"The upside is that, you would be having not only sentient nascent souls, but self-conscious ones too. which would really improve your chances drastically in battle…" The great elder then gave added the figurative carrot.

"Can you imagine what it would be like, if you don't even need to comprehend or use your Dao in battle?" Little Wu asked when the realization exploded within Min Hong's head like an atomic bomb…

​​

"For example, imagine if you actually find the nihility flame and fully solidify your flame nascent soul, and then you merge your black-robed personality into the flame nascent soul…"

"Should that happen, your blacked robed can keep comprehending the Flame Dao whilst you are sleeping or busy groping others…"

Little Wu explained as Min Hong's eyebrows twitched intensely at the realization that the black-robed Him had actually come broadcast his accidental encounter with Lang Su to the Little Wu duo.

"This means that, you can be in battle and concentrate fully on using your [Imperial Willow Fists], whilst the black-robed you completely focuses on using the 'Parry Path' ability of your 'Eye of Infinite Dao' simultaneously in perfect sync and without any complications…"

Little Wu added as Min Hong came to realize that all his alter egos possessed a massive chasm full of advantageous capabilities to him, and little disadvantages, if he could just find a way for all of them to get along.

"Alright, since that is already out of the way, let's get down to your cultivation…" Little Wu glanced over at Min Hong…

"Yeah, about that… I have gotten to the Peak of the Emperor stage but I have yet to find a suitable beast core for my first beast ring…" Min Hong voiced his next target in cultivation…

"There are two ways that can be solved; first, you challenge the fifth floor of the 'Pagoda of Ascension and check if a suitable beast core is present in the rewards given…" the great elder predicted…

"Then if you can't find a suitable beast core, you would have to go and hunt for one…" He added…

"Alright… that's still doable…" Min Hong sighed in relief as he remembered that he actually had everything he needed for cultivation within the 'Realm of Creations'…

"I guess this was the major reason why I was so happy to see you guys… No matter how big my worries are, you always find a way to lessen the burden on my shoulders…"

Min Hong spoke as Little Wu waved his sleeves causing a glow of light to surround them as they vanished like the display of an old TV set during power failure…

"You can also do that now?" Min Hong asked Little Wu, the moment they appeared in their usual spot, which was just at the edge of the 'Pagoda of Ascension'…

Knowing that he was referring to his ability to teleport them without facing any resistance from the 'Realm of Creations', Little Wu nodded;

"Apparently, you are the owner of this entire place now. So, asides from some place that are still restricted from you due to your cultivation, every other part of it is under your dominion…" Little Wu answered…

"So, as long as it is not against your will for me to do so, then I would face no resistance from this place…" He added.

"That is true… I bet you must have seen or heard of a Kingdom or Empire where no one except some selected few is permitted of flight, right?" The great elder asked.

"Yup, the sect I am currently within doesn't permit flight to basically anyone under the mid-level of the Nascent Soul Stage." Min Hong replied.

"Then, I guess you can say the same about yourself and this 'Realm of Creations'… You can also restrict flying in every part of this place, if you wish to…" the great elder added.

Then eager to test his theory, Min Hong looked to the sky and saw one little dove bird the size of an calf –( yeah, with respect to the sizes of the beasts in this world, it was little in comparison )– so, Min Hong willed to restrict it from flying within a thousand mile radius of where he was…

But the only thing that fell from the sky was the bird's poop as it cooed in a ridiculing laughter at Min Hong which caused both the great elder and Little Wu to burst out in another hearty laughter…

Min Hong who scrunched up his brows because of the messy situation he just found himself, before turning over to Little Wu and asking;

"You planned this!" He knew very well that the great elder would definitely not plan such a thing, so it would definitely be the works of the mischievous Little Wu.

"We knew you would think it is that simple, so we thought we might as well see you make fun of yourself." Little Wu responded with a satisfied grin plastered on his lips…

"So, why didn't it work?" Min Hong who had been on the receiving end of all the jokes since he came here was so expressionless that he began to think that these duo might be truly unreliable…

"Firstly, your battle power is not strong enough… the only set of people that such a law would work on are those weaker than you either in the terms of Dao, cultivation or both…"

"That bird you were trying to restrict has a cultivation base power of a 6 Star Nascent Soul stage expert."

"But luckily for you, they are very friendly in nature, so it didn't retaliate."

The great elder explained the situation to Min Hong who wasn't in anyway pleased by the explanation he was given as he scrunched his brows at the Little Wu duo.

Especially the great elder's last statement earlier which made Min Hong retort; "What do you mean by 'luckily for me'?"

"Were you planning to let me face that bird on my own, after you didn't clearly explain how it works to me completely…?"

Min Hong snapped grumpily at the Little Wu duo as they laughed at him before the great elder added extra salt to his wound;

"You should learn to see the hidden questions within every answer… That is the way scholars think and it has helped me a greatly up till this point in my life…"

The great elder schooled Min Hong whose was stunned speechless at the great elder's statement…

"Does that mean the great elder was a scholar back when he was alive?"

"That would truly explain why he has been chosen to serve as the butler of the entire 'Realm of Creations'…"

"After all, an ordinary cultivator with massive cultivation base power couldn't be in charge of such enormous amounts of cultivation resources right?"

Min Hong thought to himself as his views about the great elder surged to new heights;

"That must be the major reason why Little Wu took him as a teacher and why Little Lin would always flock around him."

Min Hong realized that even his brief exposure to the man had opened the most logical parts of his brain which enabled him to have these reoccurring thoughts…

"I shall not allow such a beehive of knowledge go to waste…" Min Hong thought as he glanced over at the great elder and asked;

"If I happen to have the chance to pick a beast core on the fifth level, which beast should I go for?"

Little Wu and the great elder nodded in ascent when they heard Min Hong's question;

"Since it would be your first and also the foundation upon which the rest of the cores you absorb will be on, I will allow you pick this with your own discretion…" the great elder responded…

"But you can be rest assured that we will help you develop whatever you choose, to its greatest potential…" he added…

"But do you have any advice on making such decisions??" Min Hong wasn't willing to leave empty-handed.

"Yeah, just look at your battle prowess in terms of attack, defense, movement, speed, presence and so on, then check for whichever is still weak but very important… Then go for it!" the great elder lectured.

Min Hong then nodded his head in apprehension as he turned towards the 'Pagoda of Ascension' and began to walk without even looking back at the duo…

In fact, when he stepped under the 4 Star Nascent Soul stage pressure which slammed into every part of his cultivation base power which was now equivalent to that of a 3 Star Nascent Soul expert, Min Hong didn't even flinch as he approached the pagoda in thought…

"I think we hurt his feelings…"

The great elder spoke when he saw the way Min Hong was storming off unhappily towards the pagoda even after the immense pressure the pagoda was weighing down on him…

"Yes we did, but it only served as a means of motivation for him…" Little Wu said…

"He might not know it, but there is something about his personality… though, he is not as smart as his black-robed version, he somehow finds a way to turn all his experience into a positive source of motivation…" He added…

"So, that is why you told me to help you do this…" The great elder nodded in satisfaction when he heard Little Wu's plan of messing with Min Hong that way...

Meanwhile…

The person of focus, Min Hong was still stomping his way to the 'Pagoda of Ascension' in thought and walked up to the first floor portal and entered it…

It was only when Min Hong appeared on the other side that he realized that he had just opened the massive gates of the 'Pagoda of Ascension' without using any strength at all.

Moreover, the way he opened the gate was just the same way he opened the door of his apartment in District 21.

"So he actually discovered it, unh…"

The great elder put his hands under his chin in thought as he saw the truth in Little Wu's manner of teaching Min Hong…

"I told you he would believe more in himself if he realized it than if we had just told him…"

Little Wu looked at the direction of the pagoda as he gave an intelligent smile…

"So, that is how it works unh?"

Min Hong thought to himself as he strolled over to the portal leading to the second floor of the 'pagoda of Ascension'…

"I own the 'Realm of Creations' now, so I shouldn't be stressing it if I wish to enter any part of it…"

Then Min Hong came out on the second floor and thought with his mind that the portal of the third stage come to him, and just like that, an energy wrapped around him as he vanished from the second floor and appeared in front of the portal of the third floor.

"It is just as I had expected…" He said to himself as he pushed every thought to the back of his head and stepped into the portal…

Then the moment he reappeared within the third level, he sent his mental and soul sense rippling out in every direction like a shockwave as the physical and spiritual dimension of this floor was reflected in his mind…

In the physical aspect of this dimension, there was nothing much to note other than the active volcano about a thousand meters from Min Hong's current position.

But in the spiritual dimension, Min Hong saw that the larva from the volcano spread out to cover a ten thousand meter radius from its source…

Furthermore, within these lavas were some skeleton shaped beings which were crawling upwards into the physical dimension and there were millions upon millions of them.

Then Min Hong saw a blue light streak down from the sky and landed right at the center of the volcano and then he instantly realized what this stage was going to be like…

Apparently, he would most likely need to fight through these massive swarm of weapon-wielding skeleton army and reach the point of that blue light.

Min Hong then pulled out his 'Soul Slayer blades' as he looked at the one thousand meters of skeleton army he would have to battle his way through…

Then he released his full body cultivation base as all the skeleton crawling out of the lava turned their gaze towards his position…

Then the moment took his next step, they all began to swarm towards his direction as Min Hong fleeted through the air like a ghost and began to blink here and there beheading or splitting any skeleton trying to obstruct him.

Min Hong used his 'Dao Realm' [Song of the Wind Spirit] sword art as he added the 'Dao Realm' [Chaotic Shadow steps] causing him to tear a clean path through the incoming swarm of weapon-wielding skeletal army.

From behind, all one could see was several parts of the human skeletal system flying all over the place as well as the cringing sound of snapping bones followed by the unfortunate and miserable screeches of these skeletal beings which not only had their bodies destroyed but also their souls due to the innate ability of the 'Soul Slayer Blade'…

But from high up above, one could only see a white dot which was tearing a clean zigzag-like path through a sea of what appears to be black skulls…

After using about five minutes to clear and cover half the distance to his destination, Min Hong began to notice that it was becoming harder and harder for him to proceed at his previous speed.

The skeleton which he had previously used only one strike to destroy were now still standing even after striking them twice…

Then the realization of the true difficulty of the test hit him like an escaping stolen vehicle…

"The closer I get to the end, the stronger they become…" Min Hong cringed anxiously at the thought…