Chapter 77: Golden Legend—Domain of Proverbs

Li Yao shifted her body, half-awake, her eyes fluttering open. When she saw Cao Xuan’s parted lips, she leaned in and kissed him without hesitation.

In the past, Cao Xuan would have instinctively dodged, but this time he froze, letting Li Yao seal his mouth with hers.

The system panel did not exist in this world. Even with Li Yao’s cheek blocking his view, he could still see through it to the floating panel in the air.

[Ding~ Extraction successful. You have obtained the Domain of Admonition (Fragmentary*100 meters)]
[Admonition: words of counsel and exhortation]
[Domain of Admonition: The host can activate a domain with a radius of one hundred meters.]
[Within this domain, any cultivator not more than one major realm below the host will obey all of the host’s admonitions!]

“Words become law—a low-tier version?” Cao Xuan murmured to himself.

Before he could finish speaking, his entire being seemed to drift out of his body, entering the vastness of the cosmos.

Compared to the previous time, when he had drawn the Affinity with Flora and felt a sliver of clarity in his mind, this experience rendered that clarity insignificant.

This was not the sage-like insight of comprehending the universe, but rather a true immersion in a cosmic vision.

Cao Xuan felt the emergence of the universe from nothingness, the birth of worlds. He saw a single speck of dust in the cosmos, which, after countless millennia, grew into a continent many times larger than Earth.

“Is this the Xuanhua Continent?” Cao Xuan felt a sudden realization.

Then, on this land unlike any planet, various materials began to appear—water of life, spirits of flora, the nurturing of spiritual energy…

“Rules!”

In that instant, Cao Xuan entered a state of profound enlightenment.

The word ‘rules’ did not refer to laws set by humans, but to the fundamental principles governing the operation of the world.

Like water flowing downward, which is actually dictated by gravity.

When cultivators move mountains and seas, that too is an application of the ‘rules.’

“Spiritual energy enters the body, condenses into true essence, and becomes part of the world—it all makes sense now!”

In that moment, Cao Xuan suddenly understood a portion of the rules.

“Cultivators, in their training, have already begun to use the rules!”

“All those arts, techniques, and cultivation methods are in fact ways to give form to the rules!”

“Yet while these methods simplify the rules and make them easier to grasp, they also blind cultivators to the true essence!”

At that moment, Cao Xuan seemed both merged with the world and detached from it.

The [Domain of Admonition] was the key that allowed him to ‘open his eyes’ to the world.

But at the same time, Cao Xuan understood the meaning of the word ‘fragmentary’ that followed.

“Even though I have ‘opened my eyes’ to see the world, is this world’s appearance truly its essence?”

With the system’s aid, Cao Xuan comprehended what ‘the Way’ truly was—the allure of this concept was beyond words.

...

In a vast region, far removed from Xuanhua Continent, an elder sat solemnly amid a sea of clouds, with countless people beneath him seated on cloud-shaped mats, listening intently to his teachings.

Elsewhere, in a place resembling the starry cosmos, an emperor was accompanied by nine ancient dragons hauling his imperial chariot.

In a humble city, unremarkable even within the myriad worlds, a middle-aged scholar was teaching in an academy.

At that moment, all three simultaneously paused, looking up at the sky.

“Another companion on the Way has appeared!” Each of the three smiled broadly. The elder spoke, “Today, I shall teach you all about the Great Dao!”

The emperor remained silent, tapping his imperial chariot; with each strike, the massive dragons shuddered.

The scholar, with a gentle expression, said to the group of young students, “Today, I’ll teach you about ‘rules.’ Even if you don’t understand, just keep it in your hearts.”

...

On Talisman Peak of Xuanhua Continent.

Because of Cao Xuan’s murmuring, the Li Yao in his arms was about to wake.

“Be quiet. Sleep.”

Cao Xuan uttered these words calmly. In that instant, centered on him, everything within a hundred meters fell utterly silent—truly silent, with not even the faintest breeze.

Li Yao, in his embrace, instantly had her soul stabilized and drifted into deep sleep—a rest even more profound than Yu Wan’s meditative trance to nurture her soul.

Li Yao’s spirit visibly grew stronger, nurtured by this sleep.

“Hoo…” Cao Xuan exhaled lightly, his face turning pale as his true essence was nearly depleted.

He forced a bitter smile and said, “Lack of experience really costs you.”

Though he had spoken in a normal tone this time, no sound came from the surroundings.

On Talisman Peak, fortunately everyone was still asleep and sensed nothing unusual.

However, a few nocturnal animals first appeared confused, chittered twice, then became alarmed.

Animals are more sensitive than people and react faster; their instinct for avoiding harm made them immediately dash beyond a hundred meters.

Only after leaving Cao Xuan’s domain did they show lingering fear. They didn’t know what had happened, only that something was wrong within that range—it wasn’t like their usual environment.

Like fish leaving water, they immediately realized this was not a place to linger.

“Gather spiritual energy—restore true essence!”

Cao Xuan spoke again, and the last shred of his true essence was instantly consumed. But soon after, as if from nothing, his true essence was completely replenished.

“With my current peak late Foundation Establishment cultivation, uttering an admonition that changes the rules within a hundred-meter radius will consume eighty percent of my true essence!”

“But if it’s only directed at an individual, the consumption is almost negligible.”

“Of course, it also depends on whether there’s resistance.”

His first command for silence had been impulsive; he simply wanted quiet, yet it nearly drained all his true essence.

This was even with his clear understanding of the rules, using a principle like leverage—moving the world with a small force to change the rules.

Later, “sleep” and “gather spiritual energy, restore true essence” were each directed at one person—Li Yao and himself—neither offering any resistance.

Seeing Li Yao’s state, Cao Xuan’s lips curved in a smile, for he understood that Li Yao didn’t resist not because she didn’t want to, but because she didn’t know how.

Those ignorant of such rules simply cannot counter them—it’s like being struck from a higher dimension.

“Still, I suppose someone with true essence cultivation could forcibly resist with brute strength.”

Cao Xuan eyed that line: [Within this domain, any cultivator not more than one major realm below the host will obey all of the host’s admonitions!]

He understood that once a cultivator surpassed the peak late Core Formation stage, it would not be so easy for him to wield the Domain of Admonition.

To change the rules, one also needs ‘force.’

“With this power over rules, I finally have a means to protect myself!”

Cao Xuan called it self-preservation, but in truth, it was his trump card.

He would not use it lightly, for the cost in true essence was considerable.

Just the true essence consumed by that single command for silence would have sufficed for him to perform the Azure Dao Sword countless times!

Under the Domain of Admonition, gathering spiritual energy and restoring true essence still took half an hour to fully recover his peak late Foundation Establishment cultivation.

“So this is what it feels like to have your true essence drained—absolutely exhausting!”