Was it necessary to say the same thing twice over one matter?

Wu Wang had just finished the Heavenly Dao meeting and hadn't had time to immerse his spiritual mind into the Star God's body to search for memories related to the stars. Shen Nong, the senior, had already appeared in the Annihilation Sect and taken a seat directly in front of Wu Wang on a wooden chair, causing Wu Wang to see the elder as soon as he opened his eyes.

Brother Yun Zhongjun emerged from one side of the wall, maintaining the appearance of the Sleep God, and greeted Shen Nong.

"Greetings, Human Emperor."

"The Ancient God is too polite."

"You two talk. I'll just wander around casually."

Yun Zhongjun said with a smile, yet he walked past the Human Emperor and went to the desk to drink tea.

Shen Nong looked contemplative, and his gaze upon Wu Wang carried a deeper meaning as he said softly, "The two of you have a good relationship."

Wu Wang asked directly, "Senior, you said earlier that you wanted to meet my mother. Should I call for Mother now?"

"Please invite the Ice God to come here," Shen Nong said in a grave tone, his expression somewhat stern.

Yet, Wu Wang made no move and asked again, "Is it about my cultivation of the Star Dao?"

Seeing Shen Nong nod slightly, Wu Wang couldn't help but twitch his mouth in frustration.

"Senior, Brother Sleep God has already reminded me about the issue with the Star Dao," Wu Wang sighed lightly, an inexplicable weariness on his face. "I still feel that I'm not entirely wrong."

"It's normal for you to think so," Shen Nong said in his gentle voice.

Wu Wang swore this was the most tender and mild-mannered he had ever seen the senior.

But when Shen Nong moved his chair forward, sat next to Wu Wang, revealed a smile that could melt the heart of an ignorant young man, and said to him, "Come, let me take your pulse."

Wu Wang figured that his father-in-law was probably worried about his mental state.

"Senior, I really am fine."

"Come, give me your hand."

"Alright, alright. Examine me then," Wu Wang obediently extended his arm and then slumped into the chair, his eyes devoid of spirit, feeling utterly mentally drained.

Shen Nong took his time examining him, even having Wu Wang open his mouth and say 'ah' twice, quite professionally. He then carefully observed Wu Wang's Primordial Spirit with a strand of Divine Thought for a long while.

"It doesn't seem like hysteria," Shen Nong murmured as he stroked his beard.

"I didn't have any hysteria to begin with!"

"Then how did you come up with such strange ideas?"

Shen Nong laughed and said, "Claiming the world originated from a great explosion, that all things are formed from the aggregation of the most basic particles, and that particle shapes change under the influence of different forces. You've come up with one theory after another that doesn't even exist in the Great Wilderness."

Wu Wang said earnestly, "These are all reasonable deductions."

"But they may not coexist with the Great Dao of the Great Wilderness," Shen Nong said seriously. "Cultivators, in their self-cultivation, can easily fall into self-delusion. That is why it's important for us to perceive the heavens and earth. Wu Wang, you should go out, walk around, see things. Measure the land with your feet, and use your eyes to expand the boundaries of the world."

Wu Wang sighed in defeat.

The blows he had received in the past few days were more than he had encountered in the previous decades.

The helplessness he felt, bound by the curse as Fire Plume met her death, was still etched deeply in his heart; and he was now warned that the Great Dao he had firmly believed in might be incompatible with the world.

Of course, Brother Yun Zhongjun and his father-in-law meant well; they were reminding him not to get completely lost in his own imagination.

"Here, take this."

Shen Nong pulled out a Jade Talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Wu Wang.

"This is a wonderful technique, useful for cultivating the mind and consolidating the Dao heart. It is called the Heart-Seeking Technique. In the coming days, whether you return to the Northern Wilderness or stay in the Human Domain, I hope you can calm your mind and take a good look at yourself. I am also to blame for having too many expectations of you before, which surely must have put a lot of pressure on you."

Wu Wang accepted the Jade Talisman.

Wait, Senior. When you say these things, could you please not look at me with that 'just enjoy your meals and drinks, as if there's nothing to worry about' look? I really am... fine!

"Alright, I have clashed with Emperor Shun a few times before, and now I need to recuperate for a few days. The matters of the Fire Plume Temple will be overseen by your most trusted Xiao Jian, so you needn't worry too much about these things. Has your curse been broken?"

Shen Nong's tone suddenly shifted.

Wu Wang nodded honestly. "When I exerted myself back then, yes, it broke."

"That's good, very good."

Shen Nong responded with a smile, but then suddenly a large hand shot out towards Wu Wang, overpowering him with the absolute strength of a Human Emperor, and firmly grasped his neck.

"You little rascal, remember this! If you dare lay a finger on my daughter, I will break your legs!"

Yun Zhongjun, who was openly eavesdropping nearby, almost burst out laughing.

Wu Wang struggled with all his might, but he quickly realized the huge gap between himself and a supreme powerhouse, as the senior firmly held his neck, delivering a cordial yet profound personal threat.

Hmph. If the old senior hadn't mentioned it, he'd almost forgotten. He was Xiong Ba! He felt his confidence surge!

Of course, the most pressing matter at present was still to search the Star God's memories.

「...」

Wu Wang had specifically sent the Whistling Snake back to the Northern Wilderness to bring Xiaowan Flavoring and Lin Suqing's group from there to the Human Domain.

The existence of the Gold God made him much more cautious.

Although the Northern Wilderness had his mother's protection, his mother's identity was, after all, too special. Meanwhile, the Human Domain was teeming with experts, an extremely dangerous place for an Innate God.

Before Jingwei and Suqing could arrive, Wu Wang had already left behind a simple letter and begun his seclusion alone.

Ling Xiaolan returned directly to the Xuan Nu Sect in the southwestern territory.

She needed to sort out the various affairs of the Xuan Nu Sect's expedition and report her findings, observations, and experiences to the Sect Master before she could come to cultivate by Wu Wang's side.

But she would come. The two had made a silent promise with their eyes when they parted.

Wu Wang sat cross-legged in the quiet room of his cave dwelling.

His Immortal Consciousness swept over the Annihilation Sect. He saw that life inside and outside the Sect was much as it had always been; the lives of Demonic Cultivators were not much richer than those of Immortal Sect cultivators.

The position of Sect Master of the Annihilation Sect had been passed on to Miao Cuijiao, but everyone in the Annihilation Sect still addressed Wu Wang as 'Sect Master' when they saw him.

His Immortal Consciousness spread out farther. Wu Wang expanded it to its limit before employing his technique to ride the wind, observing the land from different altitudes.

The land was curved, but the degree of this curvature wasn't fixed. For instance, when Wu Wang looked at the horizon from a hundred li away, the edge of his vision dipped by a hundred zhang. From an altitude of a thousand li, the horizon there still dipped by a hundred zhang.

Yun Zhongjun was right; the Great Wilderness was a world with a round sky and a square earth.

The Great Wilderness World and the Land Beyond the Skies were situated on opposite sides of the same plane, seemingly confirming the mysteries of the Yin and Yang Path.

Wu Wang's thoughts were exceptionally complicated.

Have I really come to understand this world? Yet I arrogantly claimed to protect it.

Is this innate arrogance something I brought with my spaceship?

Wu Wang smiled wryly, took out the Heart-Seeking Technique given by Senior Shen Nong, studied it intently for a while, and then introspected.

Soon, he noticed something unusual.

He had suddenly acquired many new combat techniques before the duel with the Gold God and even before the Whistling Snake returned—each move swift and practiced, as if every gesture had been honed thousands of times.

That was the reason he had been able to suppress the Gold God head-on.

The Gold God was belligerent and skilled at slaughter. Her combat experience ranked among the best of the Innate Gods, yet she was suppressed by him, a Demigod who had only fought a few times with a spear.

This was obviously illogical.

Where had his combat experience come from?

Wu Wang's Dao heart trembled slightly as an absurd guess suddenly occurred to him.

It would have been fine if he hadn't started this self-inquiry, but as soon as he began questioning himself, Wu Wang immediately found many things amiss.

Why were there abnormal fluctuations in his emotions?

He had been chosen by the organization from thousands of volunteers to execute the mission to explore wormholes; his psychological stability had been a critical factor.

Piloting a spaceship was not a particularly thrilling affair. Especially for a spaceship that had consumed vast resources and carried so many faint hopes, its pilot's most important qualities had to be a calm mind and steady hands. This meant facing the infinite unknown with limited means, always searching for the way to maximize the value of one's self-sacrifice.

Never panicking and always remaining rational—these were his fundamental abilities.

The explanation Wu Wang had given his mother and Yun Zhongjun was actually a rationalization he'd constructed for himself, an attempt to find a reason for his state.

But at this moment, the seed of doubt that had surfaced in Wu Wang's heart could no longer be suppressed…

「Half a month later.」

Wu Wang opened his eyes, his expression extremely serious.

He heard the voices of several beautiful women conversing outside the quiet room; a sudden longing welled up in his heart.

To go out, hold their hands, and share some intimate gestures.

He had truly been waiting to hold their hands for far, far too long!

But Wu Wang forcefully restrained himself.

Because he had more important things to do—matters that concerned himself, the future, his Dao, matters related to…

Eastern Emperor Taiyi.

As his spiritual mind settled, Wu Wang's Primordial Spirit looked up at the Star Sea above. From its forehead, a point of starlight burst forth, smashing into the vast expanse of stars.

His original Star Dao was still there; it was merely overlaid by the Star God's Dao.

Countless insights rushed towards him. Wu Wang extended his arms to receive them, feeling them, and at the same time, submerged his spiritual mind into that strand of his split consciousness.

This time, he did not hesitate.

If he couldn't find answers in a few months, he would search for years, even decades!

He had to know the truth of his own Dao. This was no longer merely an issue of the Dao.

So, he began to multitask. On one hand, he accepted the Star God's Dao; on the other, he roamed the Star God's sea of memories, rapidly scanning the vast and chaotic recollections.

When he was tired, he let his Primordial Spirit meditate for a while.

When he was sleepy, he let his body take a short rest before continuing the search in the Star God's memories.

One month, two months… two years, three years…

A thin layer of dust had settled in Wu Wang's meditation room. He sat there quietly, the Dao rhymes around him constantly intensifying. Every few months, this would induce celestial phenomena, attracting boundless stars.

In the Starry Sky Temple, Cang Xue always wore a gentle smile, observing Wu Wang's deepening connection with the Star God's Dao.

The Star God's divine body was controlled by Wu Wang. The Star God's Dao had already accepted Wu Wang, and now he, in turn, accepted it, the two displaying a powerful synergy.

Even Cang Xue's control over the Star God's Dao was beginning to be encroached upon by Wu Wang's will.

Then, she gently yielded control of the Star God's Dao, bit by bit, allowing Wu Wang to gradually assume dominance.

In the sixth year of his retreat, Wu Wang suddenly found a clue.

In the twelfth year of his retreat, Wu Wang reached a 'pitch-black' area in the Star God's sea of memories.

These were memories the Star God was unwilling to face and had sealed away herself.

Wu Wang's spiritual mind focused on this place, seeking to comprehend and feel it. He even secretly sought advice from Yun Zhongjun on various ways to probe memories, finally prying open a crack.

Then, his spiritual mind sank into it, as if he had become the Star God.

「...」

Do stars truly exist, or are they merely projections of the Great Dao?

She kept asking herself this question.

Lying by the Divine Pool crafted from jade, her soft hair spread out around her. Her voluptuous, almost perfect body curved alluringly, but the figures throughout the temple merely knelt or prostrated themselves; no servant dared to appreciate her heart-stopping beauty.

Looking at the reflection of the stars in the pool, a certain longing arose in her heart.

And then, she set off on her journey.

Starting in the Third Divine Era, she traveled ceaselessly towards the starry sky, aimlessly searching for stars.

Stars should be glowing pebbles…

Perhaps stars were clusters of Spiritual Energy enveloping some kind of ore…

A faint ripple of anticipation stirred in her heart, only to gradually fade during her long flight through the void.

After flying for an unknown eternity, she was finally about to touch the starry sky. But as she stepped forward, the starlight abruptly vanished. Ahead lay only a pure, indescribable void.

The Extreme Deep Sky.

Where are the stars?

The Star God murmured, turning to look back the way she had come. There, she saw the only 'starlight' in the endless void.

That was where she had come from.

「...」

Inside the quiet room, Wu Wang sat silently, a tear trailing down from the corner of his eye.

This was the sorrow and despair that had burst forth from the Star God the moment she discovered the starry sky was a void. It infected his Primordial Spirit through the Star God's Dao, immersing him so deeply that he couldn't extricate himself for a long time.

Wu Wang sighed softly and slowly opened his eyes, letting his thoughts wander, trying not to dwell on anything.

Finally, the storm of emotions passed.

Wu Wang suddenly felt he now had absolute control over the Star God's divine body. With a mere thought, he could make the divine body act.

Following that, Wu Wang felt his whole body weaken, and an unbearable pain gripped his abdomen.

Wu Wang now truly experienced the Star God's severely injured state.

A word leaped into Wu Wang's mind.

Fusion.

Through observing her memories during this period and accepting the Star God's Dao, Wu Wang's strand of Divine Soul had perfectly fused with the Star God's divine body.

The Star God had completely become Wu Wang's avatar, and the Star God's Dao had also become Wu Wang's Great Dao.

Wu Wang even sensed that his transcendence catastrophe was about to arrive.

But, Wu Wang took out a Jade Talisman from his sleeve, reciting the incantations within it.

In that instant, his main body and his Star God avatar both closed their eyes, muttering to themselves, "Who am I?"

DING—

A bell's chime, and then the chime was heard again.

Wu Wang's Primordial Spirit seemed to have vanished into a hazy realm of clouds and mist, somewhat like Yun Zhongjun's Dream Realm.

But Wu Wang quickly recognized this scene; he had seen it before.

During the three regressions in time, he had seen an old man carving a stone slate here.

This place seemed to be the end of ages.

Wu Wang examined it carefully, subconsciously probing forward. He caught a glimpse of the old man, but the figure quietly faded away.

"Come out!" Wu Wang called out firmly, a hint of realization dawning in his heart.

Suddenly, he felt a mysterious energy spreading from the 'palm' of his hand. Upon closer inspection, it was the Star God's outstretched palm.

The Star God's disc seemed to be undergoing some unusual change.

Threads of understanding arose in Wu Wang's heart.

Without any warning, nor any discernible logic, he simply understood some strange and peculiar things.

In the starry sky, the Star God's finger pointed towards the disc. The Star God's disc trembled gently, and all the stars blazed with brilliant light.

DING—

In that mysterious realm, Wu Wang heard the familiar bell toll once more, but this time it rang right beside his ear.

He turned his head, only to discover the projection of the Star God's disc appearing beside him, rotating slightly.

The center of this disc slowly arched upwards, its periphery growing smoother, though mottled scratches now appeared upon it.

This was the Star God's most powerful Divine Artifact, which had sealed away the living beings of the Northern Wilderness for countless years and possessed infinitely many wondrous uses.

But here, it seemed to have transformed into... the crown of a great bell, with the illusory body of a bell shimmering below it.

The Eastern Emperor's Bell.

"Sigh—"

The mist ahead retreated to the left and right, revealing a large bell and a figure.

The figure was clad in a blue spacesuit and wreathed in wisps of mist, its face somewhat ashen.

Wu Wang's Dao heart trembled lightly as he gazed at the figure.

"Me?"

"No," the figure slowly raised its head, revealing a face identical to Wu Wang's. "Master, I am Zhong, borrowing your likeness."