Shen Yan asked with a gentle smile, "Daoist Di, are you interested in Genesis Loam?"
Joe Di nodded quickly, "Yes, I absolutely must obtain it. This is a matter of life and death."
When he spoke of life and death, he meant the fate of the entire Five Elements Universe. If he couldn't find Genesis Loam, he wasn't sure when he'd be able to break the protective formation of this continent. Without breaking the formation, he couldn't release the Chaos Essence here.
Chaos Essence determined the strength of cultivators in the Five Elements Universe. If a cosmic war ever broke out, it truly would be a matter of life and death.
Benjamin Edge and the others thought Joe Di was speaking about his own life and death. Especially Benjamin Edge—Joe Di had saved his life, so he absolutely couldn't stand by and do nothing.
Before the others could speak, Benjamin Edge said, "The Genesis Loam belongs to Dustin Ping of Cedarwood Manor. I know Dustin Ping—he wouldn't bring out Genesis Loam just to attract a few people. He's looking to trade for something he wants. No matter what, I have to help Brother Di."
Shen Yan replied, "That will be difficult. Who wouldn't want Genesis Loam? Dustin Ping is a profit-driven man. If he's advertising Genesis Loam, I suspect it might be for the Five Elements Pearl."
Joe Di's heart sank at this. If Dustin Ping was after the Five Elements Pearl, he had no way to trade for Genesis Loam.
"Let's go take a look first. If it doesn't work out, we'll talk then," Benjamin Edge said with a wave of his hand.
Everyone understood what Benjamin Edge meant by 'we'll talk then.' It was to intercept whoever succeeded in trading for Genesis Loam. Whether they'd reason with them or fight for it would depend on the situation.
Joe Di didn't say anything. This wasn't about himself—it concerned the entire Five Elements Universe.
......
The five of them walked and chatted along the way. Joe Di asked Benjamin Edge and the others about the situation on the Chaotic Continent, while they in turn asked Joe Di about the universe outside the Chaos Gate.
Although Joe Di's explanation was fairly simple, except for Benjamin Edge, the other three began to consider leaving together.
Cultivating here was certainly enjoyable, but there were far too few people—and too few stories. A cultivator needs more than just cultivation.
Cedarwood Manor wasn't far away. Their pace was leisurely, and after half a day, Cedarwood Manor appeared within Joe Di's divine sense.
"That's Cedarwood Manor ahead. It'd be best if Quinn Yan shows up today—this place isn't his territory." Shen Yan let out a cold chuckle, his tone laced with killing intent.
Suddenly, Joe Di remembered something and hurriedly asked, "Fellow Daoists, has Quinn Yan already stepped into the Creation Realm?"
The lively conversation among the four paused at Joe Di's question.
After more than a dozen breaths, Benjamin Edge finally sighed and said, "Rumor has it Quinn Yan has indeed entered the Creation Realm. Not only Quinn Yan—there are several others on this continent who've also reached the Creation Realm. That's why Quinn Yan dares to call himself Dao Master. The rest of us achieved World Integration years ago, but the Creation Realm remains a distant dream. Sigh..."
Everyone understood Benjamin Edge's sigh—if they had also reached the Creation Realm, why would they fear Quinn Yan?
Quinn Yan had really entered the Creation Realm? Joe Di frowned slightly—had his earlier speculation been wrong?
"Don't worry. Even if Quinn Yan has entered the Creation Realm, he wouldn't dare act arrogantly at Cedarwood Manor. The manor's master, Dustin Ping, may be only half a step into the Creation Realm, but his strength is terrifying. Quinn Yan is just a Dao Master—he can't dominate here." Seeing Joe Di frown in silence, Benjamin Edge patted him, worried Joe Di would lose his fighting spirit.
Joe Di's cultivation might not be strong, but his mastery of arrays was formidable—he was an important asset to them.
"That's not right," Joe Di suddenly said.
"What's not right?" The four all looked at Joe Di in surprise.
Joe Di took a deep breath. "I mean, it's not right that Quinn Yan has entered the Creation Realm. If my guess is correct, he hasn't reached it yet."
"Why?" Joe Di's claim was too outrageous—the four stopped and stared at him. If Quinn Yan hadn't reached the Creation Realm, how could he be so bold?
After organizing his thoughts, Joe Di explained in a calm voice, "First, if Quinn Yan had truly entered the Creation Realm, he wouldn't still be here. What is this place, after all? It's just where Chaos Essence is most concentrated..."
"This is still the best place to cultivate. If Quinn Yan entered the Creation Realm, it would be normal for him to stay here and consolidate his cultivation." This time it was Woody Kee who spoke—his thinking was just like Quinn Yan's: he wanted to reach the Creation Realm, then consolidate his power here before leaving.
Joe Di nodded. "That's my second point. None of us truly knows what the Creation Realm is—we're just guessing. But I think that once you enter the Creation Realm, consolidating your cultivation isn't the most important thing. The real goal is to perfect your own world, which is something completely different. Besides, this isn't the best place to cultivate. At least after World Integration, it isn't the ideal location anymore."
Benjamin Edge and the others grew serious, all watching Joe Di, hoping he'd offer a more convincing reason. If Quinn Yan hadn't reached the Creation Realm, then all his bravado was just posturing.
"What makes you say this isn't the best place to cultivate?" Even the usually silent Ray Lawson looked displeased. If this place wasn't ideal, then nowhere was. The cosmic rules here were so clear you could grasp them, and the Chaos Essence was so dense you could bathe in it.
Joe Di chuckled. "I'll answer that in a moment. Let me share my reasoning first—if Quinn Yan had entered the Creation Realm, I wouldn't have been able to save Brother Benjamin back then. The rules of the Creation Realm should surpass those of this continent. If that's true, then no matter how I hid, Quinn Yan would have seen through it. So, I'm sure he hasn't reached the Creation Realm."
"But that's just your speculation. You haven't reached the Creation Realm, so you don't really know its level. Besides, how do you know the rules here are weaker than those of the Creation Realm?" Shen Yan said in a deep voice.
Joe Di nodded. "Now to answer Ray's question. I don't know the true level of the Creation Realm, but my cultivation method is tied to cosmic laws, so I know the rules of this continent are actually incomplete. How could a place with imperfect rules be the best for cultivation?
Moreover, the Creation Realm should be about perfecting your own world's rules. If you don't perfect your own world's rules, how can you create? How could an imperfect continent help you perfect your world?"
"You're saying the rules of our continent are incomplete?" This time, everyone stared at Joe Di, nearly shouting their question, voices tinged with urgency.
They'd spent years cultivating here, giving so much. Now Joe Di claimed the cosmic rules here were incomplete—was he messing with them? Besides, if the rules were incomplete, how could so many people reach the Third Step? Who would believe that?
Joe Di understood what Benjamin Edge and the others were thinking. He said, "I'm sure the rules here are incomplete. You've cultivated to such heights, even stronger than those outside the Chaos Gate—not because the rules here are perfect, but because you've stacked clear cosmic rules and dense Chaos Essence together."
Joe Di raised his hand to stop further questions, speaking even more solemnly: "I once left the Five Elements Universe. Only after leaving did I realize that cultivators here are weaker than those from other universes. Later, I met Quinn Yan's subordinate Victor Chao, and after entering this universe, I learned the Five Elements Universe is split into two by the Chaos Gate. Until these two parts merge, the rules of the Five Elements Universe will remain incomplete—whether it's outside the Chaos Gate or within."
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)