Ever since Wu Mo overheard her once, Li Su had become careless. Although she was thinking about it, she kept it deep in her heart. She never expected that he would still overhear her.
Unconsciously, Li Su began to re-examine the suddenly appearing fat old man.
How to describe him? Kind, approachable, with gentle eyes and a natural sense of intimacy. He always has a smile on his face, not a forced smile, but a smile like that of Maitreya Buddha, making people want to get close to him, just like an elder in the family.
Ying Zhan and Zhang Shengying call him Grandpa Zhu. The only person that comes to mind is probably Marshal Zhu Chongba of the Xia Kingdom.
This is undoubtedly a very classic name, exactly the same as that of the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty.
Furthermore, Marshal Zhu, as my senior sister mentioned, is a very, very good old man, a representative of the moderate faction ( Dove Faction ) of Great Xia, who, unlike the hardline stance of the Hawk Faction, emphasizes development as the main focus and harmonious wealth creation.
Yan Hua's Yan Family and Ai Lin's An Family both belong to this lineage.
Looking at it now, it really does live up to its name; at least in terms of appearance, it's hard to associate it with anything like toughness.
Even though Li Su was internally complaining, the other person's tone was like that of an elder in the family. It wasn't the kind of indifference one would show to outsiders, but rather the way one would show when facing their own little brat, wanting to kill him but not being able to bear it.
My first impression was very good.
Immediately, the old man from the Zhu Family, who had been somewhat unhappy, burst into laughter, looking at Li Su with a satisfied expression in his eyes, as if to say, "Hmm, well said! I am the kind of person with a kind face."
Holy crap!
Li Su's face twitched. The other person was actually still listening? Immediately, he quickly suppressed his thoughts, chanted the Amitabha Sutra in his heart, and entered a state of emptiness, Heartless or thought.
Then he noticed that ever since the old man appeared, neither Ying Zhan nor Zhang Shengying seemed to have any emotional fluctuations, clearly because they knew about the old man's bad habit.
Those two bastards, they only care about themselves, they're not even human!
Old Zhu, completely unconcerned that his habit of eavesdropping on people's thoughts had been discovered, turned directly to Ying Zhan and said, "Well, perfect timing. The Black Domain is right next door. I'll take the three of you out for a stroll. Zhan'er and Sheng Ying, you two will soon be entering the Divine Power Realm, so it's a good time for you to gain more experience. As for you, kid..."
At this point, Old Zhu glanced at Li Su and said, "Let's just consider it observation."
Upon hearing this, Ying Zhan and Zhang Shengying couldn't help but show joy on their faces. Although they had come into contact with the Black Domain, they had not actually entered it. They were all taken directly to the Earth Immortal Realm instead of traveling there on their own. Therefore, they only knew a lot about the Black Domain, but had not had much contact with it.
That place is a wonderful place to understand the essence of Tao, but it's too dangerous and easy to get lost there.
Zhang Shengying hesitated. So much had happened in the Mortal Realm; leaving now would be irresponsible. There were still many things to do, such as post-war resettlement and the arrangements for the Military University students.
Ying Zhan was overjoyed. He had never been interested in management matters, and after this Insect Calamity, his desire for strength was undoubtedly even more urgent. He wanted to quickly become stronger, catch up with the old man in front of him, increase the human race's combat power, and ultimately completely eliminate the Insect Calamity.
Without waiting for their reply, the old man unleashed his power, enveloping them and carrying them away.
A flash of light appeared before their eyes, and the three of them found themselves in a pitch-black, boundless space. The feeling was undoubtedly terrible, extremely terrible. They had completely lost their sense of direction, as if they were standing in the universe.
The tactile sensations all over my body were terrible, as if I were in an absolute space where I couldn't feel any gravity at all.
Furthermore, the darkness covering one's body gives one the feeling of being stuck in mud, feeling trapped and uncomfortable.
Not only that, when Li Su looked up, he found that this void was very chaotic, extremely chaotic.
This black is not the kind of black without light, but a confused black, as if countless colors have been poured into a bucket and stirred, giving people an extremely 'stinky' feeling.
"It's a bit disgusting..."
Li Su couldn't help but speak up.
"Oh?" Zhu Shuai chuckled and asked, "How disgusting is it?"
As Zhu Shuai asked the question, Ying Zhan and Zhang Shengying also showed curiosity. This was not their first time entering the Black Domain, and they had been asked this question before. Obviously, different answers represented different understandings and feelings about the Dao.
Li Su was taken aback, but the feeling around him made him speak subconsciously. He didn't expect the old man to ask such a serious question.
He lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and carefully crafted a suitable adjective before saying, "Many Daoist principles were ground into powder, and the flavors of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty were kneaded into a sticky mess, like something that, even if you close your mouth and don't want to eat it, accidentally drips into your nose..."
Holy crap!
Ying Zhan and Zhang Shengying couldn't help but think, "Holy crap!" They both felt incredibly uncomfortable, especially Zhang Shengying, who got goosebumps.
Marshal Zhu couldn't help but twitch his brow. The description, like being forced to eat excrement, was far too apt. However, compared to the disgusting words, he was more surprised by the profound Daoist principles in Li Su's words.
It's important to understand that the nature of the Black Domain is extremely unique. Normal people entering this place can't sense anything at all, only feel extremely uncomfortable. Of course, this discomfort isn't actually like what Li Su described, as if someone fed you excrement. Rather, it's an illusion caused by excessive chaos in the Daoist energy. To put it simply, if you're wielding the Dao of Fire, your body will naturally be drawn to it. The next moment, all the intertwined elements of water, earth, mountains, rocks, grass, trees, and flowers rush towards you, naturally causing discomfort, and at the same time, it's difficult to understand why you feel so uncomfortable.
Ying Zhan and Zhang Shengying smiled as well. They didn't doubt that Li Su could see through things. After all, this junior brother was someone who could comprehend Dao principles at the Martial Dao Realm and had even promised Fang Jun, who was at the Dao Arts Realm. His talent was naturally not lacking.
"That's right," Marshal Zhu smiled. If he could sense the actual situation in the Black Domain, then this trip wouldn't be considered a mere formality for the other side.
He raised his hand and waved it, releasing a surge of power that completely isolated the Black Domain surrounding Li Su.
Whew!
With the direct contact gone, Li Su couldn't help but exhale. This place had truly given him immense discomfort, and it was only getting stronger.
Marshal Zhu stretched out his hand, pulled out a wisp of Black Domain from the void, cut it into three parts—two large and one small—and tossed them in front of the three, saying, "Try to extract the Dao essence from within."
He smiled and said, "Zhan'er and Sheng Ying, you two are about to enter the Divine Power Realm. Let's see how well you grasp the Daoist principles and deepen and consolidate them. As for you, kid, just treat it as a learning experience. Try to peel away as much as you can, don't worry about the quantity."
Ying Zhan and Zhang Shengying nodded, sat down, and began peeling off the skin without any hesitation.
This is a rare opportunity. The Black Domain is a disaster for those in the Dao Arts Realm and also unfriendly to those in the Divine Power Realm. Those who can survive and cultivate here are basically only Insect Calamity, one of the three evils, or immortal beings like Marshal Zhu.
Don't underestimate the simple act of bringing the three of them out; in fact, this treatment is priceless.
This time, the three of them were lucky to have the merit of solving the Insect Calamity crisis; otherwise, Zhu Shuai and the others wouldn't have had the time.
Watching Ying Zhan and Zhang Shengying earnestly begin to peel away the dark mass in front of them, Li Su raised her eyebrows, sat down, and began to feel it carefully.
The sheer number of them before had only made him feel nauseous, but now that they'd shrunk considerably, he was experiencing something different.
It contains a great deal of Daoist philosophy.
Furthermore, it was very fragmented; the inscriptions themselves were cut off and then pieced together in a haphazard way.
Moreover, many of these inscriptions were ambiguous. For example, Li Su instantly sensed no fewer than dozens of fire-related patterns, but their structures did not match.
Extending his finger, Li Su outlined a point of fire energy. The Dao Exposition in his mind began to operate, and with the propulsion of his magic power, it was no longer just a single light bulb lighting up the planet, but rather like a small town with thousands of lights.
After a moment, Li Su shook her head and sighed.
It's too small; all you can tell is that it's not simply a Daoist aura of flames.
However, Li Su couldn't help but look towards the Black Domain. He was a little curious. Could it be that all these flame Daoist auras were different? There were so many forms of just the Daoist aura of flame? He couldn't help but begin to peel away the fire-related Daoist auras in the Black Domain. Soon, he gathered hundreds of fire intents in front of him.
Without the interference of the Black Domain, these fragmented Daoist auras immediately began to emanate their own power.
Feeling the flames, Li Su couldn't help but blink, somewhat shocked, her eyes constantly shining.
These fires were all different, each corresponding to a completely different Dao.
Some are based on temperature, some on life, some on change, and some are even based on simple decomposition.
They all have the form of fire, but their origins are completely different. Li Su even discovered that there is a flame based on belief. It can be said that basically every piece of these fragments is a completely new interpretation of fire.
Interesting, truly interesting.
No wonder Ying Zhan and Zhang Shengying seemed so eager; the content was truly astonishing, giving Li Su a profound understanding of both fire and the structure of Daoist principles.
Li Su's eyes grew brighter as she focused her gaze on the Black Domain. She began to peel away the layers, no longer focusing solely on the fire, but rather using her understanding of the Dao to gradually extract the fragments of Dao she recognized.
Water, earth, wood, wind...
It was only the size of a palm, yet the sheer number of Daoist principles mixed within it was beyond imagination.
Despite having separated into over fifty major categories and hundreds of minor categories, the quality of this Black Domain hasn't decreased much, less than one-tenth.
Just how many Daoist principles are incorporated into it? Thousands? Or tens of thousands?
And almost every path is different; even with the same wind, no two are exactly alike.
This undoubtedly gave Li Su a tremendous shock, allowing him to have a completely new perspective on the Dao.
After a long while, Li Su took a deep breath, then slowly closed his eyes, no longer dismantling the device.
It wasn't just that he had taken too much out; the most important thing was that he was exhausted. His mental strength had reached its limit, and even if he had magical power, he still couldn't support himself to keep using Dao Exposition.
Looking up at Ying Zhan and Zhang Shengying, who were still peeling away material and whose quantity and quality far surpassed his own, Li Su gained a very intuitive understanding of their strength. The gap between them in their understanding of Daoist principles was indeed huge. The two of them had stayed in the Dao Arts Realm for two whole years, and the accumulated strength they had gained was truly too formidable.
Let's postpone the "invincible within three years" idea to four years!
"Use this to restore!"
Zhu Shuai's voice suddenly rang out, and he tossed a bag to Li Su. "There are extraordinary crystals corresponding to the Dao Arts Realm inside. Take your time, no rush."
Li Su hesitated for a moment, but did not refuse. To be honest, such opportunities were rare, and it was good to seize more. He immediately nodded and said, "Thank you, Marshal Zhu!"
Zhu Shuai laughed and said, "What Marshal Zhu? Just call me Grandpa Zhu, like Zhan'er and the others."
"It would be foolish not to speak up for someone with such a powerful backer," Li Su replied without hesitation, "Yes, Grandpa Zhu!"
"Good, good!" Zhu Shuai's smile widened, and he said softly, "Let's begin our cultivation."
Li Su took out the extraordinary crystal from his pocket and began to absorb it. The blue crystal was different from the True Qi recovery of the martial arts realm. This one not only restored mana but also nourished the spirit and restored energy.
Good stuff, much better than swallowing bugs.
After absorbing about a dozen, Li Su's mental strength recovered by more than half, and his magic power also increased significantly. He then began to observe the Black Domain again, continuing to extract the power within it.
As Li Su continued to dissect and disassemble, he uncovered more and more Daoist principles. Although many were too small or too few to understand, some became clear once they were extracted.
Gravity, attraction, suction, cold, vibration, resonance...
As Li Su continued to gain insights, her eyes began to shine, a spirit was being nurtured within her, her vital energy was rapidly increasing, and her understanding of the Dao was becoming increasingly profound.
Having just emerged from the World Fragment, and still between the Dao-attachment Realm and the Dao-carving Realm, he quickly crossed the threshold of the Dao-attachment Realm and entered the Dao-carving Realm.
The Dao patterns became more profound, and the Dao aura became brighter.
The supernatural powers that he used to be somewhat unfamiliar with have become increasingly easy to use. Not only that, he has made great progress in the Dao of Flames and the Dao of Mountains. Because of the Dao Heart Demon Seed and the Nine Yang Divine Skill Art, he uses these two Dao rhythms. Originally extremely simple and isolated, they have become increasingly complex as Li Su captures more and more Dao rhythms, forming new Dao patterns that contain a variety of Dao rhythm combinations.
Smiling broadly at Li Su, Zhu Shuai's joy grew even stronger at this moment.
A genius, without a doubt.
No, he's a prodigy, an absolute prodigy.
That's a terrifying level of understanding.
It's important to know that the other party has only just entered the Dao Arts Realm, and he is absolutely certain of that. However, just by peeling away the Black Domain, without any explanation, he has already rapidly stepped into the Dao Engraving Realm. At this rate, it probably won't be long before he merges with the Dao.
How long has it been? About half a year!
Half a year to achieve Dao Integration? Peak Dao Arts Realm? My goodness! Glancing at Ying Zhan and Zhang Shengying beside him, his comprehension and talent were no worse than theirs, were they?
No, no, at this point it's just an understanding of the Daoist principles. The important thing is how far one can progress in cultivation after reaching the Dao Integration Realm, and what level one can achieve upon entering the Divine Power Realm.
Very good, excellent. Understand, understand, the more the better. As the saying goes, the more you eat, the more you vomit.
Well, without a doubt, although our Marshal Zhu gave Li Su a whole bag of resources, it's clear he never said it was free.
Oh, and let them know about the Mortal Realm.
I originally thought that little Li Su would be sent back soon...
Zhu Shuai thought for a moment, deciding to calm the mind of the Mortal Realm. He took out a communicator, transmitted a message, and sent it directly into the entrance.
******
In the Mortal Realm, the number of insects is decreasing, and many people can't help but show joy on their faces. It's obvious that Ying Zhan and his group have found the Ying Zhan, which means that this Insect Calamity is completely over.
Of course, no one dared to be careless, since they didn't know what the situation would be like next.
Once a signal came from underground, confirming it was indeed Zhu Shuai's signal, everyone sprang into action. While annihilating the remaining Zerg, the other five cities also began to send personnel to help with the post-war cleanup and recovery efforts.
At the Military University, Wu Mo also received the information that Ying Zhan, Zhang Shengying, and Li Su had been taken away by Zhu Shuai and taken to the Black Domain.
As he breathed a sigh of relief, his eyelids twitched involuntarily.
If the master finds out about this, he'll probably be furious.
How to describe Zhu Shuai? He's good in every way, except he's a bit cunning. He loves to do favors for no reason, showering you with a bunch of benefits without saying a word, acting like a grandfather giving his grandson New Year's money.
You say no? That's not good, considering their status.
You said you wanted it, right? You've already accepted the gifts. If he comes to you again later, can you refuse?
He wasn't worried about Ying Zhan and Zhang Shengying, since they were both wealthy. Li Su, however, was different. This young man was extremely poor, especially now that he had advanced to the Dao Arts Realm. Without knowing Zhu Shuai's personality, there was a high possibility that he would be tricked by him.
Many of the Dove Faction were originally Hawk Faction, but Zhu Shuai tricked them.
Kid, stay calm! Don't take anything from Zhu Shuai, or you won't be able to pay it back even if you sell it.