Chapter 679 - Gold and Glitter (VII) (Patreon)

Did... did this old fart literally just faint on the spot?

Are you kidding me?!

It's not like you're a teenage boy whose girlfriend just told you she's pregnant! What the hell are you fainting for?!

Luckily, he came to before actually hitting the ground. It was a bit comical how his falling body just paused a few inches off the ground, still leaning like a certain tower (but at a far, far, far steeper angle). He blinked a few times, staring at me before straightening back up. He simply grabbed the booklet as well as the spatial ring, turned his back, and walked away as if nothing happened.

As a sign of our deep friendship, I held myself until he was out of (perceived) earshot before just breaking into laughter.

Because, goddamn, that was some funny comedy skit. Honestly, even if I put the pen to paper, I couldn't have written something like that. Haah, and it just so happened to be the old fart. No, that actually makes sense. Most of the kids, by now, just accept whatever bullshit I throw at them. I'm pretty sure they'd just shrug it off even if I told them that I am Dao. They'd just nod along and go, 'Yeah, Master is Dao, makes complete sense.

Though I'm often amused by this over-the-top reactions, they're also getting kind of stale. Jaws gaping, old people mumbling incoherent babble, same old, same old. I'm half-tempted to recruit new disciples just for a variety of reactions, if nothing else. Alas, I'm hardly that free or flush with cash.

The pavilion once again became silent, save for an occasional cry of the phoenix. Once or twice a day, she'd come over and bother me, asking me things about the cultivation method I couldn't answer, and requesting this or that to be given to her majesty.

My God, I can only hope that my Dao of Patience is thick enough.

Nonetheless, now that the recipe was dispensed with, I mulled for a moment over what to do. For starters, I had options of creating some congratulatory arts for the kids preparing to break through (as well as that old monster) right now, or waiting to see if the rewards granted by the system bless me with one of those freebies. Besides, as always, rather than going in blind and just making something up, I'd prefer to just ask them what they needed and go from there.

So, I set aside the matter of creating arts.

Sighing, I flicked my fingers and caused a small pop a foot or so in front of me. The space there bubbled somewhat strangely and unnaturally for that brief moment before rippling and flattening.

I don't quite get it, yet. It's not like I'm actually using any Qi to 'make' that, so what is the difference between a short-term pocket versus a long-term one? Understanding of the Dao of Space? I mean, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm pretty sure I've forgotten more factual knowledge about spacetime than most people in this world have ever learned.

But, apparently, that's not enough.

Yet, I keep trying. Over and over and over again. Bubble after bubble after bubble. They used to be the size of a grain of sand, and now they're just about the size of a red apple. However, it honestly feels like I'm more so 'brute-forcing' it rather than meditating upon the mysteries of the Dao of Space and discerning its secrets.

I mean, my head is still kind of in the clouds about all of it, to be honest. Were it not for the system, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have even reached the peak of Spirit Manifestation Realm by now on my own merit, let alone broken through twice over with 'perfect' breakthroughs.

Another pop.

My mind is still, against all logic, trying to rationalize all of this. Even now, I'm still considering all of the space stuff I knew back on Earth. But what the heck's the point? People here have freakin' wormholes and can personally blink between points in space and do a bajillion other things--laws, as I understand them, just don't apply.

Aah, another pop.

Like, wormholes, in my brain, are 'theoretically' possible--but so much shit is 'theoretically possible' in math and physics it'd be easier to list things that aren't possible. Even if there are some aspects that cultivators to seem to to obey--speed of light limit, thermodynamics--most all else seems fluid enough to where I can't even ascertain how much value my knowledge of these things actually holds.

There goes another one.

Meh, whatever. I have time, and even if I don't, I can always just ask Long Tao when he conveniently overtakes me. For better or worse, I know that he won't abandon me, so just letting him guide me might be good enough.

And another--

--hm? Wait.

I shook myself out of my daze and noticed that the conjured 'pop' was still... standing. A breath. Two breaths. Three breaths. It remained, occasionally rippling as if about to burst, but never actually popping.

"I... did it?" I mumbled out loud, staring holes into the hole in the spacetime and wondering just what did I do differently than before.

Just then, a string of notifications assailed me.

[--congratulations, Host, on reaching Create Void phase of the Void Transformation Realm][You now have the ability to create temporary pockets of isolated space. Creating pockets of space is a task only limited by one's understanding of the world; it is possible to create entire sub-realms full of life should one comprehend enough Dao Paths to their maximum. Note, however, that this feat has only been achieved once--many, many cycles ago][...][All spacetime-related arts will be slightly bolstered][Your resistance towards spatial tears and storms increases slightly][You have a chance of resisting forceful pull of another's Dao of Space][...][Due to the remarkable feat of managing to create a near-permanent pocket of space upon breakthrough, an extra reward is generated][...][Extra Reward: Space-Stabilizing Talisman x1][...][Space-Stabilizing Talisman -- forcibly condenses ripples of Dao and stabilizes surrounding space for a period of time. The length and even the level of stability depends on the scale][A Hint: place your Disciple requires to break through into the Void Transformation Realm will require the talisman][...][Good luck, Host!]

Huh.

I'm half-certain that part of the reason I broke through was me just hitting the right spot, and part was that I was bitching and moaning so pathetically that the system threw me a bone. And then another bone by giving me the talisman. Nonetheless, I freakin' did it! All on my own, no assistance required!

Look at that baby still just sitting there. Majestic. I mean, I'm pretty sure if I put a finger in it, it'd immediately get shredded into a billion pieces, but I don't care. That's my baby over there. It came from me--proverbially speaking. I'm not that crazy yet.

"... Master, did you just break through?" Long Tao's voice startled me as I looked over. He was standing at the edge of the room, staring somewhat oddly at my little baby. Okay, I really need to stop calling it my baby. It's a bit creepy.

"Indeed," I said, beaming with pride. "Your Master has officially stepped into the Create Void phase. Heh, impressive, isn't it?" I fished for a compliment, but when only silence responded... I felt embarrassment.

Come on, you old monster! Throw me a bone here, like the system!

"Hm. Impressive," oh, finally. "Impressive, impressive, impressive."

... eh? What? Did... did I mess something up? Why is he looking at me like that?!