"Cut off my memories?" Joe Di was startled, then immediately asked, "Zane Du, do you mean I need to reincarnate?"
Zane Du shook his head. "This is not the same as reincarnation. You're not reincarnating, but reflecting on your Dao Heart. There are several ways to do this. First, you keep your physical body, let your soul reincarnate, and after perfecting your Dao Heart, your body will recover in the future. Second, you abandon your physical body, which is the hardest. Many choose this, but end up never returning. Third, you keep your body and part of your soul—this is actually the worst way, as your Grand Way is hard to fully restore."
"Zane Du, you've kept emphasizing the need to cut off my memories. Why is that?" Joe Di had already made up his mind to search for the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed.
Otherwise, he would just be barely surviving. Sometimes, knowing nothing and living a simple life among ordinary people is a kind of happiness. The greater one's power, the more one knows, and the more one worries—the harder life becomes.
Zane Du shook his head again. "I'm not sure either. I was born with the opening of the Five Elements Universe, so I have a kind of premonition: if you turn back without cutting off your memories, you will be restricted again in the future. Maybe you can't feel it now, but when you reach a higher level, or even leave this universe, you might sense it then."
"Thank you, Zane Du." Joe Di was truly grateful to Zane Du. If Zane Du hadn't explained these things, all he could do would be to desperately cultivate, only to remain stuck at the Dao Fusion Realm.
Zane Du shook his head. "Joe Di, when you use the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed, someone will appear in your life at the moment of reflection who can help mend your Dao Heart. Because you've cut off your memories, whether you can repair your Dao Heart depends not only on your own will, but also on your fortune. If your luck is lacking, the one who could perfect your Dao Heart may pass you by, and you wouldn't even notice. You would drift aimlessly through life, and in the end, as I said before, nothing would be perfected, and your Grand Way would be completely shattered."
After explaining this to Joe Di, Zane Du did not try to persuade him not to seek the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed. He knew just as well that if Joe Di didn't perfect his Dao Heart, death was inevitable.
If his Dao Heart was perfected, there might still be a sliver of hope.
"Zane Du, I'm leaving now. If I ever return, I will definitely come to look for you at Mount Hope." After hearing Zane Du's explanation, Joe Di spoke without hesitation. As for not being able to return, Joe Di didn't bother to mention it. If he couldn't come back, everything would vanish like smoke, and saying anything more would be pointless.
......
Several months later, Joe Di returned once again to Celestial Beyond. Before leaving, he had to inform Nora Xiu.
Facing the silent Nora Xiu, Joe Di felt deeply ashamed. Ultimately, this matter was caused by him. In fact, Joe Di already had an answer in his heart. His Dao Heart was missing, very likely because of Cassie Cao.
Cassie Cao fell entirely to replace him in the Shaman River. He refined the Shaman River and comprehended the Vanished One, yet still found no trace of Cassie Cao.
"Go ahead. I'll wait for you for ten thousand years. If you don't come back after ten thousand years..."
Joe Di raised his hand to stop Nora Xiu from continuing, then took out a blood pearl and handed it to her, saying, "This is my Life Blood Pearl. If I never return, this pearl will shatter. As long as it remains intact, I am safe."
"I will cultivate here and wait for you," Nora Xiu said firmly.
Joe Di nodded. "I've set up four Five Element Banners here. Even if a Boundary Fusion Realm expert comes, you can control the banners to slay them. Also, I have a Divine Spirit Realm here with several treasures inside. If Warren Di, Diana Di, Nina Ning, or the others come, you can decide what to give them. Children will find their own fortunes. The universe is vast, and we are so small. Not finding them now doesn't mean we won't in the future. Perhaps one day, we'll reunite here."
Nora Xiu put away Joe Di's Divine Spirit Realm and hugged him tightly, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words to make him stay.
Joe Di had already explained to her why he needed to search for the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed. Moreover, if Joe Di couldn't take the Third Step, then not just him, but she and their children would be nothing more than mere pawns under others' control.
Having journeyed from the cultivation world to the Dao Domain, Nora Xiu understood far too much. To stop Joe Di from following his Dao was no different than stopping his destiny.
......
Joe Di left. After saying goodbye to Nora Xiu, he didn't linger for a moment and headed straight for the Five Elements Glacier Gorge. Back then, Lord Icewind, Harold Yu, had told him about the gorge, saying the Immeasura Palace Lord possessed a Nirvana Mirror—a mirror capable of slaying even the strongest Third Step cultivators.
Although Joe Di knew Lord Icewind exaggerated to save his own life, he was still grateful. Time was already tight for him, and spending years searching for the Five Elements Glacier Gorge would do him no good.
Knowing the location in the void, Joe Di pushed his rule-escape technique to the limit. Even so, it took him several years to reach the outskirts of the Five Elements Glacier Gorge.
He hadn't even entered the Five Elements Glacier Gorge yet, but already felt a biting cold. Even with his body surpassing the Saint Physique, he could still feel the chill. Ordinary cultivators would have a hard time reaching the depths of the gorge.
In fact, he hadn't seen anyone for a year. The void here was filled with extreme ice rule energy, making it very unsuitable for cultivation. Most cultivators who came here were probably seeking to temper their bodies.
The area around the Five Elements Glacier Gorge was covered with endless dark gray mountain ranges. These peaks stretched out into the void, and even Joe Di's divine sense couldn't reach their end.
There was no snow or ice to be seen, yet it was colder than any snow. Relying on his powerful body, Joe Di stepped directly into the gorge.
The ultimate ice rule swept over him, shattering all his clothes. Joe Di sighed inwardly—this was still just the outside of the Five Elements Glacier Gorge. If he entered its depths, how could anyone withstand such cold?
Just as Joe Di expected, with every step he took, he could feel new cracks splitting open in his skin.
Joe Di cultivated the Rule Grand Way, allowing him to quickly comprehend the rules here. With a body surpassing the Saint Physique, he could walk in this place, but even his skin and bones gradually split apart. Ordinary cultivators, even if they came here, would only dare to linger at the outer edges.
Although Lord Icewind's title included 'ice,' Joe Di doubted he had ever reached this part of the gorge—or perhaps he didn't even dare to come this far.
Knowing he could activate talismans here, Joe Di decided to press on. With his cultivation and physical strength, he believed that by comprehending the extreme ice rules, he could reach even deeper into the gorge.
Crack! Crack! Joe Di's flesh was continuously torn apart by the cold, and his bones shattered again and again. Yet his understanding of the ice rules of the glacier gorge grew ever clearer, and he kept moving deeper.
When Joe Di was completely immersed in this state of comprehension and progress, he forgot all about the damage to his body.
It wasn't until his leg bones were frozen and shattered, leaving him unable to move forward, that Joe Di snapped out of his trance and stopped. At this point, not only were his leg bones broken, but there was hardly a single bone in his body left intact.
This should be far enough, right? Joe Di didn't plan to go any further. The extreme cold and ice rules here could be studied again if he returned in the future, but for now, he had other things to do.
In the distance, a rhomboid crystal caught Joe Di's eye. It floated in the void, radiating dazzling white light, and endless extreme cold rule energy poured out from it.
As soon as Joe Di's divine sense touched it, it was instantly frozen and stuck.
This was definitely a treasure. Even with all his leg bones broken, Joe Di moved over without hesitation and grabbed the rhomboid crystal.
(That's all for today's update. Good night, friends!)