all those things. At least, emotionally, he didn’t lack experience.

"Let’s begin!"

----------

Within chaotic space, Yan Zaizen sat stably in the lotus position, reading a book with rapt attention. Floating in chaotic space were dozens of other books and scrolls. They rotated around him as if within some special domain protecting them from the ripping force of chaotic space. His hands held two low-grade essence crystals to recover his qi as needed. With his Herculean Physique, he could drain and convert this essence into qi-essence within minutes. Luckily, with his low cultivation base, one crystal was enough to fill him several times over.

His amber-gold eyes now contained an intelligent gleam within, something he clearly lacked before. Even his aura was much more reserved.

It’s been two years, no, sixty years for him, since Tao and Bai Lufeng’s departure. Within chaotic space, he experienced sixty years in a mere two of the outside world. By harnessing his conceptual law of space, he could stay within chaotic space’s odd time flow for extended periods.

Over the course of these sixty years, he’s read a myriad of cultivation notes from his predecessors in regards to the soul, to cultivation arts in general, and practiced them diligently. His knowledge of the myriad realms was greatly supplemented by records within the Anima Syndicate. Even his cultivation advancement was extraordinary.

The most notable change had to do with his laws. The Spatial Form of Infinite Stability had reached the Initial Manifestation-level, breaking a barrier that was exceptionally difficult. His extended stay in chaotic space enabled him to perceive incredible insights. It wasn’t the only one. By refining the inky black wood and white flame, Yan Zaizen allowed his physique to contain the highest form of the conceptual law.

Both his Unyielding Flame of Life and Siphoning Shadow of Death advanced to the manifestation-level. The Archery of Pure Destruction had only reached the minor-success of the force-level, displaying the slowest advancement speed, but considering the circumstances, it made sense.

He even felt as if his stay in this odd flow of time helped him glean insight into a new law. Unfortunately, he couldn’t develop any form of an enlightened concept from it.

At the moment, he could manifest a stable space where things within weren’t affected by the rippling force of chaotic space. Therefore, he didn’t need to shroud objects in his qi-essence but simply project his manifested barrier.

The Pneuma Disruption, Anima Shield, and Source Sonar Arts, the three staple arts for the Anima Syndicate, reached the major-success stage. As the three arts primarily used by all members in the Anima Syndicate, it was also the one with the most cultivation notes. Studying them helped reach a higher mastery level with exceptional speed.

He learned several new soul arts, including Soul Search Art, Compressed Telekinetic Manifestation Art, Spirit Perception Art, and many more which ranged from low-grade to superior-grade in quality. They allowed his comprehension towards soul energy and overall usage to dramatically change. He never realized how untrained he was in soul energy until he learned these various arts.

The Violet Way of Spatial Shifting was something he restarted cultivating. As he comprehended spatial shifting within the continental spatial platform tunnel, he was capable of taking this seriously. Unfortunately, he didn’t exceed minor-success in any of the arts detailed within, but it was still exceptional to reach his current mastery.

This was how his sixty years went, comprehending soul arts, spatial laws, spatial arts, reading various forms of cultivation experiences of his predecessors, and trying to discover his origin source. Unfortunately, he hadn’t even touched his origin source yet in these sixty years. He was incapable of locating it. However, he didn’t give up qi cultivation due to this, continuing to invest time into locating his origin source.

"Hm?" His eyes lit up as he discovered something. With a wave of his hand, all the books entered his Meteor Ring, and he took a step forward. As if slicing into a painting, he exited out of chaotic space and into his residential room within the Anima Syndicate Headquarters.

Outside, Old Tai patiently waited as he knocked every minute or so. He was rather patient in his attempts. Old Tai had been a mentor to him thus far, helping him expand his knowledge and intelligence regarding the world.

Opening the door, he could see Old Tai’s brilliant eyes were even more dazzling than before. He chuckled at his child-like interest, "You seem rather excited."

Old Tai dashed in, slithering his withered body into the room like a snake. Yan Zaizen softly chuckled, closing the door behind him. This Old Tai’s true nature may seem wise and old, but he had some odd characteristics. For one, he disliked using his cultivation base to travel to any place he could walk to. Another was his child-like invasiveness whenever he finds something interesting. It was like, he had to tell no matter what!

"There’s big news. Very big news." Old Tai’s word dripped with anticipation, he waited several seconds as if to see if Yan Zaizen would ask ’what news?’

"What news?" Yan Zaizen asked.

"The Asura Phantom Palace sub-realm has been opened by the Xiantu Emperor!"

Yan Zaizen’s eyes flickered with an intense interest. After spending time enhancing his knowledge and experience of the myriad realms, he would take some time off to read information about ancient powers, the Chaos Era, and the current Rebirth Era. The Asura Phantom Palace was a second-level heavenly-tier force during the Chaos Era! The reason why he knew this so specifically had to do with their cultivation in the soul, not just in soul cultivation, but the very heavenly law of the soul!

How could the Anima Syndicate not have detailed knowledge about such an ancient force? Not to mention, the remnants of its sub-realm was discovered centuries ago, but the Xiantu Emperor closed it off for further inspection, as if refusing to allow some remnant soul to be reborn by accident. It seems after several hundred years, the Xiantu Emperor had finally deemed it safe!

As for the Xiantu Emperor, he was a second-floor Heavenly Genesis Cultivator! Therefore, the entire Xiantu Realm itself was only a second-level heavenly-tier force! Yet, the Asura Phantom Palace wasn’t in control of a realm, but a sub-realm. During the Chaos Era, only the middle-tier Heavenly Genesis Cultivators could own a realm. Those at the Xiantu Emperor’s level had sub-realms for their respective forces.

However, this era was obviously different.

"You going?" Yan Zaizen inquired, but Old Tai decisively shook his head in response.

"I can’t. I’m too old, I’ll never be able to contest with everyone else." Despite his words coming off casually, it was the truth. Old Tai had a profound Advanced Soul Realm Cultivation base, but his qi-cultivation base was only at the half-step True Essence. His body had reached a point where it couldn’t take that step any longer, and thus, he’ll likely die unless he obtained some heaven-defying pill.

"However! You can go!" Old Tai’s eyes lit up with remarkable brilliance.

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