Star Gate

Chapter 845: Domain (III)

“It’s not an inner world.” Yuan Shuo shook his head. “I’ve heard about that concept, that’s the path of the ancient Human King. Ours... counts as an outer world at most! You’re so weak, how can you have an inner world? You wouldn’t be a weakling then, you’d be the ancient Human King!

“You can call this an outer world or a domain, it doesn’t matter. Melding your aura into the world and building your domain... then gradually enlarging it is the process of strengthening your aura. When your aura occupies the entire world and turns the world into your own, hmm, that would be an inner world!”

“......” Li Hao gaped. “Occupy the entire world?”

“What?” laughed Yuan Shuo. “Can you not do it? That’s your goal, I’m not saying you have to do it right away. Just work toward that goal!”

He was only setting a target, he wasn’t saying that his student really had to take over the entire world. Li Hao, on the other hand, was in a daze about what he’d heard. Inner world, outer world, domain, the secondary dimension of the human body...

A variety of complicated thoughts rose in his mind.

“Go for that target,” Yuan Shuo continued. “For example, your character of light can absolutely become the sun of the world in the future. Your character of darkness can become the moon. Your character of fire will be the spark of heaven and earth, your character of wood will populate all forests beneath the heavens. Earth will become the ground...” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Li Hao’s heart shook. Was this... possible? An inner world... The Human King was said to have created his inner world; his teacher’s words painted a similar picture.

“Your dao of supernatural characters is very interesting and innovative. You should continue developing it and not just think that you are stronger because you collect more characters. You don’t even know how to use them at present, how are you to continue developing them? Your base must be stable! Don’t be in a rush to create new characters...

“The five elements is already a tiny circulation system. Solidify that foundation first! You’ll find that although you’re a five element Arcanus, you’ll be able to trounce seven, eight, or nine elements...”

“Teacher, what... level can you fight at right now?” Li Hao couldn’t help his curiosity.

“I’ve only completed a small circulation of the five elements.” Yuan Shuo delivered his response without boasting. “But I’m still confined to the supernatural locks and fusion of the five elements. Based on the world’s current hierarchy of power, I’ve just saturated nine locks. It puts me on the same level as Light Sword and the others, back when they hadn’t broken their locks. However, I won’t be afraid of any regular Arcanus!”

He could just manage to withstand Arcanus powerhouses during their last encounter, so the improvement in his abilities didn’t feel that pronounced. However, Li Hao was surprised to hear his teacher say that he had only reached saturation of nine locks. Yao Si and the others could barely manage Arcanus when they attained saturation of eleven locks.

“You’ve given me some inspiration, though,” Yuan Shuo continued. “Such is martial dao. You improve, I improve, everyone improves together. We integrate each other’s virtues to make for greater room for improvement.

“I’ll give it a try myself,” the old man said after some thought. “But I may not have the same results. We’ll know after I try it out!”

Li Hao nodded, his emotions frothing with excitement. The domain! He didn’t care whether or not his teacher would make the attempt. No one would touch his teacher while he was around. He was more interested in experimenting whether he could trap a powerhouse if he formed a small domain with the five elements.

As for melding his auras together, his teacher had said that he only needed to study the auras in more detail and determine precisely how he would combine them. He might accomplish the task very quickly.

“Then my sword aura...”

“Are you finding it less than useful?” laughed Yuan Shuo. “Don’t think too much, you’re a far cry from the exalted emperors of the ancient civilization. Your sword aura is still very useful. The sword aura focuses on offense—one blow for one world, one blow for one domain. It can trap, it can kill, it can defend. It focuses on holistic development, which I think suits you quite well!”

Li Hao continued to nod.

“So the key lies with the issue of the body...”

“Mmhmm!” Yuan Shuo nodded this time as well. “My breathing method can strengthen the entire body, but it works too slowly at present. The secondary dimension that you speak of may be the key. I’ll need some time to test and verify this...

“Then I’ll be staying here for a while! Give me five hundred drops of Water of Life, I’ll try some experiments.”

“......” Li Hao smiled ruefully. “Teacher really has a...”

Large appetite!

“Research is costly!” Yuan Shuo smiled. “It’d be one thing in other times, but thinking of how much you’ve expended on He Yong and the others recently... it’s a waste! You might have better effect if you let me look into things.”

“Then I’ll get five hundred drops as soon as possible.” Li Hao could only acquiesce.

The kid is so rich now! Yuan Shuo inwardly clucked his tongue. Damn he’s really come up in the world! He was damned poor before, but this rich now?

“I hear that you’re in a rush to move against the Wind and Cloud Pavilion, set that aside for now...” Yuan Shuo said. “Focus on your little domain first. You’ll stand a greater chance of success if you succeed. And another thing, wait for me to succeed first. Bring me along when you attack them. I’d like to give it a try too.”

Li Hao laughed with surprise and nodded.

That was all that master and disciple talked about after finally seeing each other. Yuan Shuo found his mouth a bit dry after the conversation and finally recalled someone else nearby.

“Have Li Hao saturate your supernatural locks over the next couple of days.” He looked at Jadelight. “Don’t be in a rush to convert them to supernatural characters. There’s not much meaning in doing the conversion when you’re weak.

“The key still lies with the aura. Nothing is strong when the aura isn’t strong! You should try incorporating the sword aura into the world. Once that is strong, the rest of your strength will soon follow. Although He Yong and them look strong now, they don’t know the heart of the issue and just blindly cultivate.”

Jadelight smiled and inclined her head. Li Hao looked at his teacher, then at Jadelight Sword. His teacher cared quite a great deal about Jadelight. When it comes to me... he just checks in on me every time he emerges from seclusion. He ignores me otherwise and definitely ignores my messages.

Liu Long walked through the doors as Li Hao compared the difference in treatment. “Commander, Professor Yuan, there is a visitor at the door.”

Yuan Shuo blinked. What did it have to do with him?

“It’s Yuan Xingwu!”

A frown crossed Yuan Shuo’s forehead and he fell silent. Li Hao didn’t say anything either. Yuan Xingwu!

“Have him leave!” Yuan Shuo said calmly. “He chose his own path back in the day and he’s walked it well enough. The Ministry of Armed Forces continues to stand strong and that Qi Pingjiang is a peak six element Arcanus. Since he’s made his choice, he should continue to follow it! There’s no need to consider us and it would just be awkward if we are to meet. Those who betray their masters do not meet with good ends in the martial world.”

“Teacher...” Li Hao looked at Yuan Shuo.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Yuan Shuo sighed and shook his head. “The Ministry of Armed Forces cannot coexist with the Skystar Commander Office! He reaches beyond his ability and wants to be a middleman—there’s no need to give him any attention! We all walk our own paths, I only offer some advice and reminders. Even you don’t have to pay heed to me when you start down your own path in the future.

“I am only your teacher, not your parent. Even if I were your father, I would not interfere in your choices!” He laughed, “Now take me to the ruins. I’m going to cultivate there.”

Li Hao had brought up the matter of killing the plant spirit earlier, Yuan Shuo wouldn’t have demanded five hundred drops otherwise. He wasn’t surprised by the feat; perhaps Yuan Shuo felt that this was only to be expected since Li Hao had created the supernatural characters.

The young man nodded. Liu Long didn’t ask further before leaving to convey their words.

......

The front doors of the Skystar Commander Office.

Yuan Xingwu sighed when he heard the response, inclined his body, and left. His master was unwilling to see him. Armed Forces hoped that he could confer with his master and junior brother. It looked like that was out of the question.

He turned to look back at the Skystar Commander Office with a complicated look in his eyes. Armed Forces was one of the more fair and impartial ministries among the nine. He felt that it would be more appropriate for his junior brother to join forces with the ministry to eliminate the royal family first. There were also large quantities of powerhouses in Armed Forces that’d risen from humble beginnings.

But plainly, his master and junior brother didn’t think so.

......

Li Hao sent Yuan Shuo into the ruins and didn’t bother considering how Yuan Shuo would get along with the little tree. His teacher was skilled in this area. As for Jadelight, he simply offered her some cultivation resources. Jadelight seemed more willing to follow in his teacher’s footsteps and didn’t want to experiment with the supernatural characters. The young man didn’t have any thoughts otherwise.

Meanwhile, he started researching the personal domain. This was an interesting topic! His teacher always brought some surprises with him. After Li Hao melded his five auras into the world, he seemed to be able to control the five elements beneath the heavens. Granted, he was limited to a very small range at the moment.

He further discovered that the domain formed by the supernatural characters of the five elements gave him the same feeling as the... ruins did when he drew near it. It was the sensation of being isolated from everything and that he could let loose with even greater strength.

Li Hao quickly found Deputy Zhou. The deputy was very busy lately and also spent his days in discomfort. Due to the weakness of the void, he had to continuously defend against the cutting effect of space.

“Deputy Zhou, come close to me for a second!”

Although mystified, the deputy walked closer to Li Hao. He was immediately perplexed by what he sensed and looked around with astonishment. The world was the same around him, but he seemed to have entered a ruin. What was going on here?

The void no longer cut into him, an effect likewise noticed by Li Hao. He found it strange, but it confirmed his speculation. A similar environment could be found in the ruins, one seemed isolated from the world when within home. Of course, that was a result of the ruins or their powerhouses being very strong.