After three days of comprehension atop Mount Tai, Qin Hao gained a certain understanding of the artistic conception, able to enter the state of artistic conception from time to time. However, he was still a bit short of fully integrating it into his attacks and movement techniques.
Nevertheless, with a beginning, everything became simpler. The next step was a slow, continuous process of comprehension and refinement. Furthermore, Qin Hao also discovered the uniqueness of his own comprehension of artistic conception.
The ten major attributes—metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, light, time, and space—all have their own characteristics. The artistic conception Qin Hao was currently comprehending felt more inclined towards the wood attribute, yet it was also somewhat different, with a hint of life.
Qin Hao was uncertain about his inner speculation. After all, although he had no memory of the wood attribute, it was strongly related to vitality and plants. As for the origin of life, it was too distant for the current Qin Hao.
After leaving Mount Tai, Qin Hao did not choose to return home but continued his training. However, this time his goal was relatively clearer. After leaving Mount Tai, Qin Hao planned to visit the Three Mountains and Five Sacred Mountains, as well as all the famous scenic spots from his previous life.
With the insights gained on Mount Tai, Qin Hao gained certain comprehensions during his travels in various places. His understanding of heaven and earth gradually deepened, and his comprehension of artistic conception also gradually embarked on its journey, constantly being refined and deepened.
After leaving Mount Emei, Qin Hao directly followed the Qinghai-Tibet line, which started from Chengdu before the Great Nirvana, and began to advance towards the Roof of the World. Entering this route, the surrounding environment became harsher, and the number of monsters significantly increased.
Qin Hao didn't pay too much attention to this situation.
“The number of monsters is truly immense, almost comparable to those by the sea.” During his time drifting at sea, Qin Hao had witnessed various monster attacks. Now, he felt as if he was back at sea, with various monsters attacking him from time to time.
Before the Great Nirvana, the Roof of the World itself was sparsely populated. After the Great Nirvana, the reproduction rate of various monsters further accelerated. Coupled with the geographical environment here, few martial artists specifically came here to hunt, which created a monster paradise.
However, it was precisely in this environment that Qin Hao's perception of nature became clearer. The rampant growth of plants and their tenacious vitality greatly surprised Qin Hao.
As his comprehension of artistic conception gradually deepened, Qin Hao also gradually began to comprehend the domain. To a certain extent, the domain is the sublimation of artistic conception. Artistic conception grasps the superficial, comprehension touches the core, and laws are the true core.
“In Hong's view, the domain is a sublimation after the unity of heaven and man, and it is also the resonance of spirit, gene energy, and cosmic energy, forming the domain.” Qin Hao constantly pondered the content he had seen in Hong's cultivation experience, while also adding some of his own insights and descriptions of domains from his previous life.
“The domain is mentioned very limited times in Swallowed Star. In the early stages, it was a divine skill, but its presence weakened significantly in the later stages.” Qin Hao felt very conflicted about the domain.
In the world of Swallowed Star, the domain comes first. Only when the domain reaches a sufficient height will one come into contact with laws. However, in another novel by Tomato, one first comprehends laws, becomes a God, and then gains a domain.
Although they are not the same world, they originate from the same author, so there must be some commonalities in their settings.
“Domain and law are inseparable parts. Domain is the symbol of a Domain Lord, and law is the symbol of a World Lord. The domain, to a certain extent, has not disappeared; it should have transformed into a part of the world. This is also why when many World Lords fight, it's directly the descent of a world phantom.” Qin Hao's inspiration kept bubbling up, constantly diverging on issues like domain and law. Finally, he returned to artistic conception.
“So, what is the essence of artistic conception?”
“Is it the superficial appearance of the world, the superficial appearance of laws, or the embryonic form of a domain?” Qin Hao's doubts also continued to increase.
Sometimes, the more one knows, the more it becomes a limitation. This was currently the case for Qin Hao. There were too many things in this world, but what he understood was only a very small part revealed in the novel. It could serve as a reference for him, but it could not become a limitation to his cultivation.
After understanding this, Qin Hao felt very relaxed in his heart, his soul became much purer, and his entire being became much clearer.
Comprehending while advancing, Qin Hao quickly arrived at the foot of Mount Everest, the peak of the world in his previous life.
In his previous life, this was the limit for countless people, and very few completed the challenge. Now, this towering peak is rarely visited. After the Great Nirvana, the entire Roof of the World is sparsely populated, and even fewer people come to challenge this peak.
And for those who had the ability to come here, this towering peak posed no challenge to them. The rise of martial artists made this peak no longer a problem.
After gazing at the foot of the mountain for a while, Qin Hao took a step and advanced towards Mount Everest. Having not been climbed for many years, the original route was completely buried by ice and snow, with only a few locations retaining faint traces, letting visitors know that there was once human presence here.
Although there was no path, for Qin Hao, these were not obstacles. With the strength of a Senior War God, climbing the peak before him was like walking on flat ground. However, Qin Hao did not walk too fast. As he advanced, his mind and body were immersed in the surrounding heaven and earth, comprehending everything around him.
As he continuously advanced, Qin Hao gradually entered a state of desirelessness and detachment, as if transcending heaven and earth. The cosmic energy around his body became very clear, involuntarily merging into his body.
During the process of cosmic energy integration, the gene energy within Qin Hao's body also continuously vibrated, gradually forming an interaction with cosmic energy, merging, and mutually influencing each other. Driven by cosmic energy, the gene energy also continuously underwent transformation, simultaneously driving the transformation of Qin Hao's body. This transformation began from the cells, gradually compensating for the body's differences.
If Qin Hao had paid attention, he would have thought of the process of returning to the innate state from the acquired state and the process of cleansing the marrow and essence described in novels of his previous life. However, at this moment, Qin Hao's attention was completely not on his body, but on the changes in the surrounding world.
His mind was clear, fused with heaven and earth, unified with the universe... Qin Hao gradually entered the state of unity with heaven and man. At this time, he felt that his comprehension of artistic conception was continuously deepening, and he had a sense of control over his surroundings, as if he could bring everything around him under his control at any time.
However, this feeling was both real and unreal. Soon, Qin Hao had already arrived at the summit of Mount Everest, and his mind gradually returned, but that sense of control did not disappear.
“Domain? No, the feeling of control is very false; it should only be the embryonic form of a domain.” Qin Hao could still clearly pinpoint his current state.
Ten thousand meters beneath Mount Everest, a bright light flickered, as if a long-neglected machine had been activated.
“Beep, target detected, elite student assessment begins, teleportation preparation!”