Dao and the Quest for Immortality

The sun has just risen above a certain hill and the morning rays illuminated the goblets of waters that accumulated on the leaves of succulent trees and the grasses below it. Like the twinkling stars, the golden droplets will soon fade away as a bright day comes.

For a health enthusiast, what is more enjoyable than an exercise on a road along those trees? It could have been a perfect spot for a morning jog but unfortunately, the road is restricted as it leads to the office of the president of Grizzly School and Clay passed by it moments ago and is now sitting in an office where he had been received.

“It’s such a grand position and I don’t understand why you’d rather become a maintenance worker.” An elderly Elven sipped her tea as she looked through the window while enjoying the cold breeze. Not far from her is a small round table where Clay is seated at and at the door is currently a middle-aged Elven who is currently the Dean of the school.

“I don’t have a degree in teaching let alone knowledge about mech and battle suit operations or modern fighting and I’d rather find a job outside but due to current circumstances, I must join this academy but if possible, I hope Elder will give me the most menial there is.” Clay courteously responded as he emphasized on “current circumstances”.

When he arrived this morning, he was forced to release a portion of his cultivation. He still doesn’t like the idea of displaying his power as the people around him becomes obnoxiously respectful but to avoid being questioned especially the guards earlier, he had no option but to reveal his cultivation. He wanted to reveal a tidbit of his Dao but he has yet to see someone in the school who can manifest the mysterious power.

“Suppose that can be arranged. You can pick whichever job is to your liking however I only ask that this friend will find time and see if there is any student worth his efforts.”

“I don’t know how to thank this Elder and I won’t be polite and accept your arrangements.” Clay was delighted upon hearing the president’s reply.

“You don’t have to thank me and you may come back tomorrow and start. I’ll have someone assist you by then.” The old Elven turned around to face Clay. Similar to Binur, she has crimson eyes and those wrinkles on her face were easily hidden by her aura as an early Nascent.

Clay stood up and bowed and saluted with respect. “This junior will see himself out.”

When Clay turned around to leave, he suddenly remembered why was he being suspected. He stopped his tracks and asked, “I wonder if this Elder has heard about Sleepers?”

There was a brief pause then the president took out a tiny silver ball from her spatial ring. After injecting her Qi on it, the outer layer of the ball turned into wings making it look like a beetle.

“There is a special library at the foot of this mountain. Follow this insect and it will lead you to it. I believe it is better if you ask a Doll. This insect will be your access badge for now.”

“Thank you again for your kindness.”

Clay stepped outside as he followed the metallic insect.

After a few moments, the Dean can no longer keep his curiosity.

“Aren’t we at least going to test him?”

The president turned towards the window again and sipped her tea.

“You can question everything but never the badge given by Central. It is indeed suspicious that we were not notified but verification is not part of our job. Our job is to grant the holder’s request and make a report.”

“Isn’t it too risky to give him access level similar to yours?”

“Remember that there is different law governing Dao practitioners. I would rather give everything than risk offending one. If your judgment remains like that, may I remind you that even our school will be implicated.”

“I understand, Elder.”

The president herself was curious and was not planning anything grand until she receives a reply from Central however when she was suddenly asked about Sleepers, she already had an idea of the overall situation. Their planet has its long history of power hungry cultivators and they would do anything to get their hands on the inheritance of Flame Emperor thousands of years ago. No matter how well guarded the planet was, there is one organization that managed to bypass their security leading to inheritance being relocated.

The only conclusion she can think of is that Clay is being suspected as a Sleeper and the easiest way to determine whether he is a threat is to expose him to a more advanced technology like a planetary ship. Given the strength Clay exuded earlier, the AI Dolls should be more than enough to contain him.

Meanwhile, Clay entered another building and was surprised that the metallic insect had led him to an underground facility. His curiosity grew as he passed a few racks of high powered rail guns. Clay activated his Godly eyes and noticed how different this place is like he had been sent to an arms repository. Just looking at these modern weaponry is giving him goose bumps as instinct is telling him he may not survive when surrounded by these unknown weapons.

Unfortunately, due to lack of knowledge, Clay was unaware that he had been sent to one of the minor military strategic places of the planet.

After a few more moments, Clay entered a small office where a human-like robot was waiting for him. Clay was still calm as he assessed his surroundings. One look and he was able to tell that the humanoid is not a person as it did not reveal a soul to his Godly Eyes and it is interesting that it is powered by a type of energy more concentrated than a pure Spiritual Qi.

His only guess is that the robot before him is powered by Heavenly Qi which is the type of energy cultivators absorb when the breakthrough past Nascent level.

(Welcome, human. How may I call you?)

Clay was wondering how to activate the robot but he was startled he almost jumped when it spoke.

“Call me Clay.” Clay paused then continued. “I have a few questions to consult this place.”

*Clank

*Clank

Similar to the advanced library in his past life, the wall to his left made a few metallic clicking sounds and transformed into huge monitor.

(What would you like to know, Clay?)

“Tell me the most reliable way to determine someone’s age.”

(If your question is regarding your age, then like many other Dao practitioners, there is no accurate way to determine age. However for normal cultivators, there are 92 ways currently available in the database and three of which is available on the planet. Would you like me to display the results and their locations?)

Clay was surprised the robot knew he was a Dao practitioner. Either it was informed before hand or it part of the marvels of technology. Either way, there is only one way to find out.

“How did you know I am Dao practitioner?”

(My sensors are equipped with basic Orion Heart Scanner. I can tell if a cultivator is a Half-Step Dao up to 1ST Phase Comprehension.)

“Sweet! Tell me about Sleepers.”

(Forty-two thousand years ago when the inheritance of Flame Emperor Rimar was still confined in this planet, cultivators even from the furthest galaxies wanted to lay their hands on this treasure. With the protection of Navarum Empire and a few sects on the Upper World, the planet had been well defended however there is one group of soldiers who have managed to by-pass a Class IX Divinity Defensive Formation guarding the planet. They used an improved version of Topaz Matter which is believed to tear space to the 24TH Subspace Dimension and transport and teleport themselves into the planet.

While they were able to teleport and by-pass the planet’s defenses, the time at which they resurfaced is believed to be delayed by a thousand up to 35 thousand years. From the perspective of these soldiers, only a few minutes or even seconds have passed but in reality, a considerable amount of time had already passed thereby the name Sleepers.

The strongest to appear was a Rank VII Seraphim Magi ravaging most of Watersmen lands including the destruction of many of their Spiritual Veins and it was at that time when organizations from the Upper World were involved but one cultivator stepped forward to help out. There is limited information of him in the database but his name is Liom, a 3RD Phase Dao Cultivator from Ukacha Empire of the Upper World.

The last Sleeper revealed herself 4993 thousand years ago and like many others, they have no identity and speak different languages. Details of these soldiers’ affiliation have yet to be confirmed but there are evidences suggesting they belong to a mysterious organization called Nosfera. Would you like me to display more information about them?”

Whenever Clay hears anything about the current timeline’s technology, he felt like a first grader listening to a collegiate level discussion. But at least he finally understood why is he being suspected.

He may not know about this Topaz Matter and its relation to the 24TH Subspace Dimension but during his past life, he attempted to transport himself to what he believes to be the Soulspace Dimension and when he came out after submersing himself for a few seconds, 6000 years had already passed in reality. All the more he gets inspired to become a real scientist and speaking of past life, he still can’t get rid of the idea that he was transferred to another universe. As if almost of the important aspects of his life has similarities to this lifetime.

During his last life, he was related to Fei Hong’s inheritance and just hearing Immortal Rimar’s inheritance is giving him a bad premonition.

“Tell me how many planes does this universe have?”

(The universe is comprised with 3 Major Planes namely Lower, Upper and Immortal World.)

*Sigh

Clay sighed in relief. Since there is no Mortal Plane, that should be another evidence he had been expelled from the previous universe.

“Show me a tabulated data of human cultivators with respect to their Dao and cultivation level.”

The monitor on the wall shined as data like excel are presented. Clay looked at the numbers specifically for Core Formation. Even for genetically modified humans, Core Formation cultivators can only live up to 1000 years and 2000 years for Peak Nascent. However, looking at the numbers at the bottom which is Peak Divinity at 2ND Phase Dao, they can live approximately between 100 to 200 thousand years.

Clay turned his head on the other monitor where life spans of regular cultivators are displayed. It just dawned to him how massive the disparity is between normal cultivators and Dao practitioners. A normal Peak Ascendant can live up to 10 to 20 thousand years while its counterpart can live a minimum of 40 up to 100 thousand years. No wonder cultivators strive to touch the realm of Grand Dao.

“Do you have any records about the life spans of 3RD Phase cultivators?”

(There are only speculations that they can live between 500 thousand up to a million year.)

Clay would like to take advantage of the library and gain more knowledge especially his current condition but he remembered he is still being suspected. If the Flame Emperor Rimar is the same Rimar he knew and is still alive, maybe he can use his connection and ask him for help.

“Search for Rimar and Cheaneya Village. Pull out any information before Rimar Era.”

(Zero results found in official database. Please note that by the order of Navarum, information and repositories prior Rimar Era were all destroyed.)

“What about Crescent Moon Sect? Pull up any information as long as it mentions a timeline between Exodus I and Rimar Era.”

(Zero results found in official database. Over three millions results found on public database.)

“Filter it via Fire Dao”

(Over three millions results found on public database.)

“Add Cheaneya to the filter”

(Zero results found.)

“Remove Cheaneya and add Anongus Kingdom.”

(Zero results found.)

“Remove Anongus Kingdom and add Naraheim Enlightenment Tree”

(Zero results found.)

Clay already knew it is futile. For an advanced civilization, it is unclear they want those information deleted but if they want it deleted, then it shall be deleted. Maybe someone managed to salvage records of the past but who would want to waste their time and what could they possibly gain. He cannot think of anything else.

“Remove Naraheim Enlightenment Tree and add not handsome.”

(Over two hundred thousand results found and mostly categorized as entertainment.)

Clay almost wanted to laugh.

“Show me the first ten results.”

When the results were displayed, Clay almost wanted vomited with blood. The first result is showing an image exactly just like him. It looks like a movie series.

IF IMMORTALS WERE ONE OF US – The adventure of an Immortal God who descended to the mortal world to experience the Dao of Life and Death. This fiction series attempts to explain how Merea Temple was established.

“Can you play the trailer of the first result?”

(This facility is for official use only. Would you like to proceed?)

“No. Tell me about Merea Temple referred to on the first result.”

(This island is restricted and is only accessible to Dao Cultivators and opens every seven years. Unauthorized entry within 10 kilometer zone is punishable by death. Normal cultivators can challenge token holders to gain entry.)

“Show me the map”

Clay does not know if it is a coincidence but looking at the location, it is the same island where his Maid Merea was put into illusion. The past galactic wars caused the original Muir-Kaada to be completely separated but the Kulagar Island remained the same.