"I just killed thirteen people, yet I feel no remorse or regret. My conscience isn't blaming me for what I've done; it was either me or them," Hong Zhou thought, his expression narrowed with despair at his lack of guilt over the killings.
"Alva, how many domain points do I have?" Hong Zhou muttered to the system.
[26,000]
"Use them, please."
[The Invincible Astral Domain has increased by 2,600 meters.]
That means I now have a total of 2,630 meters.
[Your cultivation has risen to the first level of the foundation establishment realm.]
"Just like that? Wouldn't I have to face some heavenly tribulation? That's what usually happens when one breaks through a major realm."
[Inside your domain, you're above all laws and concepts, so the heavenly tribulation wouldn't dare to come any closer.]
Hong tilted his head to look at his disciples; they didn't smell good, and they were all dressed in ragged clothes except for Yang Sen, who wore well-fitted blue robes. "All of you should tidy yourselves up and wear this."
"Yes, master." They all responded in unison, took their share of clothes and treasures, and rushed into the temple.
I should get dressed too; my clothes are half the size they were before.
Moments later, Hong Zhou donned a black cloak but didn't like the colour. "Change it to white."
The cloak immediately transformed into a white one, making him resemble a ninja from one of the TV shows on Earth. "My clothes can hide my cultivation, right?"
[Yes, nobody can see your cultivation; everyone who comes in contact with you will feel that you're a mortal.]
"Hehe, I'm loving this." He quietly enjoyed the landscape of the temple and could sense up to two thousand meters into the area where the village had been slaughtered; he was aware of everything within his domain, including the tiniest ants.
"It's like I know when all those ants will die and when they will leave. Is this how God feels?"
[Not all gods are omniscient.]
'This is wonderful; I can not only predict what will happen in the next few seconds, but I can foresee events thousands of years into the future without fail inside this domain.'
Hong Zhou pondered, "What do you suggest I do now, Alva?"
[Read the entirety of the Astral Archive so that you will understand how the domain works.]
"How long will that take?"
[300 years.]
Hong Zhou's eyes widened in shock; shivers ran down his spine at the thought of such a long time.
"You're joking, right? You must be joking."
[300 years is a small price to pay, master.]
"Hehe… I'm not reading anything for 300 years, Alva."
[...]
[You can slow down time from 300 years to 10 years.]
"But I would still experience 300 years of loneliness."
[You experienced a little loneliness in your old world; three hundred years can't be that bad.]
"Alva, please stop talking. I might actually go crazy."
[But that's the only way to understand the daos and the invincible power of the domain—by reading the Astral Archive.]
'At first, the Astral Archive wasn't fully accessible to me; I could only see mistakes in the books I read and couldn't access any other material inside the archive. But now, I can read everything because Alva exists. I enjoy reading, but three hundred years is an incredibly long time—I mean, I read ten thousand books in four days at once; how hard can it possibly be?'
"I will do it, Alva!"
"But before that, I have to set things straight with my disciples."
The three boys rushed out of the temple, looking refreshed, dressed like newly trained ninjas in their black cloaks with long swords.
'I'm going to learn a lot from my master, no matter what,' Yang Sen thought, smiling happily.
'Those pathetic demons from the demon realm, just you wait until I'm strong enough; I will kill you all,' Wang Mu Won thought, driven only by revenge for the death of his father.
'What do I do? I don't want to fight; I'm scared. I want to be alone,' Wang Sung thought, an introvert who craved solitude instead of power.
[These are the thoughts of your disciples.]
'I see; these are their thoughts. I could even hear them in my mind. I thought I was going crazy for a second, but I'm actually fine. Alva, take a look at all of them, including Yang Sen. I want to see their potential in cultivation. Last time I checked Yang Sen's potential with the Astral Archive, it was off the charts. Though I could check it at any time with the power of the domain, it's fair to let Alva do the work.'
[Ding]
The system panel appeared in front of Hong Zhou
[Notice: Checking Wang Sung's qualifications in cultivation according to master's wishes.]
[Wang Sung]
[Lifespan: 80]
[Age: 14]
[Flaws: Shy]
[Bloodline: None]
[Cultivation Level: None]
[Profound Bloodline: None]
[Physique: Eternal Body]
[Spirit Roots: None]
'This is bad. He wouldn't be able to cultivate unless I help him.'
[ Ding ]
[ Name: Wang Muwon ]
[ Lifespan: 80 ]
[ Age: 16 ]
[ Cultivation Level: None ]
[ Flaws: Anger ]
[ Profound Bloodline: None ]
[ Physique: Gravity-Destroying Physique ]
[ Spirit Roots: Earth (High) ]
'Wow, the only thing he lacks is a bloodline, but he is very talented, that's for sure.'
[ Ding ]
[ Name: Yang Sen ]
[ Lifespan: 100+ ]
[ Cultivation Level: Seventh Level of Bone Tempering ]
[ Age: 17 ]
[ Flaws: None ]
[ Profound Bloodline: Sea Dragon God ]
[ Spirit Roots: Water (Earth) ]
'Yang Sen is the most talented one here.'
'I once read in the Luo Celestial Sect that most people with special physiques are actually born with fragments of very low-level Daos lodged in both their bodies and souls. Because of these fragments, individuals with special physiques have great cultivation talents. As their cultivation grows, the fragments of law in their bodies will be perfected, granting them all kinds of amazing and unique abilities, often bestowing divine or Dharma power.'
"I will go into ten years of seclusion inside the temple, and you all will do the same. I will grant you protection so that the heavenly tribulation will not harm you."
"But Master, my brother and I cannot feel Qi. How can we cultivate without sensing it?" Wang Muwon asked.
"Don't worry about that; it's just a matter of words to me."
"Yang Sen, why don't you go hunt something for us to eat?"
"Okay, Master!"
Yang Sen created a flying sword with his true Qi and left the temple.
"Wow, that's a real flying sword."
"Master, will I also be able to learn that?"
"Of course, Yang Sen will teach you everything I have taught him."
"Wang Sung, come closer." Wang Sung, nervous and shy around his master, didn't dare take a single step.
"Don't worry; I don't bite. Come on."
Wang Sung quietly approached his master.
Hong Zhou patted his head. "This might hurt a little, but just hold on and you will be okay."
'Alva, create spirit roots for him so that he can cultivate.'
[ Master, the reason eternal bodies cannot cultivate is that their potential is too high. If you give him a spirit root, he might even ascend to immortality in just a few years. ]
'A body that can enhance others' cultivation just by being consumed; this boy was destined to die a very painful death in about two years, but that's all about to change because of me.'
'Create the spirit roots immediately.'
[ Affirmative, Master. ]
[ Creating spirit roots. ]
Hong Zhou's hand began to glow above Wang Sung's head as new genes formed, creating a spirit root. Meanwhile, Wang Sung felt intense pain.
"Master, it hurts," he cried, tears rolling down his face.
"Master, is my brother going to be okay?" Wang Muwon asked respectfully. "Father said he wouldn't be able to cultivate because of his body."
"Oh, you knew? Why didn't you say anything?"
Wang Muwon couldn't respond.
"It's okay; your brother will be fine. I am just creating a spirit root for him."
Wang Muwon's eyes widened in shock, 'That's impossible; Father said it couldn't be done.'
[ Spirit roots created successfully. ]
'What type did you create?'
[ Earth. ]
"Sorry about the pain, but I had to create a spirit root for you so that you will have a long and fulfilling life, just like your brother."
"Thank you, Master," Wang Sung said, still shy and scared but happy that he could cultivate.
'I once heard my father talk with his friend that he and I had eternal bodies, bodies that can be consumed by another cultivator to boost their cultivation by three layers without any failures. Humans with eternal bodies cannot cultivate. Thank you, Master.' Wang Sung felt joyful about finally being able to cultivate.
Yang Sen returned from hunting a boar.
"Oh, we're having a barbecue! That's perfect," Hong Zhou exclaimed.
Moments later, after they finished eating the barbecue, Hong Zhou gave Yang Sen instructions on what to do during his ten years of seclusion.
"Alva, set a barrier. On no account can anyone enter or exit my domain."
[ Barrier Activated Successfully. ]
"You guys shouldn't go out, especially now that you can cultivate; stay inside and cultivate properly. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Master," they all responded in unison.
He then stood up and entered one of the rooms in the temple, preparing to read books from his archive.
He entered an empty room in the temple and locked the door.
'Accelerate time. Alva, as you said, make it so that three hundred years feel like ten years in the outside world.'
[ Accelerating time. ]
[ Success. ]
"Knowledge is power after all. I can't waste this opportunity. But Alva, will I not die in 29 years? After all, that's what my information panel says."
[ Only outside the domain. Inside your domain, you're effectively beyond any immortal. ]
"Alright, let's begin!"
Hong Zhou sat down in a lotus position and began to meditate.
However, nothing happened; it felt as though the astral archive was no longer a part of his soul.
"What's happening, Alva?"
[You can read the books of the astral archive on the system panel, I told you before, I'm now one with the astral archive.]
The blue-screen system panel appeared before Hong Zhou.
"Just like my laptop screen on Earth! This is awesome. Can I watch movies too?"
[Yes, it's possible.]
"You're the best, Alva!"
[Of course, that's my purpose.]
Hong Zhou immediately immersed himself in reading books from the archive.a