At that moment, Zhang Yong felt different. In an instant, a spectral form appeared before him, colored with glowing pink and red, taking the shape of Su Ming.
His mind felt very clear as he stared at it before him, and he understood something about himself.
Why was it that even though Zhang Yong had the will to return to life, he had only now been able to truly activate this ability?
He had established several relationships with others up to this point, but he had never truly believed in them himself.
Because if he was weak and useless, none of them would want any relationship with him
It all came down to his "talent."
If he didn't have talent, he wouldn't have been accepted in Shrek's academy, and continued with the Shrek monsters
If he didn't have talent, he wouldn't have been accepted into the Serenity Peak
Everything would have been like a dream if he didn't have talent. In the end, why would they waste their time on a useless person?
Because of that feeling, all those "relationships" that he himself did not acknowledge were not truly "relationships," and thus the process did not work. The same thing applied even to Night Raid.
He had not accepted the relationships himself, so how could they be sufficient for him to reach this stage?
He had only now begun to believe in this relationship. As for the reason why Su Ming's spirit appeared instead of someone else's up until now, it was a simple one.
Among all the relationships where Zhang Yong didn't know how to feel, out of all of them, his relationship with Su Ming was the clearest.
They were brothers, and in a way, Zhang Yong felt that unlike those relationships that occurred due to his talent, Su Ming was the most accepting. He had seen Zhang Yong in his weakness, yet he still chose to believe in him and support him as a "brother."
So yes, among everyone he had met, his relationship with Su Ming was free of any obstacles in his heart.
Zhang Yong smiled and calmly smiled as he stared at all the comrades. He turned toward them and bowed. "Thank you for every moment and every bit of help you've given me."
The illusions began to smile gently and began to merge with each other, gathering together to form "Zhang Yong."
Zhang Yong smiled upon seeing himself. "I never imagined I would see you here."
"Zhang Yong" also smiled and shook his head. "It took you a long time to be able to see yourself, didn't it?"
Zhang Yong shrugged nonchalantly. "I have no comment on that. So, what now?"
"Zhang Yong" waved his hand meaninglessly. "Oh, it's simple. Now you have to get rid of me."
Zhang Yong laughed sarcastically. "That's ridiculous. You are made of Death Qi. Getting rid of you is like saying 'get rid of death,' and that's nonsense."
"Zhang Yong" laughed heartily. "This is different. I am not made of Death Qi. I am a part of you."
Zhang Yong raised an eyebrow slightly. "That is partially true. But does that mean I have accepted myself and am getting rid of the long-standing guilt?"
However, "Zhang Yong" shook his head. "No, you have only accepted a part of yourself. The part that didn't let you accept others. You still have a long way to go to get rid of the guilt."
Zhang Yong sighed, crossing his arms. "I should have expected this. No problem is solved all at once."
"Zhang Yong" patted his shoulder. "Hey, don't be hard on yourself. Before, you were naive and foolish. But now, you can accept a part of yourself. That's a win for everyone, right?"
Zhang Yong couldn't help but stare at himself. "Yes, you arrogant, handsome one."
"Zhang Yong" smiled and patted Zhang Yong's shoulder. "At least I will say, congratulations on what you have accomplished."
With those words, "Zhang Yong" began to destabilize and pierced into Zhang Yong's body where he belonged. When Zhang Yong looked behind him, he recognized what he had been congratulated on.
Right behind him, without any conscious awareness, a massive sword had been created, seemingly capable of piercing the sky with a single strike. The sword was composed entirely of Death Qi, but not just any Death Qi – one that was particularly pure.
Zhang Yong raised the sword and made it shrink to the size of a normal sword, then began spinning it in his hand. "I have definitely achieved high proficiency. This sword, I can create it every time. I will name it 'Self-sword' A somewhat childish name, but... it deserves it."
'I have truly understood what Uni was trying to explain that day. Death Qi should not be treated like spiritual energy. If we look at it objectively, spiritual energy can be solid, and spirit stones are proof. It can be liquid, and the Qi spring is proof. And it can be gaseous, and the energy between heaven and earth is proof.
If Death Qi is not treated like spiritual energy, then Death Qi is not a substance. Death Qi.... is most likely a living existence. 'Death is alive' – these two words contradict putting them together clearly.' Zhang Yong pondered deeply.
"Well, I have achieved one of my goals. As for Su Ming's spirit... hah, its ability is cutting? Does that mean it's trying to grasp a sharp sword? That's somewhat interesting."
Zhang Yong smiled at this. Every will had its own characteristic. The best example is Huo Qiangda. Looking at the structure of the Law of Strength Path, he is so far the only pure, raw Law of Strength cultivator
The bear's spirit is characterized by the ability to slap, the turtle by defense, the dragon by striking speed, the tiger by sharp claws, and the boar is best for charging.
The shadow probes extended around Zhang Yong's body, and he began releasing them one after another.
"One, two... twenty... thirty. Yes, now, after realizing that Death Qi is a part of 'myself,' I can just..."
In an instant, his lower half seemed to completely transform into probes, and his upper half became the only human side remaining. Except for his face, where half of it was human, and the other half... was covered in darkness, and in its middle were three additional eyes.
"Yes, I am sure. Death Qi is like a living existence, or rather, I am what makes it alive."
Zhang Yong retracted his probes inward, then summoned Su Ming's spirit. He then turned his gaze toward an approaching giant soul.
He looked at Su Ming's spirit and smiled. "Want to test your power?"
Zhang Yong leaped into the air toward the giant and swung his fist hard. Quickly, Su Ming's spirit raised a single sword with Zhang Yong's arm and pierced the giant's stomach, creating a hole in its middle.
The beast howled with a sound that tore the fog, but it did not retreat – instead, its body began to regenerate.
"Not yet, you bastard," Zhang Yong smiled as the Self-sword appeared above his head. With a movement of his hand, the sword fell upon the giant and cut it into two perfectly identical halves.
The black smoke of the giant soul began to fly toward the sky, but Zhang Yong was not satisfied yet.
He raised his hand, and Death Qi gathered in his palm, forming a black sphere, and he began to compress it.
"Spiritual energy has three states: solid, liquid, and gas. Then... there is the fourth state: plasma. The best solution for that is ionization, causing the atoms of Death Qi to lose electrons under the influence of energy...."
Zhang Yong compressed the black sphere between his hands forcefully, feeling as if he were trying to crush a rock between his palms. The Death Qi began to vibrate violently, and its shape began to appear strange. The black color of the Death Qi transformed, as if a light was being generated in its middle.
As if a small black star had been born between his hands. The air around him began to waver, and the Death Qi present in the air was drawn toward the glowing sphere.
"This..." Zhang Yong whispered, his blue eyes reflecting the strange light emanating from between his fingers.
The glowing black sphere was releasing dark sparks. Each spark quickly formed into a five-pointed star shape, and the points began releasing sparks uncontrollably.
"Damn!" Zhang Yong cursed and hurled the star from his hands far away toward the giant.
The black star exploded upon impact with the giant soul, releasing a shockwave of dark light that tore the beast into scattered atoms. There was no trace left of it remaining alive.
"Ah... I think I accidentally created a Chernobyl bomb." Zhang Yong smiled sarcastically as he stared at the crater he had created.
It was ten feet deep, and this was just from randomly gathering Death Qi and trying to apply the theory of matter to it. He ended up creating something akin to a small bomb. If Zhang Yong could condense it further, the power would be immense. Even a Venerable might not survive this damage.
Up until now, Zhang Yong had never been able to defeat a Venerable in his own world. He could only play tricks or kill them in moments of weakness. When he returns, he might be the first person without any Cultivation foundation capable of defeating a Venerable. It would be a legend!
Zhang Yong smiled at this discovery, then walked calmly toward his cave and sat in the lotus position. "I cannot be satisfied with myself so easily. Now that the situation has stabilized, I will create my own Spear Intent and Bow Intent. The Intents work through the middle Dantian, so I can use them even in the main world."
He entered the cave, closed his eyes, and brought his palms together, forming a circle in front of his Dantian – or its location in the human body.
Then, a gentle wind began to surround him, and suddenly, a spear pattern appeared on his chest, precisely above the location of the middle Dantian in the body.
In an instant, he allowed the wind to carry his consciousness. Without his will, he found that he had arrived at a strange place. There were long, slender shadows resembling spears, and the number before him numbered in the millions.
Zhang Yong's consciousness moved forward. It was neither fast nor slow, but his body was being pulled between them. Approaching close enough, he could notice shadows standing atop the spears, resembling the shadows of people.
In an instant, Zhang Yong stopped and felt as if he was standing on a water surface. He smiled. He had come to this place in one of his lives – in a life of the Spear Path – and recognized the place.
Just as there was a Sea of Sword Dao, there was also a Sea of Spear Dao. Now, there was something he had to do: advance forward. The more steps Zhang Yong took, the stronger the Spear Intent he would form.
Zhang Yong smiled and began walking through the Sea of Spears. With his training of nearly twenty years on the spear, he easily surpassed the first and second levels and went directly to the third.
According to Zhang Yong's memory, in his Spear Path life, he created a sixth-level Spear Intent and pierced through the World of Spear Will. But in the end, he died defending the Heavenly Gate of the Deep Sky Palace while all the disciples fled.
Honestly, Zhang Yong in that life was an honorable man, far removed from his current self.
Perhaps in this life, there was hope of reaching ninth-level Spear Intent, or perhaps even higher.
Zhang Yong continued his walk through the Sea of Spears. Each step increased his sense of harmony with the spear energy surrounding him.
The shadows standing atop the spears began to move, as if acknowledging his presence. Some even turned toward him, their featureless eyes staring at him with curiosity.
Soon, Zhang Yong reached the fifth level. His eyes focused on the horizon, where the sea seemed endless.
Zhang Yong passed by the shadows. Upon reaching the sixth level, his rate of progress began to decline, and his steps became slower.
'Is it fated that I not surpass what I achieved in my past life? I will not accept this'
Zhang Yong stopped suddenly, his blue eyes blazing with renewed determination. "No... this time will be different," he whispered to himself, his voice carrying a confidence that hadn't been there before.
He raised his hand, and Death Qi began to flow around him, forming a long black spear in his grasp. "I have accepted myself... and that means I have accepted all my past lives, including the one I dedicated to the spear."
This spear he was holding was not a real spear, but merely a formation of his will.
"The sixth level was not my end... it was just the beginning." Zhang Yong took a steady step forward. This time, his feet did not sink into the water; rather, he seemed to be walking on its surface.
"True understanding of the spear is not in technique... but in the spirit," he said as he advanced, his eyes now closed, relying on his other senses. "The spear is an extension of will, an expression of unyielding determination."
Then, suddenly, he opened his eyes. He had arrived at a new area in the sea, where the spears here were more brilliant and powerful, made of strange materials he had never seen before.
"The seventh level..." he whispered as he stared at his current foothold. Then he took another foothold.
But suddenly, someone stopped him in front. Zhang Yong's heart leaped.
This man was a guardian, the guardian of the Sea of Spears.
The person was covered in bright light, making it difficult to see his true appearance.
He turned to look at Zhang Yong and said, "It's you again!"
Zhang Yong said cautiously, "Is it possible that the elder knows me?"
The mysterious figure was silent for a while.
Zhang Yong waited nervously.
"You... it really is you. Your past life as a Spear Master was short, and you were a precious talent. You have reincarnated again. This is something I did not expect." The figure shook his head with interest.
Zhang Yong replied, "Does the elder know me despite that?"
The figure shook his head. "Although the celestial rivers are inferior copies of the River of Fate, it is possible to know who has come here before. You have already surpassed your previous spear. You have reached the seventh level. As much as I want to allow you to continue, you will explode if you take another step."
Zhang Yong replied in confusion, "The River of Fate? Does such a thing exist? And what do you mean by this river being an inferior copy, along with the other rivers?"
The figure slapped his forehead and sighed. "Of course. Who do you think governs the destinies of the universe? Your sister? Of course, there is Fate, which controls the will of the worlds. Or, as known in your world, the 'Heavens.' Never mind. Allow this venerable one to explain the structure of fate to you, you fool."
Zhang Yong was surprised by the aggressive tone in the figure's speech. "Ahem, proceed, elder."
The figure began his explanation. "Just as a person is born, he has one true destiny, which is death. This is because he is drawn towards this fate. Even the Gods are not protected from such a fate; they can only 'delay' it. Thus, the path is not always 'from' and 'to.' There is also 'through,' 'cause,' and 'effect.' In short, these other factors are things that influence an individual's destiny. This also means that an individual's destiny is not only tied to 'himself' but also to others."
Zhang Yong held his chin, analyzing his words. "So the path is singular, but the factors along it are different, yet the end is the same. Similar to attracting a person, like a moth to a flame."
The figure nodded. "Precisely. What will happen will inevitably happen. But saying there is only one path is not exactly accurate. Just as a planet's gravity attracts objects, would you say that all objects are destined to collide with the planet?"
Zhang Yong shook his head. "No. That means escaping fate is possible!"
The figure flicked Zhang Yong's forehead hard. "Not exactly! You can 'delay' it, not escape it! Extending one's lifespan is just a method for that."
Zhang Yong held the spot. "But if I wanted to escape it, is that possible?"
The figure sighed. "You didn't understand. To escape fate, you either have to not appear in it – meaning not exist from the beginning – or get out of it. Not appearing in it is something you cannot do, since you are here before me. To get out of fate, you must have sufficient power.... In truth, there is information about people who have moved away from fate, or rather, fate hates them, but they are something that cannot be found. I haven't even met them myself. They are rare."
Zhang Yong nodded quietly. How powerful were these people for fate to hate them? "I understand. So fate is something like this. And regarding the rivers?"
The mysterious figure nodded, and his hand extended to draw a picture in the air using light. "Imagine the universe is a vast tapestry of intertwined threads. Each thread represents a life, and each knot represents a fateful event."
"The River of Fate we speak of is just one of these rivers," the figure continued, his eyes gleaming with ancient knowledge. "There are other rivers – the River of the Sword, the River of the Bow... but the River of Fate is the most influential."
"The celestial rivers I mentioned are just small branches of this great river called Fate, directed by the Dao." The figure pointed to the surrounding spears. "This place – the Sea of Spears – is one of these branches. Each spear here represents the will of a spear user throughout the ages."
Zhang Yong stared at the spears around him, swallowing this new information. "So... why do you say they are 'inferior copies'?"
The figure laughed a deep laugh. "Because they are just faint reflections of the original truth. Like looking at the moon reflected in a pond instead of looking at the moon itself in the sky."
Zhang Yong nodded his head. "So, about my Spear Intent..."
The figure raised his hand, and a small spear of energy appeared above his palm. "The Spear Intent you have formed is the Dragon Slaying Spear Intent. The marker of your understanding is: [No bending of will, wind whispers through the elm wood, a dance of iron and purpose, a foot rooted in mountains, one breath, one movement, no thought between body and steel, the spear becomes the soul, and the dragon is bound, subdued, and awaits slaughter.] Have you reached understanding?"
Zhang Yong stared at the small spear spinning above the guardian's palm. The words he had uttered rang in his ears like an ancient bell. He felt as if each segment shook something deep within his soul.
"No bending of will..." Zhang Yong whispered, his eyes closed as he recalled memories of every spear strike he had made in his past and present lives. "Wind whispers through the elm wood..."
At that moment, his eyes widened sharply. "Correct. The purpose of the three stages of the Path – Body, Heart, and Soul – were not targeting the human body, but the three Dantians! Each stage is connected to a specific Dantian. Therefore, the three stages are their awakening, and the Intent stage is bringing them all together!"
The small spear flew from the figure's hand and pierced Zhang Yong's consciousness. When he opened his eyes, he had returned to his place in Helheim.