1023 Trophy
"...I heard the sound of chanting. No, maybe it was praying," continued Tong Ruobing, her brows still furrowed. "I fought with someone or a group of people. They were powerful but still not a match for me."
She paused as she tried to scan her fuzzy memory, relying more on her feelings and intuition to piece together what had happened. " After defeating them, I believed I tried to capture them but didn't know whether I succeeded. Afterward, I think I saw a formation - a very powerful one. When I was trying to investigate, I met someone or something.
"The sensation of meeting was unpleasant. I don't know how to describe it."
"Like you were losing your mind- even going insane?"
"Exactly," nodded Tong Ruobing. "It was like I was staring at something I should not have - like I was staring at a Taboo." She looked him directly in the eyes, "Do you know what's going on?"
"Some inkling," nodded Wang Wei but did not say anymore. "What else?"
"That thing attacked me," continued Tong Ruobing after realizing she would not get any more information. "I was powerless to resist and had to run away. But despite my best effort, I ended up in this shape."
Tong Ruobing sighed; her [Existence] was injured, and her situation was even worse than Wang Wei as her powers had fallen below the Emperor Realm. Her current strength was barely enough to fight a Dao Ancestor.
"The fact you survived in such a terrible shape indicates the threat of the Abyss Gap is Empyrean Tier," analyzed Wang Wei, who finally had proof there were other threats to him in the lower dimension besides Old Man Nether.
"It has not reached the Paragon Tier; otherwise, you wouldn't have a chance to leave. Plus, True Heavenly Dao will not tolerate any Paragons from existing in the Lower Dimension."
With this news, he was satisfied with Tong Ruobing's efforts. He has yet to decide whether he will only place a seal or utterly deal with the problem. But once he makes a decision, he will be more prepared to deal with the problem of the Abyss Gap.
"So, are we good?" asked Tong Ruobing.
"Yes," nodded Wang Wei before raising his hand to summon a black and white seed. "This is a unique Yin-Yang Seed: use it as a medium for dual cultivation with Mu Lei, and it will accelerate the rate at which your injury is healed."
"Such a thing exists?" Tong Ruobing knew [Existence Injuries] could not be cured easily. They usually require things like merit, World Source, or a massive amount of Qi Luck to heal, and even then, the process is extremely slow.
"I don't need to lie to you." This seed was the result of studying Madmen Chu's inheritance; it's also why his injuries are healing so rapidly.
"Thank you," nodded Tong Ruobing as she carefully placed the seed away. Without hesitation, she activated a talisman that made her disappear with a swoosh.
"You should know -"
"It's fine," said Wang Wei, looking in the distance. He finished his clay sculpture before preserving it. Then, he returned to his retreat.
Beast Star World:
Tong Ruobing's pale and weak body appeared in a cultivation room, immediately grunting in pain. The teleportation process that was only slightly bumpy aggravated the situation of her body, albeit only the superfluous injuries; that's how weak she was.
She had never felt this way before since she started cultivating. Even when she was severely wounded, the situation was different. Her current state was like she was suffering from a chronic illness and had been battling it for decades.
Swish!
Mu Lei appeared in the room.
"Are you alright?" He held her because he had a feeling she was on the verge of passing out. Since he knew her, Mu Lei had never seen her so weak and feeble. He led her to the cultivation cushion to rest.
"I'm fine."
"You should have listened to me." As Dao Companions, isn't it normal to share woes and tribulations? Mu Lei felt the situation would not have been so terrible if he had gone instead. After all, he is a body refiner and more capable of surviving dangerous situations. At the very least, they should have gone together.
"No, I'm glad I was stubborn. If you went, you might not return." Her husband might have had more vitality, but he did not have all the versatile means. So, if he went, even with Wang Wei's power, he might not have returned.
Tong Ruobing did not remember exactly how she escaped that attack, but she knew her Dao was instrumental in the process. Mu Lei sighed, "Was it worth it?"
"It was."
"How was it worth it?" he barked, raising his voice slightly. "You're in such a terrible state." He knew even if she killed herself and revived, which is sometimes a better choice, it would not help the state of her injuries.
"It was for many reasons," explained Tong Ruobing. "Firstly, I was able to experience a higher level of my Dao." The talisman did just give her all of Wang Wei's ability and Dao. Instead, it boosted her Dao and other aspects to reach the strength of 69.99% Grand Dao Source.
Honestly, Tong Ruobing felt it was a waste she did not have much time with the talisman so she could study it. Although she had already recorded its data, she felt it was insufficient.
"Secondly, I understand how vast the world is and how small I am." A cultivator's vision or how much they know about the world is crucial; it can help them plan their future, keep an open mind, and prevent them from being too arrogant, which is something that Tong Ruobing felt she needed.
And it was not just her. All cultivators will develop some level of arrogance after proving the Dao. After all, their strength symbolizes they are the best of an entire generation. And in her case, it symbolizes her talent.
"I knew the realm of the Great Emperor was only the beginning, but it was after experiencing a higher level of power that I understood how weak I was."
Tong Ruobing could not help but sigh.
"Finally, this is the real benefit I receive." She showed him two things: a mass of an eerie aura and a vial of dark blood.
"What are those?" asked Mu Lei as he felt an instinctive disgust from the depths of his soul as he looked at these two things.
"My trophies."
"Wang Wei, let you keep these things?"
"I didn't tell him."
"Why do you insist on playing with fire?" Mu Lei could not help but roll his eyes.
"Do you think he doesn't know? Since he didn't mention it, then he agreed they were my trophy. Plus, that's not the only thing I didn't mention to him."
"What else is there?"
"I think I'm the one who erased my memories," explained Tong Ruobing. "At least, a part of it was my doing."
"Why?"
"There is something in there I knew I should not - no - dare not remember."
Mu Lei shook his head as he sighed, "The cultivation world is truly like climbing an endless mountain. When we were mortals, we wanted to prove the Dao, and after climbing that peak and enjoying the power and glory that comes with it, we discovered even taller peaks."
"Yes, and the worst part is we know other people have climbed those peaks and cannot use the excuse that it's impossible," agreed Tong Ruobing.
"So, what are you going to do with these things?"
"I plan to turn the aura into a trump card. With its ability to corrupt the mind, it can be a great weapon if used correctly," explained Tong Ruobing. "As for the blood? I don't know. My first instinct is to study and understand it, but my intuition tells me I'm dealing with something beyond my level."
"I'm glad you're not letting the benefits cloud your judgment."
Tong Ruobing ignored him, focusing on the blood. "It would be great if I could fuse the blood with my Proving Dao Artifact and grant it the power of corruption. However, that's too dangerous."
A Proving Dao Artifact has too much connection to its owner, so Tong Ruobing was not stupid enough to place such a dangerous item close to hers.
"You can do some experiments," suggested Mu Lei. "See how some life forms react to being contaminated."
"That's one of my plans." Tong Ruobing has even already been thinking about how she could dilate this blood. She put the blood and aura away in a secure location in her space ring, a place composed of trillions of Sealing Talismans.
Then, she summoned the black and white seed.
"What's this?"
"Wang Wei's gift to help me heal."
"What can this do?"
"Accelerate the healing process to my [Existence]."
"Really? How do we use it?"
Tong Ruobing smiled at him: "Let's just say you'll have a happy life for a long while."
It took Mu Lei a moment to realize what she meant, then, a big grin appeared on his handsome face: "I guess I should thank Wang Wei instead of holding a grudge."
