Dyon’s connection with his clones resurged. However, a few hundred inevitably died due to Dyon’s lapse. Still, it mattered little because in just a moment, another few hundred white lilies appeared to replace them.
In the end, Dyon couldn’t help but laugh. It was a rich laughter, filled with arrogant disdain for the world.
‘Master, why didn’t you tell me this was a possibility? I feel like everything is in my grasp!’ Dyon squeezed Clara tightly before noticing that his white hair had turned into his usual brownish red-gold color.
With a thought, sword qi cut his hair short once more.
Dyon’s master smiled bitterly, starting to believe more by the day that her treasured disciple was birthed in a test tube instead of naturally.
‘The first step in will comprehension is all about learning to comprehend and sense wills. Focus Lake is difficult to swim in for many because instead of understanding the will of the water, they insist on going against it.
‘A large part of the reason I decided to lower the concealment array on our sect’s ruins is because I saw how easily you adapted to swimming in Focus Lake despite clearly being a mortal. You understood the value of understanding the flow and natural path of things.
‘However, the intent stage is different. It’s no longer about simply comprehending the way of the universe and the way it wills things to be and much more about making that will your own.
‘The first stage is the one with mind stage. This is about fundamental comprehension, but it’s also about being clear headed in the path you pursue. Before the intent stage, it’s a simple matter to flip flop between will paths, but afterwards, it becomes a massive detriment and danger to your dao heart.
‘This is why the second stage is the one with heart realm. When you almost died due to Zabia’s strike, your path was tested. Had you chosen to accept death, in all likelihood, with your comprehension, you would have reached the one with body realm. In that case, you would gain an undead body which would have allowed you precious hours of time to find medicine capable of healing your wound.
‘However, you chose another path. By being stubborn and sticking to your sovereign path, you firmly entrenched that path within your dao heart, stepping into the one with heart realm without any hesitation. The only problem with your stubborn path is that moving forward should be akin to a slow crawl…
‘It took you 14 years of accumulation and understanding, not to mention the deaths you experienced in your fifth trial, to gain enough momentum to reach the lauded one with body realm. Now, killing you should be almost impossible when you are facing enemies near your cultivation and comprehension level.
‘That said, I had once believed that crossing into the 4th realm, the one with soul realm would be even more difficult for you… it seems I worried for nothing.’
Dyon listened to his master intently. He had never had the opportunity to listen to her teachings because his wills were sealed before. Now, he was willing to soak it all in without missing a word.
‘The one with soul realm is a representation of an ancient concept. The dao begets one… one begets two… two begets three… three begets all things… and all things beget the dao.’ Dyon’s master paused. ‘Do you understand?’
Dyon’s eyes glowed. ‘The first step in comprehension uses the soul, so, completing that cycle and returning to the root of our strength increases it.’
Dyon’s master smiled. ‘Exactly. You start with your soul, you entrench your comprehension in your mind, you make it firm in your heart, then you embody it with your very being. To complete this cycle, you must once more use your soul.
‘You begin with the heavens gifting your comprehension, and you end it by gifting your comprehension to the heavens.
‘For many, this is the hardest part of the 9 intent realms. Unless you have a constitution that heavily favors your will, it’s quite impossible for a normal individual to master a supreme law to this stage. This is why most don’t spend time comprehending supreme laws, or, even if they do, they will only learn a single one that is favored by their affinity.
‘If I had been by your side, I likely would have never allowed you to start the path of death will. Maybe if it was life will I could allow it because your first wife could help you, but it seems that all of your “mistakes” turn out to be beautiful follies.’
Dyon’s master laughed. It was filled with such a genuine happiness and pride that Dyon felt his heart swell with sweetness.
‘My disciple’s soul is so overbearing that the heavens have no choice but to accept his comprehension of the world. I can die happily.’
Dyon shook his head. ‘I won’t allow you to die, master. I’ll have you and martial uncle follow me to the top. Plus, how am I supposed to rule the world without my beautiful master? Who else is going to train me?’
The 25th White Mother smiled, but didn’t say anything.
‘Master.’
‘Hm?’
‘You never told me what your real name is. Isn’t the 25th White Mother just a title?’
‘Oh?’ Dyon’s Master giggled. ‘It is just a title.’
Despite his master’s laughter, Dyon sensed a shift of her tone… almost… sad?
‘I was the first White Mother in almost three million years. I carried a lot of my clan’s hopes with me before I died…’
Dyon remained silent. When the twins gave him the history of the master key arrays, they said that they were created by the 24th White Mother more than 3.5 million years ago… Considering the limit of the lifespan for a 12th stage dao formation expert is 1.2 million years, he had thought that there had to be a massive gap in time between his master and her ancestor, but for obvious reasons, he never asked.
‘Never mind that. Since my little disciple wants to know my name, I’ll tell you. The name my mother gave me is Esmeralda. Esmeralda Arie.’
