Chapter 401: Chapter 401: I Am the Celestial Dao

"The main reason, of course, is that I fell for you at first sight. Sometimes, liking someone is just that simple. One moment I saw you, and the next, I liked you. It was like a single glance that spanned an eternity."

As Feng Chaoge spoke, his eyes shimmered with a spiritual light, and he stared directly at Ye Tianling.

"..."

Ye Tianling’s expression was a sight to behold. He had expected Feng Chaoge to reveal some grand, earth-shattering reason. He had even felt a flicker of anticipation, wondering if he possessed some heaven-defying charm that could attract even other men.

But he never expected Feng Chaoge to say something like that.

Ye Tianling felt like he could just die from embarrassment. He was utterly helpless against this peerlessly demonic and enchanting man.

’Fight him?’

’With his ability to help construct the Soul Realm Battlefield, that’s not even an option.’

’Give in?’

Ye Tianling didn’t dare to even consider it; the mere thought made goosebumps break out all over his skin.

"Alright, no need to be so nervous. Don’t worry, I won’t force you. For me, when considering a Dao companion, chemistry and feeling are what truly matter. If the feeling’s right, that’s reason enough."

Feng Chaoge said with a smile.

Ye Tianling gave an awkward smile, completely at a loss for words.

"Did you come from the Heaven-Reaching Tower?"

Feng Chaoge asked.

"Yes."

Ye Tianling nodded.

"It must be difficult to get here from there, what with having to pass through specific spatial regions. In the future, if you want to come here, just use Meditation. To do so, find a safe place and use Visualization to see yourself as a completely ordinary person. Then, meditate on yourself and activate your Soul. You’ll arrive here directly.

This is just the outer region. The deeper you go, the more it resembles reality. Everything, from the killing to all else, becomes increasingly real and brutal. Remember, do not get killed here. If it’s absolutely unavoidable, at the moment of certain death, you can forcefully awaken yourself to escape. However, that will cause a backlash and severely damage your Soul!

But that’s still better than dying."

Feng Chaoge said with a serious expression.

He stopped talking about the Dao companion matter, much to Ye Tianling’s relief.

Ye Tianling was quite struck by his advice. He had actually considered some of these things before, but not in such detail.

The escape method Feng Chaoge mentioned, in particular, left Ye Tianling deeply shaken.

"Forcefully escape this place? So, this is still just a kind of Illusion Realm space? That makes sense. If it wasn’t an Illusion Realm simulating reality, how could death result in only losing some Soul Origin Energy?"

Ye Tianling replied. Based on what Feng Chaoge had said, he now had a much deeper understanding of this place.

"This is a Soul Realm Battlefield constructed using the True Void Law. It is also a Celestial Forbidden Land and a Celestial Demon Battlefield. With the emergence of the Ten Thousand Races, many such regions will appear. The Heaven-Reaching Tower is merely a place where the authority of the world’s laws is concentrated. Therefore, you should climb as high as you can in the tower. It would be best to increase the difficulty tenfold—in other words, bring two or three other Cultivators with you to challenge the key levels, those that are multiples of nine. For example, the Ninth Layer, the eighteenth, the twenty-seventh, and so on."

"This will benefit you greatly in the future."

Feng Chaoge said softly.

Ye Tianling nodded and cupped his fists. "Thank you for your guidance, Big Brother."

"Mm, or you could call me Big Sister. You don’t like men, do you?"

A teasing smile played in Feng Chaoge’s beautiful eyes.

"...Big Brother, please don’t joke around."

Ye Tianling said sternly.

He then took a deep breath and said earnestly, "Big Brother, I appreciate your kind intentions, and I am truly grateful for your guidance. But if this help is founded on some kind of romantic affection, I cannot accept it. It would feel like I’m selling myself for information about Cultivation. So please, don’t offer me any more help!

Furthermore, in a brutal place like this, you had the strength to kill me but didn’t. I will remember this kindness and will certainly repay you one day!"

Ye Tianling’s meaning was blunt, his rejection unequivocal.

He didn’t actually dislike Feng Chaoge. In fact, he felt that the man would make a very good friend.

But that feeling was precisely what made this so terrifying—this was a member of the Celestial Beauty Race who was attracted to men!

’To me, this so-called Celestial Beauty Race is just a bunch of freaks, of ladyboys.’

"No—this is your own destined opportunity, not my help. I’m a member of the Celestial Beauty Race and one of the Law Enforcers who constructed the Soul Realm Battlefield, but I am also one of the examiners. You broke through the Eight Prohibitions with your Battle Power in the Soul Realm Battlefield, and for that, you earned a reward from the Celestial Dao. All of this is guidance from the Celestial Dao."

"As for why I like you? It’s simple. You’re the Child of Celestial Mandate! Who else would I like, if not you?"

Feng Chaoge smiled, his expression genuine and pure.

"...You can represent the Celestial Dao?"

Ye Tianling found this utterly bizarre.

’The Celestial Dao is a member of the Celestial Beauty Race?’

’Is this some kind of joke?’

"I don’t represent the Celestial Dao. I *am* the Celestial Dao—at least, I am one of the Celestial Daos of the Soul Realm Battlefield."

Feng Chaoge said earnestly.

He didn’t seem to be joking in the slightest.

Ye Tianling’s mind was completely blown.

"It’s true. If the Celestial Dao were emotionless, evolution would be impossible. The principle is simple, yet difficult to grasp. Evolution is growth. Every law, and the existence it corresponds to, is constantly evolving. You think it isn’t growing, but that’s only because you can’t sense its growth across the vast, endless river of time."

"In truth, from the transformation of oceans into mulberry fields to the movements of the sun, moon, and stars, these are all expressions of that growth."

Feng Chaoge’s theory completely shattered Ye Tianling’s worldview.

Yes, it shattered his perception of a certain kind of Dao. He had always believed that the Celestial Dao was without emotion.

But now, it seemed the Celestial Dao possessed Emotions as well.

And with Emotions come passions and desires. And with passions and desires... now *that* was a truly terrifying prospect!

’If you choose me as your Dao companion... does that mean if I agree, I can become the Celestial Dao?’

Ye Tianling was inwardly stunned.

"In a sense, yes. But everything is a process, and there’s the matter of qualification. I can help you rise to that position, but whether you can actually become a Celestial Dao Law Enforcer will depend on your own Ability. Still, with your Talent, it’s only a matter of time."

Feng Chaoge didn’t deny it.

"How many Children of Celestial Mandate are there in this world?"

"The Celestial Mandate is singular."

"Then why is there talk of numerous Destiny Godsons and Destiny Goddesses?"

"Because their Life Charts are excellent, reaching a heaven-defying level. The differences aren’t obvious in the Early Stage; the gap only begins to manifest in the Late Stage. Besides, the Celestial Mandate is just a Life Chart. What’s crucial is one’s own will and Ability. An ordinary mortal, even one with the Celestial Mandate Life Chart and all sorts of opportunities, might at best rise above other mortals, but he won’t necessarily be stronger than an ordinary Cultivator."