Chapter 263: Creation Of Heaven's Domain

If Han Xuhan had to rank the absurdities of his short life as a cultivator, this day would take the number one position with its wild twists and turns. Since the morning, he had gone through so much that it felt like a year's experience had been compressed into seven hours and hammered into his memories.

And the day wasn't even over. It was just high noon.

"Don't ask me to tell you his story," Xuan Zi said, watching Kong Ye. 

"If he feels like sharing it, he'll tell you himself someday. He will need to, anyway."

What did Xuan Zi mean by that? Han Xuhan's heart twitched in apprehension of another hidden danger. 

"Is there anything else you want to ask?" Xuan Zi said.

"Yes. Sect Master, you told me once that your father, Duo Tian was the man who created the Skeletal Monarch Technique, but he was unable to cultivate past the Soul Reformation Realm and died. So why does this technique hide such a secret? It seems unlikely that a Soul Reformation realm cultivator would have the means to construct something so gargantuan in scope and unfathomable in depth..."

Thinking about the burning planet of countless tortured souls, the miles-spanning maze of engraved rocks, the seemingly insane conceptualization of fusion of creatures through ideas incorporated in glyphs, the ability to plant escape routes from the burning planet to his dao tower through a spiritual connection of a minion...

Was any of these feats something Xuan Zi's father capable of accomplishing? Impossible!

Xuan Zi himself seemed to fall into confusion as Han Xuhan posed the question. His eyebrows joined together on his forehead, gaze too complicated to read. He chewed on his tongue for a long time before replying.

"I have accompanied my father for many years, up until his death. Not for a single moment did I ever suspect that his trashy cultivation technique had such secrets hidden in it. Now that I think about it, your dao tower was still inside the Heavenly Dao Domain when this terrifying senior you speak of revealed his existence. He's an obvious outsider in that domain as much as he's an outsider to your dao tower. To think that someone is capable of infiltrating a spiritual domain under the direct supervision of the Celestials... That senior must be the person to arrange the 'extra' parts of the Skeletal Monarch Technique, not my father. But there has to be a relationship between him, that burning planet, the Skeletal Monarch Technique, and my father. I'll look into the matter when this tournament ends, disciple Xuhan. Don't worry."

Seeing that not even Xuan Zi had any knowledge of this matter, Han Xuhan was forced to set the investigation aside for later. 

"Sect Master, what are the implications of having a dao tower in the Totality of Autonomy?" asked a new voice all of a sudden, interrupting the conversation. Both of them turned to look at Yuen Zhou, the speaker, and Xuhan was reminded of the fact that they were not alone inside the concealment formation created by Xuan Zi.

Seeing Yuen Zhou's interest, Han Xuhan also felt that it was necessary to take a dip into some of the rumors about the new domain his dao tower had ended up in. 

Xuan Zi scratched his beard for a moment, looking thoughtful.

"Most of these rumors aren't believable. But according to some of the more grounded ones, the Sea of Light surrounding your dao tower is not a peaceful place. Ancient terrors, spiritual pollution, invisible powers, taboos forgotten by civilization, rogue existences hiding from heaven's clutch reside there. Matter, soul, spirit, consciousness, energy, everything that you can find in reality mesh together there. Nurturing your dao foundation there is dangerous, arduous, and prone to frequent foreign interference.

It is said that in ancient times, when cultivation wasn't even a result of conscious effort, and primordial civilizations had just begun to grow in an abundant, dangerous sea of stars, there was no heaven, nor a heavenly court, and not a single Celestial supervising the macrocosm. All dao foundations used to surface in the Totality of Autonomy at that time, and the fatality rate was so high because of its chaotic nature that the primordial civilizations were forced to unite and think about creating a safe haven, a new spiritual world for all of their children, the descendant civilizations. Many say this is how the Heavenly Dao Domain was created."

"In short, you have to be very cautious from now on. Frequently visit your dao tower and observe the world outside your little 'island' on the sea. Watch out for every abnormal development, no matter how harmless it may seem. And the matter of the demon occupying the island is even more important."

"Is there no way to expel it from my spiritual world, sect master?" Han Xuhan asked. 

"That entire sea of light is out there. Can't he just leave my island and float somewhere else? Of course, he might not want to. But since I have a corporeal body in my spiritual world now, I can try beating him up and making him leave!"

Xuan Zi raised an eyebrow at the suggestion, not appearing particularly impressed.

"Disciple Xuhan, I don't think you've really understood the concept of what a dao tower is. But I shouldn't blame you here. You've come into contact with the world of cultivation just a few months ago. Let me explain it this way... Just because your dao tower has manifested inside a domain, it doesn't mean you can travel beyond what belongs to you. That tower is still a mere reflection of your mental faculties, a projection of your spiritual self. You have to cultivate a long, long way before you can hope to explore that spiritual world fully. For now, I doubt any element of your dao foundation can go past the borders of the island. But this same rule may not apply to the native elements of the sea of light, especially the powerful, sentient beings that might be roaming that Totality."

"Fuck... So I'm just a passive prey there?" Han Xuhan cursed, his frustration growing by the minute.

Xuan Zi shrugged. "I can't decipher everything for you, lad. It's not my dao tower. You have to face that harsh world yourself."

"Sect Master, if nothing works, is it possible to make a contract with the demon for peaceful cohabitation? I won't go out of my way to harm him, he won't try to harm me. Would that work?"

Xuan Zi laughed this time. 

"Disciple Xuhan, you're clearly not in the best state of mind right now. You've gone through too much mental strain. Think back to what I've told you about the demon race. They live in a different totality, not just a macrocosm, but an ENTIRE, DIFFERENT, TOTALITY! The Celestials of our macrocosm can't even control the behavior of these demons when they manifest in our world. How can any contract you come up with bind that demon inside you? Who will ensure that? Certainly not the heavenly laws of our world!"

"Gaahh!"

Han Xuhan knocked his head back on the wall behind him and let out a frustrated yell. 

Seeing his desperate face, Xuan Zi sighed. 

"Disciple, be patient for now. You're in a special situation here. Don't rush for a rash solution. You've already made that mistake dealing with Fang Xie."

That didn't really lift Xuhan's mood. So Xuan Zi thought for a moment and added, "Since the demon can't be controlled, we have to keep you under our supervision all the time until a solution is found. From now on, you're exempted from the exploration and attacking duties attached to the tournament. Join the defense team and stay within the sect for the time being. Use the free time to stabilize your spiritual world and explore the changes in it. I'll set up some alarm formations around the island. Kong Ye and I will be immediately alerted if the demon takes over and tries to escape with your body."

Despite feeling like he was practically being imprisoned, Han Xuhan was relieved. At least some dangers to his life was averted with that exemption. He really didn't want to participate a second longer in this tournament, not in his current state.