Chapter 978: Identity

As the thin and small old man drank, he asked curiously: "According to my knowledge, your attainments in the illusory realm is considered top amongst the current cultivators. I see you aren't that old either, so how did you cultivate to this stage in your illusory realm?"

Xue Ying chuckled: "Cultivation is all about taking step by step. When I was weak and still at the Transcendent stage, I had some enlightenment in the illusory realm. Hence, I dare say it might be because I am talented in this aspect! After that, as I trained and continued improving, unknowingly after a trillion years, I was able to reach where I am today."

"That's right. Unknowingly indeed." The eyes of the thin small old man were filled with mist, "Reminiscing about my past, when I was merely a mutated beast with slight intelligence, that time, I thought of avoiding the hunter and to survive for a little longer. Who would have thought that I could reach my stage unknowingly too."

Xue Ying was inwardly startled.

Mutated beast?

Slightly lower intelligence?

This 'Senior Stone' said that the Stone Mirror was a piece of scale dropped off from his leg, giving clues to Xue Ying that the other party was someone amazing. But who would have thought that his starting point was lower than his?

"I am old. I would frequently think back about the past. I no longer have any vigor to cultivate any longer." The thin and small old man chuckled, "How do you see your illusory realm? Do you think that everything within is real?"

"They have wisdom and spirit. They have an identity of themselves. They have their own experiences. Thus, I think that the trillion beings within the illusory realm are real." Xue Ying answered, "Currently, I lack just half a step before making my illusory realm comparable to a real world. Furthermore, every time after performing the illusory realm, I am merely stopping the time in the illusory realm for the trillion beings within temporarily. When I perform my illusory realm again, these beings would continue living once again."

If he were to let the illusory realm be shattered, it would be like killing all trillion beings within. Xue Ying was not willing to do such an act.

He was not foolish.

Instead, there was no longer any difference between the people living in the real world and in the illusory realm at his current realm. The beings in both worlds had identities, had emotions, and could cultivate... Hence, the illusory realm that was unleashed by Xue Ying would be the same one all the time, albeit every single time he performed it again, there would be more living beings within.

"They are all real? After you finish performing it, you will only be stopping the time within the illusory realm temporarily?" The thin old man went into deep thoughts after listening to that. He then shook his head and chuckled, "Sometimes, spiritual energy is significant in cultivation. If you believe in it, you will succeed. If you don't, you will naturally not succeed."

"Alright, I am full now. Time to leave." The thin old man stood up. He looked at Xue Ying in all smiles, "We might meet again in the future if we are fated."

Saying that, the thin old man stood up shakingly. He clutched on his walking stick before walking away slowly, and soon, his figure disappeared.

Xue Ying did not even perceive how the other party left.

'So formidable.' Xue Ying was inwardly startled, 'I have always thought that Monarch Nine Cloud was the strongest in the void aspect, and now, Void Primogenitor is the first! But it seems that this mysterious and unfathomable 'Senior Stone' is similarly baffling. Just his technique of leaving has transcended beyond Void Primogenitor's."

...

Over at another location, in Great Void Heaven Temple.

Xue Ying's incarnation immediately came over to see Forefather Tian Yu.

"Forefather." Xue Ying greeted.

"Dong Bo Xue Ying, what is it that made you come to see me personally?" Forefather Tian Yu asked with slight surprise.

"Forefather, do you recognize this person?" Saying that, Xue Ying waved his hand before projecting the appearance of Senior Stone-an old man who looked like a bag of bones and was holding on to a walking stick, "He is extremely powerful, and his utilization of the void, in my opinion, is beyond that of Void Primogenitor! According to my deduction, he is definitely a Cosmos God and should be ranked in the forefront. I dare not say he can stand side by side with Sacred Master, but he should at least be on the same level with World Ancestor and Ancestor Mother."

"Oh?" Forefather Tian Yu looked with astonishment. He thoroughly scrutinized the figure that appeared in midair before shaking his head, "I do not know him. I've never seen him before."

Xue Ying felt puzzled.

Even though Swordmaster might be strong, Forefather Tian Yu was still someone who far outstripped him in terms of age and wisdom. But Forefather Tian Yu said he had never seen before this Senior Stone?

"A Cosmos God who is at least on the level of World Ancestor and Ancestor Mother?" Forefather Tian Yu shook his head, "How is it possible for someone at this strength not to create any activity? Dong Bo Xue Ying, are you sure you have seen him before? And he is truly that strong? Are you not being hoodwinked?"

Xue Ying shook his head: "Impossible."

"That's right too. With your attainments in the illusory realm, who could hoodwink you in your law domain? That is practically too difficult." Forefather Tian Yu felt perplexed and suspicious, "But this is still the first time I hear from you regarding a Cosmos God at this level whom I have never seen before. This is truly weird."

******

After asking Forefather Tian Yu, Xue Ying went on to ask Swordmaster, yet he got the same answer.

Xue Ying could only temporarily leave it aside. No matter what, that mysterious thin small old man did not have any malicious intent against him. It's just that his identity was more mysterious!

...

Within Eastern Unicorn Sacred World.

At the peak of a desolate mountain, the wind was biting cold, and a thin small old man carrying a walking stick stood right on top of it. Suddenly, another figure appeared by his side. He was another thin and small person garbed in loose green robe-World Ancestor. World Ancestor's countenance gave off a natural tyrannical aura. After all, even Sacred Master could not injure his fleshy body at all. If World Ancestor decided to turn to the dark side, he would become a great devil.

Nevertheless, World Ancestor who was usually tyrannical was being respectful in front of this thin small old man. He bowed and greeted the other party: "Teacher, you have awakened. This disciple thought that it'll be hard for me to see teacher again." At this moment, World Ancestor could not hide his feelings at all. He was apparently extremely excited.

The thin small old man smiled as he stroked the head of World Ancestor.

The two of them were relatively similar in height. The thin and small old man chuckled: "You little devil. You are currently the famous World Ancestor, yet you are still acting like a child."

"I am forever a disciple of Teacher." World Ancestor was not recalcitrant or tyrannical at all. Instead, he was obedient. He did not have any livings relatives at all. They were all dead, and the only one alive was this teacher of his!

"Teacher, how did you suddenly wake up?" World Ancestor asked again. He was clear that his teacher was usually cultivating in his dream. According to logic, he should not be too willing to wake up if there were nothing remarkable.

"Because of that chap called Dong Bo Xue Ying." The thin small old man said.

"Dong Bo Xue Ying?" World Ancestor was startled, "His talent is not bad."

"That time, the other lineage inheritance of mine, the 'four extreme inheritances' are made purely to be fused into one. For the sake of allowing the body to fuse perfectly with the soul, that was why I created the 'Vermillion Nightmare inheritance' according to the Vermillion Nightmare mutated beast. Actually, I am not good at it." The thin and small old man sighed, "Who would have that that this Dong Bo Xue Ying could actually create an unprecedented tenth transformation after cultivating this Vermillion Nightmare inheritance of mine."

World Ancestor nodded softly after listening: "Mn, his illusory realm is quite formidable. Furthermore, he has contributed greatly, and has obtained quite a few pieces of information regarding the Destruction Devils."

"The few of you all specialized in fleshy bodies."

The thin small old man looked afar into the void. He was currently observing Xue Ying who was still seeking for Destruction Devils, "And he, he is the only one who specialized in the soul."

"Teacher, are you prepared to receive him as a disciple and nurture him?" World Ancestor asked.

"I have this consideration." The thin small old man giggled, "But I am not in a rush. I have just met him for the first time after waking up, and do not really know him well yet. I shall give him a few trials and put him under observation before I make my decision."