258: Void Forbidden Zone Chat

"Old man, I've already embarked on the path of Karma Dao. How exactly should I cultivate?"

"One word: comprehend."

"Comprehend?"

"Yes, comprehend. The path of rules is uncertain; you need to find the correct direction and advance in that correct direction."

"The correct direction?"

"The path of rules is shrouded in mystery. It's not like when you comprehend rules at the Divine Rank, where understanding inevitably brings gains. Instead, it's like a labyrinth where you must find a path to the exit. Every path might lead to the end, so you need to choose the correct one, otherwise it will be a waste of time."

"So, there are many paths, but only one is viable, and among them are countless dead ends that seem like viable routes?"

"Exactly. Dead ends can also be walked, but once you reach the end, you'll find you can go no further; it's the wrong path. You can only return to the starting point, or other confirmed correct nodes, and continue searching for a path."

"Can walking a dead end also condense Dao Source Power and break through to Foundation Level?"

"A dead end is still a path, but it's limited. No matter how much later cultivators try to expand it, they cannot break through its upper limit and reach the end."

Regarding the cultivation of the path of rules, Lin Chen was completely clueless, so he sought advice from the old man, An Pingshan.

After the old man's explanation, Lin Chen gained a shallow understanding of the cultivation process required for the Foundation Level.

"Old man, does opening a new path for Karma Dao mean artificially creating a path that leads directly to the end within the existing system, not following the old paths of predecessors?"

"You're not wrong in your thinking, but if you don't even know where the end is, how can you open a new path? You can only start by circling and moving forward on the old path, advancing little by little."

"I understand."

With the old man's guidance, Lin Chen now had a clear idea of his upcoming cultivation. With the heavenly calculation compass in hand, the Karma Dao path he had embarked on was at least the starting point of a viable route, not one of those dead ends.

Just this alone put Lin Chen ahead. Cultivation in the early Foundation Level posed no problems. Only when breaking through to the mid Foundation Level would he face the challenge of choosing the sole viable path from countless potential routes.

Cultivation on the path of rules is largely no different from the Divine Rank, except that I need to choose the right path and comprehend the corresponding rules, pushing the rule comprehension beyond 100%. After breaking through, the rule comprehension will transform into Dao Source Power, which the comprehending individual will master.

Only after comprehending 110% of the rules can the condensed Dao Source Power support a Main God in breaking through to the Foundation Level, completing this leap in life essence.

"I wonder if my talent directly increases the quantity of Dao Source Power or provides a 10% boost to overall rule comprehension. I'll only know when my talent activates at 90 years old."

Lin Chen tried to take a shortcut, but due to a lack of data samples, he still had to cultivate diligently, continuously comprehending new Karma rules and breaking through his current rule comprehension to reach 100.1%.

For every 0.1% breakthrough in rule comprehension, 1 wisp of Dao Source Power can be condensed. The condition for breaking through to the Foundation Level is also to possess 100 wisps of Dao Source Power.

Lin Chen continued his secluded cultivation. While the Dao Domain in the Ancestral Court Great World had not yet dissipated and still offered some enhancement, he would cultivate in seclusion for a longer period, allowing for more accumulation and building up greater capital.

Cultivation on the path of rules was extremely difficult. Even though Lin Chen repeatedly amplified his understanding of Karma Dao, and his compatibility continuously increased, comprehension remained arduous. It would still take one or two years to take a small step and condense the first wisp of Dao Source Power.

Cultivation cannot be rushed.

Take it slow, and everything will come.

— — — — — — (˵¯͒♦¯͒˵) — — — — — —

In the Void Forbidden Zone, time had become meaningless.

"Yuan Yue, do you really not want to leave?"

"Enemy of the Dao, just stay here for the rest of your life. Don't even think about leaving. You're a menace, and leaving here would do the universe no good."

Star Envoy Yuan Yue had no good attitude towards Aura, but after an unknown period of interaction, she had become somewhat more peaceful, no longer shouting to kill him, and capable of normal conversation.

"Hehe, my main body is probably coming to rescue me."

"You've said that many times. This time should be the 78,532nd time. No, it's the 78,533rd time."

"Why do you always expose people's shortcomings? It's so boring. Can't we just chat to liven things up?"

"You're getting agitated."

Star Envoy Yuan Yue unilaterally KO'd Aura.

Aura was indeed anxious. Although he had gained eternal life, he had lost all perception of time, space, and all other perceptible things. Only his consciousness and physical body remained eternal, a state of neither increase nor decrease, which could easily drive one mad.

Fortunately, there was a Star Envoy accompanying him, and he could still chat with her. Otherwise, Aura would go insane and probably wouldn't last until his main body came to rescue him.

"Yuan Yue, do you think there are any other living beings in this area besides us?"

"There are always unlucky souls like you who enter the Void Forbidden Zone, so there must be living beings. But I'm afraid we won't encounter them. You'll just have to stay here with me until your consciousness voluntarily fades."

"Yuan Yue, by saying that, you're also an unlucky soul."

"If you, this Enemy of the Dao, are unlucky, then I'm happy. Being a bit unlucky myself is fine."

"Yuan Yue, we've been together eternally like this. Are you really that malicious? You want me to die so badly. It hurts."

"I am a Star Envoy. Instead of wanting you to die, should I play some boring romantic game with you?"

"It's not impossible."

"Then you should just die."

Star Envoy Yuan Yue had long grown accustomed to Aura's antics. From initial indignation to her current calm response, it only took over a thousand such conversations.

Habit is a terrifying force.

"Hehe, when my main body comes to rescue me, I definitely won't take you with me. Then when you beg me, I might just be kind enough to take you along."

Star Envoy Yuan Yue rolled her eyes.

"You won't leave. I'll definitely cause trouble then. You won't leave."

"No, you woman, you're being unreasonable."

"I'm not a woman; I'm just a Star Envoy."

"Alright, you have a mental imprint. There's no reasoning with you."

Aura was defeated again. This was already the hundreds or thousands of times they had this conversation. Every time he "won," he never managed to change Star Envoy Yuan Yue's mind.

Defeated, Aura only quieted down for a moment before speaking again. He would go mad if he didn't chat.

"Oi, won't the Foundation Level cultivators of your Star Envoy lineage come to rescue you?"

"This is the 45,362nd time you've asked."

"They really won't rescue you? You've sacrificed so much to combat scourges like me, and that old geezer won't rescue you? Won't that dishearten the other Star Envoys?"

"It doesn't matter. My mission is complete. By using my life to trap you, this Enemy of the Dao, I become a legend of the Star Envoys, an object of worship for countless predecessors and successors."

"Tsk, my name is Lin Chen, not Enemy of the Dao."

"You are the Enemy of the Dao. What you're called means nothing to me."

Aura was silent for a moment, then spoke.

"Yuan Yue, are you also unable to endure this state? Otherwise, you wouldn't reply every time I ask something."

"Here you go again. This is the 75,236th time you've asked this. I'll tell you again, I will always watch you until you voluntarily fade away."

"Whoa, till death do us part, huh?"

"..."

Star Envoy Yuan Yue was also an intelligent life form. Naturally, she was born with emotions and desires, but these were constrained by her duties as a Star Envoy and not expressed.

Now, trapped in the Void Forbidden Zone where time was meaningless, her humanity as a life form had overtaken the divinity brought by her responsibilities, making her more and more like an ordinary life form.

"Yuan Yue, my main body is probably coming to rescue me."

"78,534 times."

"Seriously."

"Heh heh."

...And so, a new round of conversation began.

The Void Forbidden Zone, an eternally unchanging environment.

This environment was silently eroding the consciousnesses of Aura and Star Envoy Yuan Yue, making them dormant, causing them to voluntarily fade away and merge into this Void Forbidden Zone, becoming a part of it.

Aura was able to persist without fading because he knew his main body would not abandon him, and he was doing fine staying there. As long as he didn't go mad and didn't voluntarily fade, he would eventually escape.

Star Envoy Yuan Yue was able to persist because her duty as a Star Envoy supported her. As long as Aura lived for one day, she could persist for one day.

She had anchored her survival to Aura. If Aura died, she would also die. If Aura lived, she would also live.

So, both of them were enduring.

If Aura couldn't hold on, they would both die.

If Aura could hold on, they would both live.

However, Star Envoy Yuan Yue had not seen this point, but Aura had. Precisely because he had seen through it, he held even greater reverence for Star Envoys as life forms, and even less desired to interact with them.