The Mysteries of Domains!

Jiang Zhe slowly woke from his bed. The half-paralyzed state his body had been in when he was poisoned, along with the pain that had pierced deep into his soul, still seemed faintly present.

He sat up slowly in silence, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings like a crouching tiger surveying its territory.

His eyes were wide like a tiger's, filled with wildness, brutality, and ferocity.

The aftereffects of this dream were simply too great.

Many of Hu Yao's habits had come back with him, leaving him unable to tell whether it had truly been a dream or whether he had been reincarnated and lived more than fifty years as a tiger.

"Master, something is wrong with your condition!" Oriana promptly warned him.

The stern cry reaching his ears, along with the call through their mental link, was like a morning bell and an evening drum, forcibly jolting Jiang Zhe out of that state and helping him swiftly regain himself.

Jiang Zhe closed his eyes and sat cross-legged. Scriptures he had read over the past sixteen years surfaced in his mind, and he silently recited them.

Honestly, even counting both his Past Life and this one, he had barely lived more than forty years. That was not as long as Hu Yao's life, much less as turbulent and magnificent as its experiences.

It was entirely possible for him to lose track of himself and lose track of Hu Yao.

Yet that only demonstrated the power of the "Coiled Dragon Technique" even more clearly. Its tempering effect on consciousness and one's state of mind was terrifying.

He sat cross-legged, reciting scriptures, sorting through his memories, and adjusting his state of mind. Roughly another two days passed.

Only then did Jiang Zhe truly awaken.

His gaze was calm as a mirror, more like two deep pools without a ripple, carrying a unique charm akin to time-aged wine.

"Zhuang Zhou dreamed of being a butterfly in ancient times; today, Jiang Zhe dreams of a tiger. Wonderful! Truly wonderful!"

An intrigued smile hung on Jiang Zhe's face, but in an instant, it was as though a shadow had fallen over it. He no longer looked like a refined gentleman. His faint smile resembled a cold sneer, and Hu Yao's aloofness, wildness, and ferocity seemed to be reborn within him.

But it vanished in a flash, as though it had been an illusion. The smile faded from Jiang Zhe's face, and he fell into thought.

"Heaven and earth were born alongside me; all things and I are one..."

As he murmured, Jiang Zhe gained a new understanding of State of Mind Cultivation.

"The essence of humanity, heaven, earth, and all things is the same. What I seek is... to follow nature, erase the distinction between self and things, become one with heaven, earth, and all things, resonate with the universe in the same frequency. All Things are Me, I am All Things, and only then can one attain true freedom and transcendence!"

Jiang Zhe raised his head and sensed the strange fluctuations emanating from the vast Universe Source.

He had been able to vaguely sense them as early as the Apprentice Level, but it was like looking through layers upon layers of gauze. He could barely make out an object's outline and had no idea what lay within.

Now that he had broken through to the Planetary Level, his affinity with thunder-attributed source energy had changed from hidden to apparent. Combined with Hu Yao's experiences in the dream, layer after layer of gauze had been pulled away.

Though one fairly thick layer remained, faint light could already be seen through it.

Like a traveler who had wandered the desert for ages and encountered a gushing spring, Jiang Zhe greedily absorbed it, replenishing the vital components his parched body required.

The Blood Red Banner imprint between his brows, the Thunder Prison Realm mark on his chest, and the ancient Original Core hidden within it all flickered in rhythm with the special cadence of the Universe Source laws.

Dark purple mystic veins emerged from his chest once again. Taking the Thunder Prison Realm mark as their origin, they rapidly spread across Jiang Zhe's entire body.

Jiang Zhe had first touched upon the laws, then worked backward through them. With the aid of his innate mystic veins, his psychic power, genetic energy, will, and body naturally reached an incomparably wondrous state of harmony.

The different powers even fused together. The dark purple energy produced by that fusion had a Control Effect over the surrounding space!

Following the newly born instincts of his body, strands of lightning burst forth around Jiang Zhe.

In the blink of an eye, the entire hundred-meter area around the small courtyard was covered by a Thunder Domain, with lightning snakes coiling and flowing through it.

This was a domain!

Jiang Chengbai, who had been keeping watch for nearly two months from the ninth floor of the Inherited Martial Hall, the highest point of the Jiang Family, saw it.

The old man had also sensed the abnormal flow of energy. He walked outside and saw the immense field centered on Jiang Zhe's courtyard, covering a hundred-meter radius.

The hand holding his hand-warmer trembled slightly. Even when Jiang Zhe had broken through to the Planetary Level, he had not lost his composure like this.

One earthen-yellow and one blue streak of light shot into the sky in succession, arriving at the edge of Jiang Zhe's domain in an instant.

From other directions, three War Gods arrived outside the courtyard after only a few leaps, bouncing along like giant grasshoppers.

At the entrance to the courtyard, a bronze female puppet gave them a slight bow, pushed open the courtyard gates that had remained shut for so long, and stepped back inside.

This signified that her master had awakened and was ready to receive visitors.

Everyone nodded politely in return.

Even though they were all Jiang Zhe's elders, none of them dared slight Oriana's avatar. She was a Councilor Level powerhouse stronger than everyone present.

More than a dozen breaths later, the Thunder Domain dispersed, and only then did the group file into the courtyard.

Jiang Zhe was already waiting for them in the living room, while Oriana brought over freshly brewed hot tea.

It had been a long time since everyone had seen Jiang Zhe. When they saw his face now, they were all struck as though by lightning, their expressions filled with shock as they stood frozen in place.

Compared to when he had just broken through to the Planetary Level two months ago, his entire being seemed to have undergone a sublimation.

He stood there, yet seemed as though he were not there at all.

The consciousness contained within his gaze brought them pressure as overwhelming as the majesty of heaven.

The two Councilors vaguely saw a ferocious tiger crouched there, smiling sinisterly as though ready to choose someone to devour.

The three War Gods and Jiang Sisi had duller perceptions. They merely felt mountain-like pressure descend upon them, while the air around them seemed to solidify, nearly suffocating them.

Oriana jabbed Jiang Zhe with her elbow. He immediately turned his head away, and the invisible pressure in the living room plummeted.

The growth of his Consciousness Strength was simply too terrifying!

A Realm Lord Level powerhouse, even when restraining themselves, could still cause the souls of Stellar Level and Cosmic Level beings to collapse instantly through their powerful will and consciousness.

He still needed time to adapt and restrain himself as much as possible, so as not to affect the weak.

After everyone gradually took their seats in the living room, Jiang Zhe took a sip of hot tea and asked, "How long was I in seclusion this time?"

The old man chuckled. "Today is January 16th, year 47. There are nine days until the New Year. You do the math."

Eighty-one days, fourteen hours, and twenty-three minutes!

That was the precise length of his seclusion. Oriana had been counting from the very beginning.

But she merely repeated it in her heart. She neither said it aloud nor reported it to Jiang Zhe through their mental link.

She was a living being, not a cold program. She had feelings too and knew this was a conversation among family members, so she should not interrupt.

Jiang Zhe was slightly stunned. He had known quite some time might have passed, but he had not expected it to be this long. One sleep had lasted nearly three months.

He could not help sighing softly. "That was far too long!"

"Just over eighty days? I'd say it was more than worth it!" the old man snapped back irritably. "I'm still wondering how you managed to succeed by shutting yourself away and figuring it out alone. Your Xingyi Tiger Form has already reached the level of divine mastery. You've completely carved out your own path."

Jiang Zhe rubbed his chin and chuckled. "Maybe it was because I had a dream? I took a nap in the middle and dreamed about a big tiger."

"You're already an adult, yet you still can't act properly." The old man shook his head and scolded him with a smile, treating it as a joke.

Afterward, the old man placed the hand-warmer in his hands onto the coffee table. His expression grew somewhat solemn, and his demeanor turned serious.

The others sensed the change in atmosphere. No one dared joke around, and they all sat upright.

"Also, that just now, was it..." The old man was rarely somewhat nervous. "Was that Hong's unique method? You comprehended it too?"

"A domain." Jiang Zhe nodded and explained, "Hong's is a Light Domain, while mine is a Thunder Domain. They are closely related to each of our constitutions' affinity with Universe Source Energy."

"Take you, Grandpa. If you can comprehend one, it will most likely be an Ice Seal Domain, a branch of the Water Domain. As for Eldest Uncle, he will likely lean toward the Earth Domain in the future."

Jiang Chengbai rubbed his hands together, unable to suppress the excitement in his eyes. "We can comprehend one too? Little Zhe, can you teach us how to master domains?"

Jiang Zhe hurriedly shook his head and smiled helplessly. "Eldest Uncle, I only have two methods. Whether you can comprehend them still depends on yourselves. The key does not lie with me."

"Quiet. Let Little Zhe finish!" The old man glared at his impatient eldest son before turning back to Jiang Zhe with a gentle expression. "Little Zhe, go on. Tell us what you discovered."

"The first method is to wait until your cultivation automatically advances to the Cosmic Level. You will undergo a transformation then, and if you seize the opportunity, you can comprehend a domain in one stroke."

That was possible. With Earthlings' talent, anyone who could painstakingly cultivate to the Cosmic Level would most likely be able to use that momentum to elevate their Artistic Conception into a domain.

The others were utterly confused, but the father and son, both Councilors, understood the significance of the Cosmic Level. Both shook their heads in disappointment.

Even the Planetary Level was a hurdle after hurdle for the two of them.

"The second method is to be like Hong."

"First, your State of Mind Cultivation must rival that of Hanxia's ancient sages. Hong and Thunder God both fully meet that standard."

The old man frowned. "But Thunder God..."

"Grandpa, don't underestimate Thunder God. I think he is just one step away. He only needs a life-and-death level of pressure, and he will definitely break through."

Jiang Zhe continued, "Once your state of mind meets the standard, the next step is to cultivate the Six Harmonies Dragon Roar Lance to its theoretical limit."

The living room erupted in uproar.

Everyone looked at one another. No one could believe that the Six Harmonies Dragon Roar Lance concealed the mysteries of domains, even if it had once been the Jiang Family's finest secret manual.

Only the old man wore an enlightened expression. "Yes, Little Zhe should be right! I once said that our family's spear art and Hong's World Destroyer were born of the same mother. I wasn't merely flattering ourselves. Both originate from the Six Harmonies Lance of ancient martial arts!"

"Six Harmonies!"

The old man stared at Jiang Zhe with blazing eyes. "It's the Six Harmonies! Right? As long as one achieves it, it becomes possible to touch upon a domain!"

The old man declared, "And it must be the Inner Three Harmonies! Hong must have achieved Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak in Essence, Qi, Spirit!"

"It really is Essence! Qi! Spirit!" Jiang Zhe nodded. "But in the terminology of the universe, it is a special energy produced through the fusion of four powers: psychic power, genetic energy, will, and the body!"

In truth, after reading the Six Harmonies Dragon Roar Lance at the beginning of August, Jiang Zhe had already noticed something unusual.

The Outer Three Harmonies—hand, eye, and waist—represented the pinnacle of technique.

The Inner Three Harmonies—Essence, Qi, Spirit. Essence referred to the body, Qi referred to genetic energy, while Spirit was divided into psychic power and will. If the three—or rather, four—could become one, one would head directly toward a domain.

Jiang Zhe had explained so much to his family, but he had never expected them to master a domain at the Planetary Level. He was merely giving them a clear goal to keep them striving forward.

Still... with Grandpa's comprehension, perhaps he could at least hope for it at the Stellar Level?

Jiang Zhe had always believed that misfortune and fortune could come without warning. The Jiang Family should not have to rely on him alone to hold it up.