Chapter 387: Nihility

Chapter 387: Nihility

Something inside Jack stirred. Some nascent understanding raised its head, too weak to take shape but still present. His mind returned to the cubes lines almost by itself as if drawn to their mysteries.

He followed one line, then another. He branched out. He let his mind wander freely, not sticking to one line but changing at every intersection. He was no longer following; he was swimming. And as his mind curved around the cube, guided by all these lines, Jack felt as if hed grasped onto a heavenly secret.

These lines he followed seemed random, but they were not. By sticking to them, his mind moved to a certain rhythm, as if tracing an invisible path that shouldnt be part of the world. As if he was interacting with something that wasnt there. These revolutions he carried out contained profound secrets, things he could just barely glimpse at. Thoughts were born inside his mind, spawning out of thin air. They were not his. Not exactly.

By tracing the lines of the cube, he made his brain follow very specific patterns which activated areas he was unaware of and formed novel connections. It felt like hacking his own brain. These connections made no sense, they were sounds and colors, but they strung chords inside Jack that made him melancholic. His emotions acted up. And suddenly, through all these puzzling emotions and sensations rose a deep, intimate understanding of death.

He didnt know how this was happening. He barely knew what was happening. Yet, through tracing these lines and trying to understand them, an awareness of Death slowly appeared in his mind.

Jack was stunned. His focus wavered for just a moment, and all the intricate meanings of the lines evaporated at once, becoming nothing but carvings on a stone.

Life and Death are one, he whispered. They are a cycle. One rises, one falls, and both connect to the same spot. They will always connect. Death is just the inevitable conclusion. What starts must finish. What rises must fall.

His eyes widened in realization. This wasDeath?

Through meditating on this cube, Jack had directly comprehended the essence of Death. It was an infinitely small part, but it remained something that had been planted into his mind. Throughout his cultivation so far, everyone said that true understanding could only be achieved, not received.

Yet, now, this little dark cube had come dangerously close to directly carving its knowledge inside Jacks mind.

It was almost terrifyingand, at the same time, fantastical.

Just what is this thing? Jack asked himself, looking at the shape between his hands. How could anyone make this? Is it even possible?

This item was extremely mystical. Jack didnt even know the right questions to ask, let alone the answers. Could Elder Boatmans achievements in the Dao of Death originate from this little cube?

Every high-level cultivator had their own lucky chances. The higher one went, the more world-shaking the lucky chances theyd discovered in their youths. This cube might have been the cause of Elder Boatman reaching the A-Gradeor it could have been something he created.

In any case, it was an extremely precious item. Only now did he understand why Elder Boatman had to leave a wisp of his aura with the cube, and why he would directly come to retrieve it the moment Jack died.

Jacks chest swelled with gratitude.

Thank you, master! he cried out inwardly. And it wasnt even the only gift hed received.

The new insights hed just gained were a bit too base. They were closest to the essence of Death, which made them hard to wield in battle. Jack had to view them through the lens of his own Dao and slowly experiment until he discovered practical applicationsand there was no guarantee his method would be optimal.

However, Elder Boatman had anticipated this, and he had directly given Jack his own insights. Jack was too excited to think anymore. He dove into his mind, reaching that ball of knowledge and sinking into it. His world fell away. He saw an endless river of darkness floating alongside the stars, filled with ghosts and ethereal bodies. Some were crying; others were laughing, and most seemed indifferent or even sleeping.

A man sat in the middle of that river, letting the dark waters wash over him. He had pale, wrinkled skin and red eyes. As his mouth opened and closed in an unknown incantation, Jack saw sharp fangs protrude from his lips.

Elder Boatman is a vampire?

But that wasnt important. Vampires were just one of the many species in the universe. Suddenly, Elder Boatman stood. His eyes locked onto a distant meteor passing over the river. He raised one finger, and the dark waters flowed around it, forming a little ball of death.

Nihility, Boatman whispered. He flung the dark ball away, which reached the meteor in an instant. There was no explosion, no impact. Instead, the meteor dissipated. Endless years passed it by. Its form cracked and splintered, becoming a hail of stones which experienced their own death, slowly turning into tiny particles that were no longer visible.

A few minutes later, a mountain entered their sight. It was shaped as a wide pyramid, with smoke rising from its peak. The jungle stopped a dozen miles away from this mountain, giving way to a blackened, burnt expanse that harbored no life.

This was an active volcano.

Jack expected to see some massive dragon roaring in the air, but there was no such thing. The area was eerily emptyyet, he could sense great energy fluctuations in the sky, as if a massive battle had recently taken place here.

They approached more. Soon, they could make out an assortment of individuals standing in the sky fifty miles away from the volcano. They were a group of C-Grade Hand of God cultivators, including their leader, Arkenstal. However, he seemed hurt; blood oozed from under his ribs, one of his arms hung broken, his wizard robes were torn and charred, and an entire half of his body was scorched black. It was a miracle he was still alive.

Jack and Brock didnt approach too much. After all, these were Hand of God cultivators. Soon, however, more people arrived in the distance. Everyone in the wider area had heard the massive roar, and they all rushed here to take a look. Of course, not all cultivators of the expedition were close enough, but Jack saw Min Ling, Baron Longform. He and Brock joined their group as everyone gathered together.

This place was close to the core area. Those who dared adventure here were all the strongest individuals of the expedition; besides himself, Brock, and Min Ling, Jack only saw a few eight-fruits. Most of the people present were nine-fruit cultivators.

Before long, a group of seventeen had gathered.

What happened, Arkenstal? Min Ling asked as everyone converged together.

Arkenstals angular face was cold. The more people who divided a lucky chance, the less each of them would getbut there was no helping it anymore. Not only had the roar summoned everyone, but even if it hadnt, he did not possess the strength to get this lucky chance by himself.

There is a massive treasure trove inside that mountain, he said. However, it is guarded by a B-Grade dragon.

Everyone was shaken, but they had expected it. Arkenstal was not a normal nine-fruitonly a B-Grade creature could injure him so heavily.

How powerful is it? Min Ling asked.

Not overwhelmingly so. It is only at the early B-Grade. I managed to escape with my life, so Im confident we could take it if we all teamed up.

Min Ling considered it for a second. As the leader of the Church C-Grades, she had to weigh her words very carefully. It did not chase you. If it is reluctant to leave the volcano, there must be something it is afraid of having stolen.

My thoughts exactly, Arkenstal replied. This must be one of, if not the greatest lucky chance outside the core areas. I believe we should all work together to claim it, then divide it in accordance with everyones contribution.

His words were carefully chosen. Not to mention his great personal strength, but discovering this place could also be considered a contribution. He wanted the lions share of the treasure.

As for his injuries, they would go away given a bit of time.

Min Ling silently calculated their odds. Everyone looked at her, waiting for her response. If she judged that the danger was too high, then the Hand of God cultivators by themselves probably couldnt get the treasure, so they would be forced to give upor take a massive risk.

However, no cultivator could reach this level without being prone to throwing their life away.

Okay, Min Ling replied. However, the benefits should be equally divided between our two factions. After that, each faction can assign them to its cultivators based on their contributions.

Deal, Arkenstal quickly agreed. This was also reasonable. Since both factions needed the other to get the treasure, it should be equally divided. As for the contribution-based assignment later, it guaranteed that the higher level people would get more benefitsand encouraged everyone to actually help instead of pretending to assist but staying on the sidelines to avoid any danger.

Jack and Brock also liked this arrangement. They had come here to look for lucky chances, and so far, the only decent thing theyd found were the tree dragon fruits. If Min Ling told the Church forces to withdraw, it would be unsatisfying.

The only problem here was that Jacks enemy, Baron Longform, was present. He would need to watch his backand so would Baron.