Chapter 44: The North Sea Reveals the Dao (2/2)

“Old sir, your conversation topics are somewhat out of the ordinary. Have you been running a ferry here for a long time?” Meng Hao gazed at the rippling green waves, then took another drink of alcohol. The alcohol burned its way down, and he thought of the Reliance Sect, of Elder Sister Xu, Elder Brother Chen and Fatty.

“Twenty years,” replied the old man with a laugh. “In my life, I’ve ferried many, many people across this North Sea. I’ve seen a lot of things, and of course, I’ve learned a lot about how people tend to have conversations. Please, don’t laugh at me. Who knows how many years this lake has been here? It’s seen a lot of people too. People remember it, and it remembers the people.” The old man lifted his glass and took a drink.

Meng Hao stared at him for a moment. This was the first time he had ever heard someone speak in such a fashion. He looked back at the lake, muttering to himself, seemingly lost in thought.

“This is obviously a lake,” he said suddenly. “Why do people call it the North Sea?”

The old man thought for a moment, then smiled. “Lakes can dry up, grow quiet, and become still. If that happened, no living things would remain. But seas last forever, and can contain the water of countless rivers and lakes. Maybe people just didn’t want the lake to ever go away, so they named it that way. When all is said and done, if you believe it’s a lake, then it’s a lake. If you believe it’s a sea, then it’s a sea.”

When he heard the old man’s words, Meng Hao’s mind suddenly trembled. The hand holding the glass of alcohol began to quiver, and he stared out at the lake water, almost in a trance. He seemed to lose track of time.

Time passed, and the boat reached the shore. Meng Hao pulled out some silver that he had acquired from one of the disciples back at the Reliance sect and paid the fare. He gave the old man a deep bow of respect, then watched as the boat drifted off. His eyes shined with a strange light.

He didn’t leave, but instead sat down cross-legged on the lakeshore, looking out at the waters, and the lone boat disappearing into the distance. He could hear the old man laughing.

“If you believe it’s a lake, then it’s a lake. If you believe it’s a sea, then it’s a sea…” The old man’s voice echoed across the distance. It seemed as if… he were not disappearing into the distance, but rather… merging into it….

Meng Hao sat there in a trance, taking it all in. He sat for three days straight.

He didn’t move at all during that time, instead staring silently at the lake, the old man’s words echoing in his mind.

“Lakes can dry up, grow quiet, become still. If that happened, no living things would remain. But seas last forever, and can contain the water of countless rivers and lakes…” Meng Hao’s eyes suddenly lit up. The golden Core Lake within him seemed boundless, but in his eyes it was still a lake.

“If I believe it’s a lake, then it’s a lake. If I believe it’s a sea, then from now on… let it be a sea!” A thunderous sound filled him, and the Core Lake began to seethe and churn. Without the aid of any medicinal pills whatsoever, it suddenly expanded.

Meng Hao wasn’t aware of any of this. His eyes were closed tightly; he had entered a strange state. The old man’s words filled his mind. He didn’t notice it, but around him, the boundless Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth had begun to gurgle up, surrounding his body and then entering it. Waves broke out across the North Sea, and within its churning arose a massive amount of Spiritual Energy, which rushed forth and surrounded Meng Hao.

The North Sea was revealing the Dao!

If, at this moment, a Core Formation Cultivator could see what was happening, he would be thoroughly shocked.This type of Dao enlightenment was only possible for someone at the Spirit Severing stage. In addition, it required a huge amount of fortune and luck. Yet here was Meng Hao, already reaching out to the threshold!

The reason he could succeed in this was in large part due to the Demonic Core within him. It was the Core of a Flying Rain-Dragon, an ancient beast whose tail could transform into a Demon. Actually, that year in which he had dreamed of the Flying Rain-Dragon, Meng Hao had already reached Dao enlightenment.

Three days passed, and finally Meng Hao opened his eyes. They glowed with a golden light. Within him, his Core Lake had increased by a shocking double. As he examined it, Meng Hao realized that this was no lake. This was a Core sea!

He believed it to be a sea, therefore… it was a sea!

The seawater roared, and waves whipped about. The Demonic Core, as stable as ever in the depths, emitted Spiritual Energy which filled Meng Hao’s entire body. Using the techniques he had learned from the Sublime Spirit Scripture, he circulated the energy. His body began to glow with a golden light, as if something had suddenly broken out within him. The golden light emanated around him for nine meters in every direction.

Amidst the roaring, Meng Hao’s Cultivation base suddenly climbed upwards, breaking through the sixth level bottleneck directly into the seventh level of Qi Condensation.

Even though he had just broken through to the seventh level, his power was the same as if he had already reached its peak. This was because in his dantian region was not a Core Lake, but a Core sea!

Earlier, the Spiritual Energy which had built up in the North Sea for countless years had suddenly surged forth as if to help Meng Hao make his breakthrough.

Gradually, the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth which surrounded him began to dissipate, as did the North Sea’s Spiritual Energy. Slowly, the golden glow which emanated from Meng Hao also began to fade, and slowly he returned to his usual appearance. He sat there cross-legged. The golden light eventually left his eyes, although they continued to sparkle brightly.

He slowly stood up and looked out at the North Sea. With clasped hands, he saluted the sea deeply. His mind was filled with descriptions he had read about in the Reliance Sect's Magic Pavilion, of the various Demonic creatures in the lands of South Heaven. Wherever demons existed, there would be demons that appeared as mountains, demons that appeared as rivers, and demons that appeared as plants and animals.

“Today, the North Sea revealed the Dao. One day when my Cultivation base is high enough, I will return here and help you become a sea!” He gazed out at the North Sea. He wasn’t sure whether or not this lake, which desired to be a sea, might be like the descriptions he had read about, something with life, a demonic life.

Regardless, it had helped him make a breakthrough in his Cultivation base, helped him turn his Core Lake into a Core sea. He must repay the kindness. There was only one way: to help this lake become a sea!

After some time passed, Meng Hao turned and strode toward Mount Daqing.