READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 11: The Awakening: Subtle Awakening ( II ).
Chapter 11.
The Awakening: Subtle Awakening (II).
Contrasting starry expanse~
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Xi Tong took her time attuning herself to the battle and harmony of the auras surrounding her, striving to unravel their mysteries.
~Four Hours Later
After four hours of deep concentration, she had made some progress, yet it felt like an incomplete puzzle. Something essential eluded her, a missing piece that would bring clarity and understanding to the chaotic interplay of energies, a piece the completed the puzzle and would make everything click.
"What could I be missing?" Xi Tong murmured to herself. "These two laws exist at opposite ends of the spectrum. How do they correlate? What is this strange harmony between them? It's even affecting my soul subtly, as if it's being stirred somehow by the origin dao laws..."
Unknown Space within the Sky Reaching Pagoda~
In a hidden corner of the Sky Reaching Pagoda, a peculiar youth observed Lu Xi Tong with an amused expression. He lounged on a dilapidated stone chair, sipping an unknown blood-red liquid from a strangely transparent wooden cup.
As he listened to Xi Tong's musings, one particular sentence caught his attention, transforming his amusement into a self-satisfied smile. "It seems my efforts are bearing fruit. I didn't tamper with her trial in vain. Let's wait a little longer and see if those peculiar dual souls awaken."
~Moments Later
However, as time passed, the youth's expression darkened. His earlier confidence began to wane as he noticed that Lu Xi Tong was still lost in her thoughts, muttering to herself without any sign of progress.
"Does this young lass only know how to spout empty words? How could she be so negligent of her own soul?" In a fit of anger, the strange youth crushed the transparent wooden cup in his hands, spilling its bloody contents onto the floor.
"What a waste," he muttered, eyeing the mess he had created. He licked his lips, staining them with the crimson hue of the liquid he had just consumed.
Meanwhile, in the Contrasting Starry Space~
Unaware of the innocent cup that had met an unwarranted demise , Lu Xi Tong continued her soliloquy, lost in her thoughts. This went on for nearly half an incense stick's worth of time more until a spark of realization ignited in her eyes, as if a light bulb had illuminated her mind.
A crucial clue had emerged: "through the jade board in each starry space." Wasting no time, she set her course for the starry space of light.
Upon arrival, she dove in without a second thought, only to be engulfed by an overwhelming brightness. The starry space was so radiant that she could see nothing but blinding light, even when she closed her eyes and shielded her face.
Instinctively, she dashed back out, but her vision did not return for what felt like an eternity. After what seemed like an incense stick's worth of time, she finally regained her sight. Determined, Xi Tong resolved to memorize the location of the black jade board within the dazzling starry space before attempting again.
This time, she succeeded, but her vision took even longer to return. For a moment, she feared she had gone completely blind, but apparently it was a false alarm.
Drawing from her experience in the starry space of light, Lu Xi Tong anticipated that she would likely be unable to see even her hands in the starry space of vast darkness. Thus, she also committed the location of the white jade board within that dark expanse to memory. Fortunately, her second attempt was successful.
With both jade boards now in her possession, she examined them closely. They appeared utterly ordinary, save for the glowing inscriptions etched upon their surfaces. She scrutinized every detail of both boards, but to no avail.
Then, suddenly, an epiphany struck her. This trial was indeed a tricky one; had the realization not come to her, she would have surely failed. The information in her mind urged her to derive enlightenment from the two jade boards in their contrasting starry spaces. It meant just that—but not in the literal sense.
Fortunately, Lu Xi Tong had gained a significant insight from the pressure of both the origin Dao laws and the space that separated the two starry realms. Suddenly, what had felt elusive clicked into place, like the final piece of a puzzle that brought the entire picture into sharp focus. The inscriptions on the jade boards served as the final key to her understanding.
Closing her eyes, she settled into a lotus position, forming a triangle with her index fingers and tumb, placed against her upper dantian.
"Light and darkness exist at opposite ends of the spectrum. In total light, nothing can be seen; the same holds true for total darkness. The crucial point lies in the space where light and darkness converge in harmony. Only in harmony can life continue to exist; imbalance is, paradoxically, the grandest form of balance..."
As these thoughts flooded Lu Xi Tong's mind, she felt herself elevated, as if her soul were transcending the confines of the material world. It was a peak experience of euphoria.
**THE EUPHORIA STATE**
After remaining in this state for a while, she sensed a tug at her soul—a restriction that had held her back since her illness was on the verge of being shattered. A powerful pulse emanated from her soul, as two opposing forces synchronized, creating a resonant pulse that radiated outward with Lu Xi Tong at its center.
Suddenly, her eyes flew open, and two resplendent lights burst forth, illuminating her gaze with contrasting brilliance: one a pure white light, the other pitch-black.
*Pulse*
With each surge of light came a wave of energy that coursed through the unique space within the tapestry, growing stronger with each and every pulse. The pulse became visibly apparent throughout the world within the tapestry, echoing the dual lights in her eyes.
*Rumble*
The Sky Reaching Pagoda trembled violently, its imminent collapse seeming increasingly inevitable as the pulse intensified. It was Lu Xi Tong's turn to exert pressure on this world.
As if drawn to the pulsing energy, both origin Dao laws responded by releasing even more pressure, swirling around her before merging into her very being.
*Boom!*
A massive pulse erupted, akin to a dam overflooding and suddenly crumbling, sending a portion of the mountain ranges within the unique space of the tapestry tumbling down into heaps of rubble. But the chaos didn't stop there.
Endless Catacombs~
Primordial Hall~
In a hall themed in a stark black and white, the mysterious entity who had descended into this world alongside Lu Xi Tong suddenly sprang to his feet from a meditative position, looking in the direction of the tapestry on the wall. A flicker of dread and panic crossing his face. He felt the seal he had placed on Lu Xi Tong tug violently, becoming increasingly unstable. At this rate, it would likely collapse within a matter of moments.
Without a moment hesitation, he waved his sleeves, unfurling a scroll that released a ghostly green gas, thick with the wails of ghastly looking evil nether spirits. Their screams echoed through the hall, a cacophony that grated on the ears.
Quickly forming a series of hand seals, the scroll ignited in ghastly blue flames that paradoxically froze the space around it. The hall was swiftly encased in a world of ice, creeping along the walls and floors like a relentless frost.
Sensing the sudden shift in their environment, Yang Chen and Yin Yu turned to the enigmatic entity, their eyes reflecting a mix of reverence and fear.
*Ahhhhhhhhhh!*
Just as they were about to speak, a terrifying screech erupted from the green gas, reminiscent of a banshee's wail. This was followed by a surging pulse from the tapestry, causing numerous mountains within it to collapse even more, crumbling into piles of rubble.
Shock and fear surged within Yang Chen and Yin Yu as they turned to the enigmatic entity, demanding, "What are you doing? You're going to destroy the world within the tapestry!" Yin Yu shrieked, unable to fathom how this could be connected to Lu Xi Tong, who was still trapped inside.
"Ignorant, less talking and more helping," the enigmatic entity snapped, a determined glint in his eyes. He extended a hand toward Yang Chen and Yin Yu, restraining them and rendering them immobile while siphoning their energies without a hint of courtesy. It was clear he had no intention of revealing the truth of the situation.
"What are you doing?" Yang Chen's eyes blazed with fury, a tempest of anger that resembled a berserk demon.
"Quiet! I only need a bit of your strength. Your bloodlines make it easier to bypass the laws and restrictions within the tapestry. You'd better cooperate, or if anything goes wrong, I will end you." The enigmatic entity's aura radiated a chilling killing intent.
Reluctantly, Yang Chen and Yin Yu exchanged a forlorn glance, knowing they had no choice but to comply.
Unknown Corner Within the Tapestry~
The strange youth was filled with regret. He had intentionally set events in motion to stimulate her soul, but now everything had spiraled out of control. While he taught he had successfully awakened Lu Xi Tong's soul, it was clear that this awakening could lead to disaster.
"I have no choice but to make this decision. I can't let her destroy this world, no matter the cost." A fiendish glint sparked in the depths of his eyes.
Contrasting Starry Space~
Lu Xi Tong remained in a state of euphoria, a divine halo having sprouted around her at some unknown moment. Subtle black horns and feathers flickered in and out of existence on her form. She seemed to be on the brink of a crucial awakening when a ghostly green hand, reaching across the fabric of time and space, extended toward her, placing a golden Buddha seal on her solar plexus.
As the golden seal made contact, green veins erupted like flowing vines, desperately attempting to restrain her soul but meeting fierce resistance. The starry expanse around her transformed into a vast reservoir of energy, granting her soul endless strength to counteract the encroaching force.
Trapped in a dreadlock, the space around her warped violently, severing Lu Xi Tong's connection to her surroundings. In an instant, she vanished into thin air, only to reappear elsewhere.
The Tenth Floor Of The Sky Reaching Pagoda~
This was the tenth floor of the Sky Reaching Pagoda, a realm never before seen or achieved by anyone in history.
Upon her arrival, Lu Xi Tong spat out a mysterious black-and-white liquid before collapsing, her eyes wide open as she lost consciousness.