Chapter 353 - Path Of No Retreat (1/2)
Best novel online free at LatestNovel.Net or NovelTeam.Net
The shattered Dao released a green light that carried hints of essence, if this essence could be classified, then it was the purest essence of determination. The energy released by it entered Yan Zaizen's amber-gold palm like water into sand. A distinctive feeling reminiscent of the flowing of water over one's hand was felt.
This water flowed through Yan Zaizen's palm into his soul like a river. The river was calm and clear. Within the depths of this river, a silhouette was formed. When Yan Zaizen observed this silhouette that flowed from his palm into his soul, his eyes flickered.
This figure wasn't Esi's. Instead, it wasn't even humanoid in shape. It resembled a living and beating heart.
”Interesting,” softly exclaiming, he rotated the art further until the river flowed entirely into his soul. It vanished, integrating with his own Dao Soul.
”The First Stage of the Grand Soul, Dao Heart Art is the Nascent Dao Heart. It merges the soul with the dao, any action made would influence others. It's this reason why my actions often are integrated with my dao despite being unwanted.” Yan Zaizen recalled the earlier incident where when he spoke, the others on Esi's ship acted like they were in a trance. They had been slightly bewitched by his Dao being emitted.
As he absorbed the Dao energy, he closed his eyes to sense the various changes within his Dao Soul. Firstly, his Dao Soul barely had any changes outside of its base energy levels. He felt it become stronger. This enhancement wasn't significant. In fact, it could be described as less than a thousandth of his original strength.
”When one's Dao is formed, only by advancing the Dao from the Mortal to the Grand, merging it with one's True Origin, could it be empowered. This was what I was told!” When one's Dao leaves its Nascent Stage, it was impossible to change or alter. It could only be improved by merging one's True Origin. Even Yan Zaizen had very little idea what a ”True Origin” meant, even though he's developed a False Grand Dao.
The level of Dao Energy a person possessed was otherwise limited in quality and infinite in quantity. The Dao could not be exhausted.
When Yan Zaizen absorbed the Dao of Esi, he felt his limited quality be increase ever so slightly.
Yri, who remained a distance away, eyes surged with a manic obsession. Her own Dao was one of Absolute Obsession, and it was merely a peak middle-level Dao. To increase the strength of her Dao was a dream that she had paid an enormous price to do. This price would cause many to gape in shock and likely fear.
Yan Zaizen inhaled and exhaled a breath of air, ”It works. Unfortunately, I'll likely need thousands of these Daos to even hope to reach the Second Stage, the Enlightened Dao Heart. I don't enjoy slaughter.” This statement caused Yan Zaizen to sigh. To need several thousand Original Daos to hope to progress meant he needed to track and slaughter so many.
He wasn't someone keen on mass murder, nor did he desire to do so only out of self-profit. If it was unavoidable, perhaps. However, to go out and find random people just to rip their very essence from them felt morally ambiguous on many levels.
”Unfortunately?” Yri was startled, ”In the cultivation world, strength and killing go side by side, and to progress in cultivation, one must always face danger and fight! Only by fighting will one advance, will one experience growth and obtain wealth. It is only naive to believe that you wouldn't have gotten where you were without killing others!”
Yan Zaizen glanced at Yri, not responding.