There was a small clearing in the middle of a forest of enormous redwoods, their long branches and leaves rustling in the wind while their trunks stood still. An even larger redwood stood in the middle of the clearing, accommodating a small treehouse in a beige colour. At the foot of the trunk, sat Valerio. His eyes closed and attention primed towards his body. He'd spent the last few minutes evaluating the state of his body and it was quite clear, he was firmly in Tier 1 in the First Plane. Though he was at a much lower cultivation plane, his strength had only increased. The easiest way to describe it would be that his cultivation of 1st Tier 2nd Plane had been compressed into a cultivation of 1st Tier 1st Plane, the amount of energy in his body was the exact same as before.
Valerio had a reasonable hypothesis as to what had happened. He'd awakened Untainted Void first, one of the foundational nodes in his family. His dad had summarised its abilities as purifying Lu in the process of absorption. So how come his nodes had purified… everything? No matter where he looked, it was simply better. His soul sea had expanded just on the virtue that his Spiritual Lu was more refined, his body had rid itself of impurities and his Lu, it was absurdly pure.
Circulating the Lu refined by his nodes felt as if he was floating on clouds. The only conclusion that he would have reached was a mutation. Somewhere something in his body had caused a mutation to occur in the formation of his nodes.
What Valerio didn't know was that the first voidborn, his ancestor, was born with Voidwoven" as well, and as such his nodes had been created to fit its properties. The purpose of "Untainted Void" had never been to refine Lu during absorption, it was to purify everything. Untinated Void could single handedly allow a cultivator to build the firmest of foundation due to the fact that progressing with this node was only possible when everything was refined to its absolute limit, and in the correct circumstances, beyond. For the first time in millions of years, Untainted Voids's full potential had been unleashed.
Valerio sat beneath the shade of the redwood, unaware of the synergy between his physique and nodes, trying to distil and pry apart the secrets they held.
From Valerio's experimenting, the node could purify his soul, sea, body and Lu. It worked passively but it was quite slow and he could direct its focus on specific areas. He tried focusing them on his Lu, and it was incredible. Valerio had never felt a Lu this pure, even back in Luminara it hadn't been this magical. Maybe it was a higher tiered Lu he hadn't seen or a function of his nodes, he simply had no way to confirm.
Out of nowhere, a loud bang echoed throughout the forest, causing Valerio's head to snap towards the direction of the noise. Yet all he saw was a small ball, lying in an even smaller hole, as if the kinetic energy that had leaked wasn't enough for the ball to penetrate the ground further…
Valerio's brows furrowed as he hoisted himself up and walked over to the ball, glancing left and right. Valerio spread his Spiritual Lu in an attempt to envelop it, trying to put it in his void ring without touching it. Alas no matter what he did, his Spiritual Lu would disperse as soon it touched the small crystalline ball.
"Ah screw it."
Valerio bent down and picked up the small orb, triggering a mesmerising transformation. The crystalline surface of the ball turned translucent before disintegrating into particles of light, slowly floating towards his head. Valerio stumbled backwards, waving his hands at an attempt to swat the shimmering sparks out of the way, alas, his hands passed straight through them.
Valerio felt a burst of information enter his mind, forming two kernels of understanding, their names? "Vanishing Blade" and "Void Haven".
***
[Vanishing Blade]
To any who stumbles upon this technique, know this: even as my descendant, your chances of mastering it are laughable. Should you miraculously reach its pinnacle, remember your roots, I might deign to acknowledge your existence from beyond the grave. If you're read so far, your confidence is amusing, but attempting [Vanishing Blade], will likely be just that, an attempt. If you lack an affinity to the void, cast this book aside now.
If you've made it this far, perhaps you possess a sliver of determination. You may practise this technique alongside any other, my blade is not so rigid. However, I'd advise against it, for you will not find a better technique. While I might suggest a method involving domains, it's of no difference—unless, of course, you're a fool. The quintessence of the technique lies in your own integration with the void, your ability to "become one" with and embody it. All else is a variation of this principle.
I offer you this: my indifferent wish for your luck.
***
'What a prick.'
Setting his emotions aside for now, Valerio focused on [Void Haven].
***
[Void Haven]
[Severance][Void Tempering] [Reality][Devourer's Pocket]
***
'4 techniques in one?'
***
[Severance]
Nothing is as straightforward as it appears. Everything possesses layers of harmony, balance, and duality. Even your Lu. Dissect your Lu into its fundamental characteristics, for you must wield control over your Lu, not be subjugated by it.
[Void Tempering]
What superior method exists for cultivating the body than harnessing the void itself? Employ [Severance] on your Void Lu, isolating the devouring aspect of the void. Reduce the Void Lu to particles no larger than a molecule, and disperse them throughout your body. Allow the Void Lu to devour as much of your body as it can with the energy of a molecule, rest, let the body repair itself; repeat.
[Reality]
Anchor yourself in Reality; break free from the confines of mimicry.
The void permeates all of existence, maintaining the delicate balance of the cosmos. Those who achieve mimicry can ascend to formidable heights, even approaching divinity—but only through imitation. Constructing your inner world demands unbreakable tethers and an indomitable will. And for what? A mere facsimile of our realms? Absurd. [Reality] introduces the missing element in many inner worlds: the void. By creating an inner realm and merging it with Reality, the true potential of the path of cultivation is unlocked.
[Devourer's Pocket]
The void beckons to you; summon it in return.
Small droplets fell from Valerio's face, their noise cancelled by the winds and rustling. Yet that didn't seem to bother Valerio, a subtle smile forming on his teary face. The contrast between the tears and his smile perfectly painted the image of a hurt young man, who had regained some hope. Who else would have sent him all of these techniques? Who else could pierce through spacetime and send a small ball across galaxies but his father?
'Thank you dad.' the words resounded in his head, knowing he wouldn't be able to say them outloud without losing his composure.