"What's wrong? Why are you so jumpy?"
Big Gold Dog looked at Su Ye in confusion, then glanced around. There was nothing here. "This is the wasteland on the outskirts of the Void God Realm. No one comes here on ordinary days.
"We ended up here because that altar was too ancient. The Void God Realm today is not the same as the ancient Void God Realm."
"Of course, you don't need to worry about danger here. The you here is only an incarnation of your spiritual consciousness, not your true self. Even if you die here, your true self won't die."
Big Gold Dog explained the Void God Realm to Su Ye. He knew the person before him came from a small place and had surely never been to such a mysterious and wondrous place before.
Su Ye paid no attention to Big Gold Dog. Instead, he scanned their surroundings, looking somewhat doubtful. He reached out and grabbed at the air in front of him, but caught nothing. Was I really just being too sensitive?
Seeing Su Ye looking a little unhinged, Big Gold Dog wanted to offer a few words of comfort but feared he might upset him. "Why did you say just now that the outside world—the real world—is fake? Is it like the Void God Realm, a world of spiritual consciousness?"
Su Ye didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "If life were born here, do you think it would consider this place fake?"
"This..."
Big Gold Dog had no answer. He didn't even know how to respond.
"Spirit is the most mysterious and wondrous thing. Every living being has its own consciousness, its own thoughts. Only by possessing thoughts and consciousness of one's own can something be an independent individual. Whether its body is stone, iron, or flesh and blood doesn't matter. What matters is its own consciousness."
Su Ye spoke, explaining his understanding of life and the world. Of course, he was merely voicing a thought that had come to him.
He didn't believe this world was fake. He had never thought so, not from the very beginning. Otherwise, wouldn't that mean denying himself?
If this world was fake, then what did that make him?
Besides, if the person he was now was fake, did that mean the person he'd been in his previous life was real?
After all, the world of his previous life had the legend of Pangu opening Heaven. Had Pangu created a real world, or constructed a world of spiritual consciousness?
Who could say?
"All right, enough of this. Show me the way."
Su Ye said. Right now, he was nothing more than a tiny ant on the path to seeking the Dao. He wasn't qualified to explore such profound matters yet.
Real or illusory, all he knew was that he was unique and truly existed.
Big Gold Dog didn't think much of it. To him, the Void God Realm was fake, while the world outside was real.
After the two left, the surging Chaos mist rippled endlessly. Amid the billowing haze, a hazy figure appeared and disappeared, its true features impossible to make out.
"Dead dog, don't tell me you're lost again?"
Su Ye glared at Big Gold Dog. The dead dog had led him around in circles through this Chaos wasteland so many times that his head was starting to spin.
Big Gold Dog looked a little awkward and said sheepishly, "That passage has long since been abandoned. On top of that, the Void God Realm suffered a devastating blow in ancient times, so this place has been left as a wasteland. We'll have to find a new passage to the Initial Land before we can enter. Just give me a moment."
Light billowed around Big Gold Dog's body. Runes emerged one after another, converging around his nose and transforming into an enormous snout. He sniffed the air.
"I found it. But why does it smell like milk?"
Big Gold Dog looked puzzled. This was his Minor Divine Ability, which let him smell scents within a hundred miles. There were no scents anywhere in this wasteland, so the only place with a scent had to be an entrance or exit.
"A milky smell? Could it be some kind of precious milk liquid born from the Void God Realm?"
Su Ye asked in puzzlement. Though the Void God Realm was constructed from spiritual matter, it could still give rise to some exceptionally special substances, including precious blood and ore. The former could temper the body, while the latter could be used to forge soul weapons capable of destroying spiritual consciousness.
"Could be."
At Big Gold Dog's words, his expression changed. With a whoosh, he vanished. Hardly anyone came to this abandoned region on the outskirts, and even those who did wouldn't stay long. Perhaps this was precious blood born over endless ages, simply overlooked because it was hiding in plain sight.
Su Ye didn't hurry. He followed behind at a leisurely pace, all the while examining his surroundings and sensing the laws of heaven and earth.
Now that he had opened a Heavenly Passage and possessed a Heavenly Eye, he could sense the laws of heaven and earth. Compared to the outside world, the laws here were much clearer, making them easier to comprehend.
Outside the passage to the Initial Land of the Void God Realm.
Big Gold Dog arrived on the Bluestone Path and searched the area but found no precious blood. Disappointed, he sniffed around again, then looked toward the passage. The milky smell had ended at the far end of it.
Whoosh.
Big Gold Dog vanished in a flash.
By then, Su Ye had leisurely made his way over and stepped onto the Bluestone Path. There were some Precious Bones scattered along it. Runes appeared in his eyes, and images surfaced before his gaze. They showed Big Gold Dog's figure; farther ahead, they showed a small child who looked around seven or eight years old. His eyes were bright, but he had a rather shifty look, as if he meant to steal the Precious Bones from the Bluestone Path. Then he vanished.
"At that age, with that shifty look, and that milky smell... It must be him. I didn't expect that fellow to enter the Void God Realm at this point in time. But thinking about it, this really is around the time Little One first entered the Void God Realm."
Su Ye murmured to himself as he walked forward, his figure gradually disappearing.
The Initial Land of the Void God Realm.
Su Ye appeared before the passage to the Initial Land. A crowd of figures filled the area, making it lively. There was even a show going on.
A child beating up a dog.
"Ah! Damn it! I'll fight you, you milk baby!"
Big Gold Dog roared as golden light burst from his body, transforming him into a golden Fierce Beast. Behind him appeared the golden phantom of a Qilin, its ferocious might terrifying.
Many people around them looked toward Big Gold Dog in astonishment. Although he wasn't a pure-blooded Qilin, he had shown signs of ancestral return and could summon the phantom of his ancestor. His future was sure to be extraordinary.
Little One rode on Big Gold Dog's back and pummeled him with his tiny fists. Big Gold Dog howled without end. His fists were small, but they carried astonishing strength.
"You dog, you actually dared to make a move against me. Today, I'm roasting you! I've never eaten dog meat before. I wonder how it tastes."
Little One said. He hadn't used all his strength, but he hadn't let his guard down, either. Big Gold Dog was powerful, and his cultivation was higher than his own. Unfortunately, this was the Initial Land, where he could only use the power of the Blood-Moving Realm.
"Big brother, come save me! This milk baby has something good on him. I saw it just now—the Precious Bone in his hand is extraordinary!"
Big Gold Dog looked at Su Ye and hurriedly begged for help.
Though being beaten to death in the Void God Realm wouldn't kill him for real, he would suffer a backlash when he returned to the real world. At best, he'd need a month or two to recover; at worst, his Divine Soul would be extinguished.
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