Chapter 353: Path of No Retreat

The shattered Dao released a green light that carried hints of essence, if this essence could be classified, then it was the purest essence of determination. The energy released by it entered Yan Zaizen's amber-gold palm like water into sand. A distinctive feeling reminiscent of the flowing of water over one's hand was felt.

This water flowed through Yan Zaizen's palm into his soul like a river. The river was calm and clear. Within the depths of this river, a silhouette was formed. When Yan Zaizen observed this silhouette that flowed from his palm into his soul, his eyes flickered.

This figure wasn't Esi's. Instead, it wasn't even humanoid in shape. It resembled a living and beating heart.

"Interesting," softly exclaiming, he rotated the art further until the river flowed entirely into his soul. It vanished, integrating with his own Dao Soul.

"The First Stage of the Grand Soul, Dao Heart Art is the Nascent Dao Heart. It merges the soul with the dao, any action made would influence others. It's this reason why my actions often are integrated with my dao despite being unwanted." Yan Zaizen recalled the earlier incident where when he spoke, the others on Esi's ship acted like they were in a trance. They had been slightly bewitched by his Dao being emitted.

As he absorbed the Dao energy, he closed his eyes to sense the various changes within his Dao Soul. Firstly, his Dao Soul barely had any changes outside of its base energy levels. He felt it become stronger. This enhancement wasn't significant. In fact, it could be described as less than a thousandth of his original strength.

"When one's Dao is formed, only by advancing the Dao from the Mortal to the Grand, merging it with one's True Origin, could it be empowered. This was what I was told!" When one's Dao leaves its Nascent Stage, it was impossible to change or alter. It could only be improved by merging one's True Origin. Even Yan Zaizen had very little idea what a "True Origin" meant, even though he's developed a False Grand Dao.

The level of Dao Energy a person possessed was otherwise limited in quality and infinite in quantity. The Dao could not be exhausted.

When Yan Zaizen absorbed the Dao of Esi, he felt his limited quality be increase ever so slightly.

Yri, who remained a distance away, eyes surged with a manic obsession. Her own Dao was one of Absolute Obsession, and it was merely a peak middle-level Dao. To increase the strength of her Dao was a dream that she had paid an enormous price to do. This price would cause many to gape in shock and likely fear.

Yan Zaizen inhaled and exhaled a breath of air, "It works. Unfortunately, I'll likely need thousands of these Daos to even hope to reach the Second Stage, the Enlightened Dao Heart. I don't enjoy slaughter." This statement caused Yan Zaizen to sigh. To need several thousand Original Daos to hope to progress meant he needed to track and slaughter so many.

He wasn't someone keen on mass murder, nor did he desire to do so only out of self-profit. If it was unavoidable, perhaps. However, to go out and find random people just to rip their very essence from them felt morally ambiguous on many levels.

"Unfortunately?" Yri was startled, "In the cultivation world, strength and killing go side by side, and to progress in cultivation, one must always face danger and fight! Only by fighting will one advance, will one experience growth and obtain wealth. It is only naive to believe that you wouldn't have gotten where you were without killing others!"

Yan Zaizen glanced at Yri, not responding.

Yri continued, "Didn't you kill that Yaoguai to advance your cultivation base? Didn't you slaughter the Prince who attempted to take your body? The people who didn't even get a chance to speak a word before you wiped them out in body and soul? What about that woman who you just now snatched her Dao and will likely destroy her soul ferociously?! Are you trying to say you're a saint who doesn't or is unwilling to kill for profit?"

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"The path of cultivation, regardless of its direction, is a path of the strong preying on the weak, the path of killing and robbery, the path of no retreat!" Her voice became somewhat fanatical. "I've given up all that I've ever worked for, my wealth, my family, my very life for a chance at being here all for my path of cultivation!"

Yan Zaizen remained silent. Her words were something he understood. He wasn't a saint by any means, but he'd never gone around provoking people for no reason. Each and every time he'd fought was to protect himself, his friends, or to settle debts with others.

As he recalled from the start of his cultivation to now, he couldn't help but feel some sense of melancholy. His life and those around him have been a series of misfortunes and adventure. His teacher, Han Genji, was killed shortly after meeting. Wu Yuanxu was murdered shortly after meeting. Tao had become a slave, Bai Lufeng was tortured, and Pinaka had been kidnapped.

These were only incidents that happened to those close to him, but in a way, he felt responsible for them all. Even the death of Han Genji weighed on him slightly despite knowing the man for less than a few hours. If it wasn't for him, where would he be?

Then, he recalled the killing he had committed. The Ying Family and Xuanwu City, his first massacre. Lady Diyi, the Deluge Realm, the Sirius Titan Realm, and even now. He's also robbed his fair share of people. In truth, almost all of his current wealth belonged to others. He 'earned' them or they had been generously 'given' to him as an offering.

Yri continued more, "What's the purpose of cultivating? Is it to live forever, to bully the weak, have your every desire fulfilled, to seek a brighter world and explore the vastness of the multiverse, or is it to simply live the way you wish and how you wish?! Regardless of what your purpose of cultivating is or its general purpose, the fact remains: Every path leads to power! We cultivate for strength! The strength to move any and all obstacles we face now or in the future."

Yan Zaizen softly nodded, but he still didn't say a word. He agreed with her words mostly.

Deciding not to dwell on this topic, he chose to speak, "What is it that you want?" He initially didn't want to engage with this woman or even see her again, but after finding Esi, his mindset was a lot better having removed a weight on his chest. He decided to handle this before swiftly moving on.

Yri had a pensive look on when asked that question, her eyes shifty and lacking some confidence. "I…I want to cultivate the Grand Soul, Dao Heart Art."

Furrowing his brow, Yan Zaizen didn't expect this answer. Asking skeptically, "You've already seen how I've cultivated the Grand Soul, Dao Heart. For someone who survived for billions of years, I can't imagine you're unable to find some way to cultivate it?"

Yri looked towards Yan Zaizen with an aggrieved look, as if wronged in some way by his sentence. "Of course I've found a way to cultivate it, but I...I need you."

"Me?" Furthering his skeptical thoughts, Yan Zaizen couldn't help but question. He pointed to himself wondering why she would need him. After all, his soul was his soul. Even if one could take a person's body, they couldn't 'possess' their soul. What could she possibly need him for when she was there from start to finish when he cultivated the art?

A blush of red emerged on Yri's face being looked at in such a way by Yan Zaizen, "Yes...you…"

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