Chương 10: Chapter 10- Immortal Astral Realm
After walking through the door in the Ancestral Dragon realm, Ekosus is greeted by the sight of his room. He gazes down at his palm and sees the pale grey three-horned dragon tattoo, reassuring him that everything he just experienced was real.
"Hey, what happened to you? Your soul just up and disappeared as soon as that pendant started glowing." Kaiser's voice echoed in Ekosus' ears
"Apparently.... I went to an Ancestral Dragon realm." Ekosus replied slowly.
"How could you have done that? Only those with the dragon bloodline can enter an Ancestral Dragon realm. I've checked your bloodline, and you're only human." Kaiser said with some confusion.
"Check again. Apparently, it was sealed." Ekosus replied
"Okay! But my eye's aren't so old that I'd mistake someone's bloodline, even if it were sealed!" Kaiser said before releasing his sense upon Ekosus' body.
A moment of silence goes by before Kaiser's astonished voice appears again.
"What the actual fuck?! How could I miss such a pure dragon bloodline?! You have the bloodline purity of a Three-Horned Dragon! The only level above that is a fully Pure-Blooded Dragon! I can't seem to tell what your bloodline element is... Do you know?" Kaiser asked.
"According to Laos, my element is Chaos!" Ekosus replied.
..... A solid minute goes by in complete silence before Ekosus here's Kaiser's piercing voice nearly busts his eardrums.
"What the fuck kind of dogshit luck do you possess, you stupid lucky bastard?!?! First you obtained me and the Immortal Codex, second you obtained Primal Chaos meridians, third you obtained Yin Yang pearls, and now you have a Chaos Dragon bloodline! What's next!?! Are you secretly a reincarnated Godking of Fortune?!?" Kaiser yelled with jealousy in his voice.
"After all the tragedies I've had to go through, maybe the Heavens have decided to repay me by setting me up for greatness." Ekosus replied with a smile.
"The Heavens don't give a shit about you, or anyone for that matter. They only care when someone is trying to encroach on their power, hence why some of the cultivation realms you will try to reach later on will be accompanied by tribulations, but that's beside the point. I swear, if you don't die early, you're going to be a monster when you grow strong enough." Kaiser said with a little ridicule and praise in his tone.
"Speaking of growing stronger, what's so special about these Yin Yang pearls?" Ekosus asked as the two black and white pearls appeared in his hand.
"Yin Yang pearls are a real mysterious object. Alone, they have no use, but when two are together, they can have some profound effects. When bound, they will fuse with the user, and will naturally produce a weird type of extraordinarily powerful Qi. Most refer to it as Chaotic Qi because of it's particularly violent nature. Not just anyone can contain Chaotic Qi. One's meridians need to be at the Divine level at least to just contain it, and it's uses are very limited even then. Over time however, the Chaotic Qi can damage even Divine level meridians, making it more harmful than beneficial if one can't heal the trauma. Only those with Supreme level meridians can use Chaotic Qi effectively, and take it's violent force." Kaiser explained.
"Since I have Primal Chaos meridians, then that means I won't have to worry about the damage at all, right?" Ekosus asked.
"Not only that, but Chaotic Qi seems to compliment those with Primal Chaos meridians, allowing them to unleash the full potential of their strength, as well as cultivate at a faster rate!" Kaiser replied
"Well that's fantastic! How do I bind them?" Ekosus asked with anticipation.
"Not so fast! If you tried to assimilate them now, you would die very quickly!" Kaiser said with a stern tone.
"I thought Chaotic Qi was supposed to compliment my meridians. How could it kill me?" Ekosus asked, confused.
"You need to have a dantian so that your body can store the Chaotic Qi, otherwise it will just accumulate in your body to a point that your body explodes!" Kaiser revealed.
"Well that sucks. You got my hopes up!" Ekosus said in disappointment.
"You'll live. What you need to focus on right now is reaching the Dantian Opening stage, and then I'll let you assimilate the pearls. You have other ways of growing more powerful anyway! Just unlocking your bloodline has probably increased your strength by a lot, and it will grow in the coming days as your body is refined by it!" Kaiser said with indiference before continueing.
"Dragons are known to be the strongest of the beast clans! Their physical strength is unmatched when pit against others of the same realm. That comes at a price though! It's a lot harder for dragons to advance in their Qi cultivation when compared to other lifeforms, and their souls tend to be weaker than average." Kaiser said
"I was planning on letting you wait till the Qi Absorption stage before you start soul cultivation, but since you're already starting body and Qi cultivation, it's better to keep a balance between the three." Kaiser said slowly
"Qi cultivation isn't the only way to cultivate. The three main ways are the body, Qi, and soul. Each have their own benefits and downsides. However, if you can cultivate all three, then there's really no downside except the difficulty. This is relatively easy during the early stages, but the farther you get down that path, the harder it will be to advance. Most give up either one or two types later on." Kaiser kept explaining.
"I don't care about the difficulty. As long as it's possible, I will succeed" Ekosus replied with conviction.
"If you can't succeed at it, then no one can. Even a Godking's heart would bleed with envy if he knew all the secrets you have on your body. Soul cultivation doesn't have the same stages as Qi or body cultivation. It's based on a system of stars. There exist things called Dao Stars in the universe. Soul Shamans connect with these stars, and use their power to refine the soul and gain power. Different stars have different benefits. The biggest benefit of soul cultivation, in general, is it's benefits when comprehending laws, but that's farther down the road. You probably won't be able to comprehend laws until Peak Soul Core." Kaiser slowly spoke.
"What are laws?" Ekosus questioned with curiosity.
"Laws are manifestations of the Heaven Dao. Once a cultivator has enough insight into a certain dao, of which there are more than you can imagine, that cultivator will be able to manipulate powers that pertain to that dao without relying on a technique and Qi. For example, a fire cultivator who has comprehended the Minor Dao Law of Fire can release flames without using any Qi, whereas someone who hasn't comprehended a fire dao must use a technique and Qi to create the flames." Kaiser explained.
"Laws sound awesome! I wish I could understand the Minor Dao Law of Fire right now!" Ekosus replied excitedly.
"Minor Daos Laws aren't as great as you think! They are called minor for a reason, and that reason is because they only grant you minor control over the Dao. Daos are split into ranks. From Minor Dao Laws, to Earthly Dao Laws, to Heavenly Dao Laws, and finally Grand Dao Laws. Only by mastering a Dao can you comprehend it's higher form. Master a Minor Dao Law and you can comprehend Earthly Daos, and so on." Kaiser replied slowly.
"If Minor Dao laws are only minor control, I wonder what full control would be like?" Ekosus asked.
"Full control over a Dao is something only beings of eternity can acheive. To do so, you have to surpass the Heaven Dao, making it bend to your will. That's a level of power even I must look up to in awe. Never agrivate someone of that level. They have the power to annihilate your soul completely, making you not be able to reincarnate!" Kaiser explained with a serious tone.
"Noted. Now back to soul cultivation, how do I connect with a Dao Star?" Ekosus asked eagerly.
"Dao Stars exist inside a realm known as the Immortal Astral realm. In that realm are barriers seperating the different tiers of Dao Stars. The higher the tier of the Dao Star, the more benefits it brings with it. Higher tier stars allow you to cultivate quicker. Some stars have certain elemental qualities, making it easier to comprehend the laws of that Dao. It's important to choose your stars wisely, as the star you choose will be permenant. You can gain more stars as you cultivate, but it's better to use your chances wisely." Kaiser said seriously.
"What are the tiers of Dao Stars?" Ekosus asked with fervor
"Well they are split into four major realms, and twelve minor ranks. There are Mortal Stars, Divine Stars, Eternal Stars, and Primordial Stars. Each realm has Rank 1, through Rank 3 stars. Rank 1 stars are the highest in each realm. The stronger your soul, the higher you can go in the ranks. I have no worries about your soul being weak. Reincarnating with your memories intact is difficult, and only someone with a strong soul can accomplish it. The best time to connect with Dao Stars is midnight, which is still a few hours away. I suggest you meditate for a little while until then. Having a clear mind helps you sense the Immortal Astral realm easier." Kaiser explained calmly
"Alright. What rank star do you think I should attempt to connect with?" Ekosus asked
"Well, even the most talented Soul Shamans can only sense 1st rank Mortal Stars on their first try. I've heard of some freaks of nature who managed to connect with 3rd rank Divine Stars though. Knowing your luck, you should be able to get either 1st rank Mortal, or 3rd rank Divine." Kaiser said after pondering for a moment.
"Okay, Let me know when it's time." Ekosus said before lying back on his bed, and closing his eyes.
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A couple hours passed and it was a few minutes before midnight.
"Hey little bastard, it's about time!" Kaiser said to the almost asleep Ekosus.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Dao Stars." Ekosus said grogilly as he woke himself.
"How exactly do I begin to connect to the Immortal Astral realm?" Ekosus asked with an excited look in his eyes.
"Search the Immortal Codex for soul cultivation! It will tell you everything you need to do." Kaiser said.
"Gotcha!" Ekosus said before scanning through the knowledge of the Immortal Codex.
After a moment, he finds the section pertaining to Soul Cultivation, and begins combing through it.
"So all you have to do is speak these words while imagining stars?" Ekosus asked after he found the parts he needed.
"Pretty much! One needs to have sufficient soul strength though, or they won't even be able to enter to the Immortal Astral realm!" Kaiser replied.
"It's about to be midnight. You can begin speaking and try to connect your soul with the Immortal Astral realm!" Kaiser spoke seriously
"Gotcha." Ekosus replied before beginning to speak again.
"Immortal Stars that shine with Heavenly Might, please allow this mortal to bathe in your Divine Light! Astral Gates, UNLOCK!" Ekosus spoke loudly.
A moment of silence goes by before a beam of pure white light descends from the heavens, encompassing Ekosus, and pulls his soul out of his body within a split second, before they both disappear
Ekosus' feels like he's moving at speeds only comparable to lightspeed. Everything around him is a complete blur.
After a few moments of highspeed travel, the light vanishes, and he finds himself confronted by a door.
It's not just any door however, it is absolutely humongous. It's color is a bright gold, and it gives off a suffocating pressure.
Ekosus stared up at the colossal gate, in awe of it's size and presence. He looks around him and all he can see is pitch black. He turns back towards the gate and slowly approaches it.
When he's within touching distance, he sees a small little keyhole, and notices that a small golden key somehow appeared in his palm. He slowly places the key inside the hole, and turns it.
He hears a small click sound, and then the massive gate starts to slowly open.
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Inside the Immortal Astral realm, floated a pure black palace surrounded by stars.
Inside the palace, upon a solid black throne, sat a dashingly handsome, pale, young man dressed in a black robe.
His eyes were closed, and he looked like he was asleep.
The moment Ekosus opens the Gate of the Immortal Astral realm however, the man's eyes shot open, and in his eyes, one could only see boundless darkness. His gaze carries a wisp of eternity, and is so peircing that it seems as if distance is irrelevant to it.
"It seems another one has come to connect with a star! It seems like it's his first star as well!" The man speaks, his dull and chilly voice resounding throughout the palace.
"First stars are always boring. Whatever, back to sleep!" The man says before closing his eyes again.
However, his eyes don't stay closed long as his entire palace begins shaking.
"I fed you a few million years ago! There's no way you're hungry again!" The man said coldly as his body blurs, and he appears in another part of the palace.
The room is huge, even bigger than the whole palace by many times.
In the middle of that room was a massive grey star that was shaking with fervor. It was kept in place by massive black chains that were anchored to the walls of the palace.
"You've already devoured most of the Primordial Stars! There's no way you're still hungry! I may be powerful, but it still takes me a few million years to make more of those!" the man said while glaring at the star.
The star kept shaking, however. It seemed like it was desperately trying to break free from it's chains and go somewhere.
"Well if you're not hungry, then what is it? The only thing that could make you so worked up would be Essence Resonance, but I'm the only one here.....Wait, no! That human.... Could it be?!" The man asked in disbelief.
The star starts shaking up and down, as if nodding it's head in response.
The man looks towards Ekosus' direction, and his in his eyes, an unknown emotion forms.
"Oh how long I've waited for this day! You're finally here! Asmodius, your time has come! I hereby release you from your bindings! You are free! Go! Go and serve him well! It was why I created you in the first place! Assist him well and eventually, I will grant you a human form!" The man said excitedly before a black sword appears in his hand. He swings it twice, and the chains binding the star disappeared into nothingness, freeing the star.
The star wastes no time before it disappears from the room, leaving the man there alone.
"I wish you good luck! I wish I could meet you and tell you everything, but that would do you harm! I'm confident we will meet again though! You'll reach the peak and find your way to me! Until then, consider Asmodius as a little gift. Your destiny is immense, you could use all the help you can get. Good luck!" the man said with a rare smile before he vanishes from the room.
The next moment, he appears on his throne, takes one last look at Ekosus, closes his eyes, and falls into a deep slumber.
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
Alm914
Alm914 Hey guys. I'm sorry for such a long wait for this chapter. I had some rather important personal matter to attend to, and things just kept getting in the way of me writing. Things have calmed down now, so I'm able to write again. So, expect more chapters coming soon. As always, have a good day, and I hope you all stay safe in these troubled times.
P.s- My spellchecker isn't working for some reason so if I misspell anything, let me know and I'll fix it.
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