Chapter 19: The Ocean of Rules in the Land of Mysteries

“This is not truly a white lotus,” Ning Taohua explained, clearly knowledgeable. “It’s merely a seed of the Dao, born from the new path you have forged, a path that resonates with the laws of this Sea of Rules.”

“To put it simply, this change was sparked by the Dao Ancestor who pioneered the Immortal Way. Though he departed long ago, his influence on this great world remains profound. Any new path that is opened, any insight into the laws, will manifest as a Dao seed—though such seeds may vary in form.”

At this point, Ning Taohua hesitated, then reminded him, “That Dao Ancestor, his moral scruples are likely questionable. Consider how he deceived the world’s Heavenly Dao, tore apart its very source, and then fled—his heart must be black indeed. It’s said that back during the great war among cultivators, when the Sea of Rules was shattered and the world fell into ruin, his hand was behind it all.”

“Every new path manifests a Dao seed. It’s likely the Dao Ancestor had ulterior motives, perhaps aiming to devour all the myriad ways, expanding the concept of the Immortal Way endlessly. If the Immortal Way becomes the source of all cultivation for sentient beings, wouldn’t that be a net to gather all wisdom of the world, all to nourish his own Dao?”

Ye Chen was stunned. What was this? Did he now have a Dao Ancestor as a mortal enemy, hungrily eyeing him? Surely not! He was still just a greenhorn on the cultivation road—facing such a monstrous predator would be a nightmare!

“Expanding the concept of the Immortal Way? What does that mean?” Ye Chen asked, perplexed.

Ning Taohua shook her head. “There are many roads to cultivation: refining the body, refining qi, refining the mind, forging artifacts—all separate paths in their own right, yet all have become subsumed into the Immortal Way.”

“Of course, the Dao Ancestor is powerful, but it’s clear that such achievements could not be his alone. However boundless his wisdom and talent, he could not master all paths single-handedly. Such brazen usurpation—do you think he did nothing along the way? All those who opened new paths became bones in forgotten tombs; later generations don’t even recall their names. Their glorious deeds are lost to time—only the Dao Ancestor stands above all.”

Ye Chen shivered inwardly. It seemed his prospects were not so promising.

“Don’t panic,” Ning Taohua said, worried Ye Chen might despair and simply give up, which would be troublesome. She tried to comfort him, “Small fry won’t catch the Dao Ancestor’s attention. Only when you’ve grown fat and strong enough will you qualify as prey.”

“The Dao Ancestor fishes for the wisdom of all beings, but only those of peerless talent and potential are worthy to appear on his table.”

“You have opened a new path, and that is extraordinary. Still, it’s far too early—there are too many uncertainties. There’s no need to worry too much.”

“Perhaps you’ll perish long before the Dao Ancestor ever notices you, and your bones will have turned cold by then.”

Ye Chen was speechless. Was this meant to be comforting? Why did it make him feel even colder inside?

In truth, Ye Chen wasn’t all that worried. With his current lack of strength, was it really necessary to fear being crushed by the Dao Ancestor? That would be a dark joke indeed.

If such a titan truly set his sights on him, there would be nothing Ye Chen could do about it—worrying about it now was pointless.

Still, he had managed to glean some useful information from Ning Taohua. Where once he had been completely in the dark, now he had at least a shallow understanding of this world, which was something.

The threat of the Dao Ancestor aside, Ye Chen was more concerned with his present predicament.

He looked at Ning Taohua and asked gravely, “How did I end up here all of a sudden?”

He was stranded in this place—if he couldn’t go back, that would be a disaster. With that in mind, his curiosity about Ning Taohua only deepened.

“How did you find me?”

Although Ning Taohua showed no murderous intent, that didn’t mean Ye Chen trusted her. If there was too great a disparity in strength, even if things seemed peaceful, anxiety would always gnaw at him.

Given the situation, Ye Chen couldn’t figure out how Ning Taohua had tracked him down, which made him uneasy.

“No, perhaps I’m overthinking this,” he mused.

“Earlier, I was suddenly struck by a bolt of lightning—a force I could barely withstand. Ning Taohua blocked it, but was also hurled away. That suggests her strength isn’t much greater than that of the lightning.”

“That lightning destroyed my body. Its power was terrible for me, but it didn’t turn me entirely to ashes; I still had some chance to struggle. This suggests that Ning Taohua and I are in the same general tier of strength.”

“As for Ning Taohua’s true power, that’s hard to say—she’s hidden beneath the surface, her depths unfathomable. But the portion of her strength manifested here in the virtual realm is limited.”

With this thought, Ye Chen felt much more at ease.

“If I go all out, I should at least be able to make Ning Taohua pay a price.”

That was enough. Not that he wanted to become her enemy, but only with adequate strength could he feel secure and calm; otherwise, he would always lack confidence.

“In terms of strength, I’m fairly certain that this fragment of Ning Taohua’s power is not much greater than mine. But she knows so much more—my vision is too limited, the imbalance of information is a real problem.”

Ning Taohua had clearly found him by some special means, but Ye Chen had no clue as to what that might be.

“There were traces left in your dream. I simply followed the threads to find you—what’s so strange about that?” Ning Taohua brushed off the subject and quickly changed the topic. “One cannot linger long in the Sea of Rules; otherwise, you may dissolve into the Dao itself. Right now, you’re only able to endure because your strength is so low, you barely register in this place. Still, it’s best to leave as soon as possible.”

Ye Chen was exasperated. “So my lack of strength is actually a boon to you?”

He suspected Ning Taohua was mocking him, but she shook her head and laughed lightly. “I’m not joking. The Sea of Rules is vast beyond measure. Here, the laws of all things are manifest—every kind of Dao and law imaginable. It’s said even odd and exotic rules from realms beyond sometimes reveal a fragment of themselves here. Many of the unorthodox arts and strange methods in the world may have originated from those who obtained arcane legacies here in the Sea of Rules.”

“Perhaps it’s the uniqueness of this realm that gave rise to such a strange place. Some records say that ancient sages spent lifetimes poring over the mysteries, passing their insights down through the ages. If the Sea of Rules were ever perfected, it would contain infinite wonders and secrets. But the Dao Ancestor tore away a portion of the world’s source and fled, breaking the natural order.”

Ning Taohua sighed, then smiled. “But I digress. For now, you and I are only on the very edge of the Sea of Rules. The weaker you are, the thinner the laws you encounter; with such weak laws, dissolving into the Dao is not so easily done.”