As time flowed by, Ye Xiao’s determination and resilience bore fruit. The radiant sphere formed by the Rules of Chaos outside his ‘Universe’ began to change. It pulsated with newfound vigor, radiating a brilliance that surpassed anything Ye Xiao had ever seen before. The threads of the Rules of Chaos seemed to be working together in perfect harmony, weaving a symphony of power.
The excruciating pain in his abdomen gradually transformed into a sensation of intense heat and energy. It was as though his body was undergoing a metamorphosis. Ye Xiao felt his strength surging to unprecedented heights.
With each passing moment, he grew more powerful, his Origin Sea expanding beyond measure. He could feel his very essence merging with the shiny ball that was created from the fusion of threads of the Rules of Chaos, becoming one with this formidable force.
As Ye Xiao’s cultivation reached a certain point, his Divine Sense too underwent a profound transformation. It extended outward like an unstoppable tide, reaching toward the radiant sphere created by the fusion of the Rules of Chaos’s threads.
Shua~
And then, it happened.
As his Divine Sense brushed against the shining ball, which had formed from the fusion of all the threads of Rules of Chaos, a sensation like no other coursed through him. It was as though an irresistible force was pulling him toward the heart of the radiant sphere. Before he could comprehend what was transpiring, he felt himself being drawn into something far beyond his understanding.
“Umh!”
In an instant, Ye Xiao felt himself being drawn into something vast and mysterious. It was as if he was being pulled through a vortex, leaving his physical form behind.
In the blink of an eye, Ye Xiao’s surroundings transformed completely.
“This… Where is this?”
The platform where he had been cultivating was replaced by an endless landscape of pure white. He seemed to have been transported to an unfathomable snowfield, where the air itself was frigid to the bone. It was so cold that Ye Xiao, even with his powerful strength, could feel its numbing bite.
“It is freezing here!”
As he stood in this desolate snow-covered expanse, he couldn’t help but shiver. His breath formed icy clouds in the chilly air.
In the distance, he could see nothing but an endless sea of white. The snow stretched on as far as the eye could see, uninterrupted by any discernible landmarks. It was a desolation that defied comprehension.
Despite the biting cold and the stark emptiness, Ye Xiao felt a strange sense of anticipation. This place was unlike anything he had ever encountered in his cultivation journey. This place held an aura of mystery.
“Let’s see what this place is!”
Ye Xiao took a deep breath and decided to explore this place, for standing in a single place would do nothing. And so, he stepped forward to cover this white landscape.
“Umm?”
“What was that?” ｏｖ𝚕．ｃｏ𝚖
As Ye Xiao ventured further into the endless expanse of the snow-covered landscape, he suddenly experienced a sensation that was both bewildering and strangely familiar. It was as though he had been here before, as if the landscape held echoes of a memory buried deep within him.
For a fleeting moment, he felt an eerie sense of déjà vu.
But just as swiftly as it had come, that sense of familiarity vanished, leaving him perplexed.
What was that strange feeling?
That familiar sensation tugged at the edges of his consciousness like a distant dream, fading away before he could grasp its meaning. It was like a puzzle that gnawed at his mind, but he couldn’t dwell on it for long. He had a more immediate task at hand and that was to explore this place and get to know the reason why he was here!
He wanted to know why the shiny ball brought him here upon being touched by his Divine Sense.
And so, he continued to walk.
One day blurred into the next, and time became a fluid concept in this snowy land. Two days turned into a week, which stretched into a month, and eventually, a full year passed. For a whole year, Ye Xiao continued to walk without stopping.
With each step, Ye Xiao ventured deeper into the snowy expanse, driven by an inexplicable urge to discover something, anything, that might offer a clue to his presence in this place.
However, the landscape remained unchanging, an unbroken sea of white that seemed to stretch on infinitely.
Even though days turned into months, Ye Xiao’s determination never wavered. He became a solitary wanderer, leaving behind his footprints deep in snow.
Memories seemed to have become elusive to him, like whispers in the wind. He couldn’t recall his life before this journey, his purpose, or even his own identity. He seemed to have forgotten everything. All that remained was the thought to keep moving forward, to find something that needed his attention.
With only this thought in mind, Ye Xiao walked through blizzards and bone-chilling nights, through a silence so profound it seemed to consume all sound. He walked until the concept of time lost all meaning. There were no days or nights, no seasons or cycles. If there was something, then it was only the unending trudge through the featureless snowfield.
But as time stretched on, a sense of futility began to gnaw at him. The landscape never changed, and no matter how far he walked, he found nothing to break the dullness of this snow world.
The numbness that had settled into his bones extended to his mind, clouding his thoughts and erasing the boundaries between reality and dream.
He couldn’t remember why he was here or what he hoped to find. There was only the relentless thought to keep moving forward. It was as if the world had become a never-ending dream, and he was trapped in its timeless embrace.
Despite the numbing despair that threatened to engulf him, Ye Xiao pressed on. He somehow knew that he had to continue, that the answer to his presence in this place must be somewhere ahead, waiting to be discovered.
And so, he walked. He just continued to walk.
One day, in the midst of his seemingly endless journey through the boundless snowfield, Ye Xiao stumbled upon an astonishing sight. He came across an inconspicuous hut standing starkly in contrast to the snow-white that surrounded it. This humble abode was unlike anything he had encountered in this land of nothing but snow.
The hut was like a shelter of vibrant green leaves and bamboo, a haven untouched by the relentless snow that blanketed the land. It was as if an invisible barrier was enveloping the hut, keeping the snow and its effects away from affecting the hut or its surroundings inside the barrier.
The sight of a hut in the snowy landscape stirred something deep within Ye Xiao. He felt an irresistible pull towards it, even though he couldn’t understand why. He couldn’t remember his past or why he was here, but he had a strong urge to enter the hut.
Something inside Ye Xiao was telling him that all his answers were waiting for him inside the hut. All he has to do is push open the hut and step inside.
And so, he subconsciously changed direction and stepped towards the hut.
Approaching the hut, he sensed an invisible boundary, like a line between the snowy world and the sanctuary within. He had nothing in mind and so he did not think much. He silently crossed that line, and suddenly, a rush of long-forgotten memories flooded his mind.
All his memories flooded back to Ye Xiao like a rush of water. He recalled his name, Ye Xiao and Ling Xiaolong, and the reason that had driven him on this journey across the snowy landscape.
He remembered the ‘Essence of the King’ and the sphere of Rules of Chaos that had brought him here.
With each passing moment, his mind cleared. He recollected his cultivation period, the battles he had fought, and the friendships he had formed. His past unfolded before him like a tapestry of experiences that defined his existence.
“I…”
Ye Xiao was speechless and did not know what to say. One moment, everything was hazy to him, but the next moment, nothing could be more clear. He immediately understood what happened to him during his days in this snowy-white land.
Looking at the gate of the hut, Ye Xiao took a deep breath and tried to calm his heart. He knew he had to enter the hut to know the answer he was looking for, so, he arrived in front of the green bamboo gate and pushed the door.
Creak~
Producing a creaking sound, the door of the hut was pushed open by Ye Xiao.
With a deep breath, Ye Xiao also stepped inside.
“So comfortable!”
The moment Ye Xiao stepped inside, a warm and cozy sensation coursed through his body. This sensation was completely different from the freezing world outside. The air here was filled with the soothing rustle of bamboo leaves, and the scent of plants hung in the air.
Ye Xiao clearly stepped inside the hut, but he somehow ended up inside a bamboo field. If there was anything in his surroundings now, then it was bamboo.