"Realm really is everything, huh…"
Himeko couldn't help sighing.
There was nothing to argue about there. The Herrschers of the Honkai world were strong, yes—but they simply didn't live long enough.
She was in her twenties, and after receiving the artificial stigmata, she didn't have much time left.
In the Honkai world, people like her were common.
In a world ravaged by great Honkai eruptions, how long could you really expect anyone to live?
The First Herrscher, Welt—he'd probably not even reached forty when he died. Welt Yang now was likely only in his thirties or forties.
The Second Herrscher, Sirin, was a child.
The Third Herrscher, Mei, was still in high school when she awakened.
In the Honkai world, it was always the kids carrying everything on their shoulders.
What "realm" could you expect them to have?
Half of them probably didn't even know what a "realm" was.
The reason they were strong was because, in a scientific civilization, they'd seized control of the laws of science—and their roots were linked to the Cocoon of Finality.
The Cocoon of Finality, in turn, was linked to the Imaginary Tree.
The Tree-and-Sea cosmos was scientific.
A god of science was obviously going to be stronger in a scientific universe.
But Teyvat was one of the rare mystical-side worlds on the Tree-and-Sea.
A demon god under a thousand years old was considered a kid.
Alice's age was unknown. Venti was at least three thousand years old. Zhongli was over six thousand.
With lives that long, and bodies that were mystical to begin with, a realm-based system like cultivation naturally fit them perfectly.
Even if, in the larger Tree-and-Sea cosmos, demon gods weren't considered particularly powerful, well… they were still on the mystical side.
And the peak system of the mystical side—cultivation—naturally favored mystic beings.
Just like how the Tree-and-Sea cosmos itself favored science.
Demon gods who had slogged through a thousand years of effort, only to still be weaker than Sirin's one moment of sudden awakening—in a way, that wasn't exactly fair either.
Now that the top dog of the mystical side—cultivation—had arrived, it made sense to "take care" of the mystical faction for once.
The Previous Era had been the same. Their technology was on the verge of breaking out of the universe.
For technology at that level to give birth to stronger Herrschers made perfect sense.
Put more bluntly: the Tree-and-Sea universe had long favored science, so the mystical demon gods got quietly suppressed. They could only bow their heads and accept it.
Now that cultivation had emerged, science had to be the one to bow.
"Buddhism vs Daoism" being incompatible was a fake problem. But "science vs mysticism" being incompatible?
Even Jiang Yan acknowledged that.
Himeko sighed again.
When it came to scientific concepts, laws, principles—she knew a bit. She wasn't a top scientist, but she could follow the conversations.
But when it came to mystical realms…
She was utterly clueless.
"Elder Alice, do you know how to raise one's realm?" she asked.
"Of course I do. That's the core of every lecture the Sect Master gives." Alice's tone turned serious.
"The Sect Master says that cultivators cultivate the Dao. Below Da Luo, every step forward is a step on the path of seeking the Dao."
"The more you understand the Dao, the more you walk out your own Dao, the stronger you become."
"For example, I walk the Buddha-path. Lisa walks the demon-path. Furina walks the king's path."
"Keqing walks the sword-path. Ningguang and the others walk the path of spellcraft."
"And if you divide it further, there are infinitely more paths. Everything in existence is a Dao. That's why cultivation is, at its heart, the pursuit of the Dao."
"When a single path is walked to its end, and you become one with that Dao, you become a Taiyi."
"When you transcend the Dao itself, surpass everything, and gain eternal freedom, so that nothing in the myriad worlds can bind you—"
"That is Da Luo. But unfortunately, Da Luo beings are born Da Luo. No one has ever cultivated their way into Da Luo."
"Nuwa, Fuxi, the Heavenly Emperor, the Three Pure Ones, the Three Supreme Buddhas, the Great God of Taiyi…"
"These are all innate Da Luo beings, born before the Dao itself."
She waved a hand.
"Anyway, that's too far off for you. If you want to raise your realm, you have to find the Dao you want to walk—and then devote your life to exploring it without ever stopping."
Alice felt she'd already explained it pretty clearly. At least, anyone halfway competent in Teyvat would've understood.
But…
Himeko was a young woman from a tech world in her twenties. How could she possibly grasp all that in one sitting?
Seeing the bitter look on her face, Alice relented and decided to give her a simpler answer.
"Himeko, aiming too high is taboo in cultivation."
"Even in a technological civilization, talent matters. You're a genius, yes—but there are still scientists above you, right?"
"Cultivation is the same."
"Baizhu, whom you saw earlier, has a mid-grade dual spiritual root. In Teyvat, that makes him a talented cultivator."
"But Xiao has a supreme spiritual root. And I'm above even that, with a heaven-spirit root."
"And even I am not the ceiling."
"Keqing's sword-body, Shenhe's Pure Yin Body, and others like them are all top-tier Mount Shu talents."
"But above them are the three divine physiques: Klee's Crimson Emperor Heaven-Burning Body, Lumine's Glazed Sword Heart, and Paimon's Starbody."
"They were born to cultivate. Becoming immortals is just their starting line."
"And above them is the Sect Master—born with the Innate Dao Body. He's the one most likely to achieve Da Luo through cultivation."
She paused, then added:
"I checked you over roughly. You do have the aptitude to cultivate, and your talent isn't bad. That alone gets you through the door."
"The rest will be up to your own effort."
Himeko let out a quiet breath and nodded.
"I understand, Elder Alice. It's just… I'm worried about my world."
"They don't have much time left."
"That is a problem," Alice admitted, scratching her cheek.
"But it's not like there aren't ways to speed things up."
Himeko instantly perked up, looking at her with bright eyes.
"You remember where the Sect Master and Zhongli went?" Alice asked.
Himeko thought for a moment.
"The Demon-Sealing Tower?"
"Exactly."
Alice nodded.
"The Demon-Sealing Tower is a forbidden land of Mount Shu—but also a supreme training ground. One day outside equals one year inside."
"Zhongli and the Sect Master went there to pursue a chance to climb even higher."
Himeko's eyes lit up.
If she needed three thousand years to reach mid-stage Refining Qi into Spirit… in the Demon-Sealing Tower, that would be less than ten years outside.
Ten years—her world could probably hold on that long… right?
And if she could fully master the Gem of Plague, her starting point would be much higher.
Maybe she wouldn't even need a thousand years inside. Maybe just a few hundred.
Three years outside.
That suddenly sounded so much more manageable.
Just as she was about to voice her plan, Alice shook her head.
"I know what you're thinking. Forget it. Not happening."
"The Demon-Sealing Tower is a Golden Immortal-level time artifact. Stay inside too long, and the laws of time will erode your Dao-heart."
"Once your Dao-heart collapses, your cultivation is finished."
"That's why the Sect Master only allows disciples to enter three days per month."
"And the danger inside is beyond what you're imagining."
She grew more serious.
"In the Demon-Sealing Tower, beings at Refining Essence are the lowest of the low."
"The strongest demons in there are the Six Demon Emperors—at peak Unity-of-Void-and-Dao."
"If even one of them got out, the entire Tree-and-Sea cosmos would crumble in an instant."
"Every one of those monsters is a butcher of worlds."
"Even at peak Return-to-Void, the Sect Master has to be cautious inside. He can't step foot on the highest level."
"As for ordinary disciples, even the first level can be deadly. No one's planning on going in again any time soon."
"As for you, don't even think about sneaking in. Unauthorized entry to the Demon-Sealing Tower means your cultivation will be abolished and you'll be expelled from Mount Shu."
The flame of hope in Himeko's chest was snuffed out again.
For a second, she wondered if Alice was doing this on purpose—dangling hope in front of her just to smack it away.
"Don't be too discouraged," Alice added quickly, realizing she'd gone too far.
"It's just Honkai. Don't forget how protective Mount Shu is of its own. A little Honkai? Even Elder Neuvillette and the others could wipe it out."
"At worst, you could ask them for help when the time comes. I'll help you ask, even."
"Can't turn my back on someone I get along with so well, can I?"
She glanced approvingly at Himeko's flame-red hair.
Same color as her own. Even their faces had a faint similarity.
Maybe she'd taken such a liking to Himeko partly because she simply matched Alice's aesthetics.
"I can't trouble you and the others like that."
Himeko shook her head, refusing.
"This is our world's problem. Even if it's easy for you, I still want to solve it myself."
"…Alright. But if it comes to it, I can help you suppress it first."
"When you've cultivated enough, you can go back and finish it personally."
This time, Himeko didn't refuse.
"Right! There is another option."
Alice suddenly clapped her hands and pointed back toward Mount Shu.
"In a while, we'll be holding the Nine Nether Mystical Realm expedition."
"Nine Nether is a resource-rich cultivation world. If you can gain something there, you can exchange it in the Hall of Merits for all kinds of good stuff."
"Pills to boost your realm. Powerful magic treasures."
"If you have enough contribution points, you can even post commissions for others to help you with your problems."
"If you put up enough points, people will be lining up to help you deal with the Honkai. That's just a fair trade, right?"
"But Nine Nether is very dangerous. The Seven Nether Kings rule it, and they hate Mount Shu disciples with a passion."
"Each of the Seven Kings is at peak Refining Qi into Spirit. They each command their own faction of demons, with many Refining Qi and Refining Essence followers under them."
"Zhongli's senior brother died at the hands of one of them—Azure-Wind Ox."
"He's going to Nine Nether this time specifically to settle the score. That's why he risked the Demon-Sealing Tower for a breakthrough."
Himeko was tempted.
If she could rack up enough contribution points and buy help, that wouldn't really be "trouble"—it'd be business. That, she could accept.
"Elder Alice, if I manage to enter Mount Shu before the Nine Nether expedition… can I go too?"
"You can," Alice said slowly. "But…"
"Nine Nether is too dangerous. The last time I went with Venti and Zhongli, we all came back gravely wounded."
"If we hadn't gotten lucky and shaken off the Seven Kings, we'd probably be dead."
"You'd only have just started cultivating then. You wouldn't even understand your own abilities yet."
"Charging into Nine Nether right away…"
"I'd suggest you wait it out. We can go once a week. You'll have plenty of chances in the future."
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