"Crack, crack, crack!" As soon as Joe Di's hand touched the Frost Diamond, it was instantly frozen, making a cracking sound. The bones in his hand vanished, followed quickly by the bones in his arm.
But that wasn't all. The terrifying cold of the entire Five Elements Glacier Gorge seemed to be summoned, surging toward him. Joe Di no longer dared to stay. If he remained here, not only would he be unable to use the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed, but he would likely be torn to pieces in the next moment, his soul completely destroyed.
Shocked, Joe Di unleashed his Dao Rhyme and, without hesitation, sent the Frost Diamond into the Ninth World, while simultaneously activating the talisman given to him by Zane Du.
"Crack!" As the talisman activated, a rift appeared in the void. Joe Di rushed into it, a sense of despair rising in his heart. He knew he would never have another chance to search for the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed in that universe. He was barely hanging on to life—where would this rift take him? Would he ever have another chance to find the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed?
......
When Joe Di woke up, he found himself lying beside a stream, his lower body submerged in water. One of his arms was gone.
Even though he knew that after finding the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed he would have to give up his physical body, losing an arm to the cold still left Joe Di feeling a sense of loss.
He wanted to use his divine sense to scan the Ninth World and see what the Frost Diamond really was, since it had nearly killed him. But Joe Di soon discovered that his divine sense was unusable.
Joe Di almost jumped up in shock—this ran counter to his Dao. Ever since he refined the escaping Dao principle and comprehended his own Dao rules, his divine sense should always be usable no matter the situation. Why was it unusable now?
No, Joe Di quickly realized—it wasn't his Dao that was at fault, but his Dao Foundation.
After speaking, Sage Bodhi produced a giant tree, upon which hung a dull gray fruit.
"Is this the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed?" Joe Di asked in surprise, looking at the dull gray fruit on the giant tree.
With a wave of his hand, Sage Bodhi sent the fruit into Joe Di's palm. "That's right, this is a Reminiscent Bodhi Seed."
As the fruit fell, the giant tree withered instantly and turned to dust.
Seeing Joe Di grasp the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed, Sage Bodhi laughed heartily, "My task is finally complete. I can leave now."
"Senior Bodhi, please wait! I want to ask, how do I use this Reminiscent Bodhi Seed?" Joe Di hurriedly called out to Sage Bodhi, feeling a bit surprised at how simple everything seemed.
Sage Bodhi glanced at Joe Di and replied with a smile, "Keep your heart with Bodhi, look back on your past... The more memories you retain, the less Bodhi you gain. The more you remain, the less Bodhi remains..."
After saying this, Sage Bodhi took a step and vanished without a trace.
Joe Di frowned. He understood Sage Bodhi's words—they matched what Zane Du had said. When looking back on the past, one must not retain the physical body or lingering memories.
If it had been before refining and comprehending the escaping Dao principle, Joe Di would not have doubted at all. After all, he and Sage Bodhi were complete strangers, and Sage Bodhi clearly seemed to be a sage from a previous life—how could he deceive him?
However, because he had comprehended the escaping Dao principle, even if his Dao Foundation collapsed, he could still connect with the Path of Rules through his will, and thus regain his divine sense. It was precisely because he had regained his divine sense that he felt uneasy and even doubtful.
He did not use his divine sense to scan Sage Bodhi, nor did Sage Bodhi scan him. Yet, because he had divine sense, he faintly sensed a trace of familiarity from Sage Bodhi. This trace was extremely faint, but he could still feel it.
After Sage Bodhi left, that trace of familiar aura disappeared without a trace.
Joe Di hadn't realized what that familiar aura was before, but after Sage Bodhi left, he immediately understood—it was the aura of the Prime Law. Although Joe Di had not obtained those eight Prime Laws, he was connected to their recipients: Cassie Cao and Zane Du.
The aura on Sage Bodhi was not only like the Prime Law aura from Cassie Cao, but also like that from Zane Du.
If he was not mistaken, Sage Bodhi must have come into contact with both Prime Laws. In the vast universe, who else could have such ability? Joe Di was lucky to have encountered two Prime Laws. But besides him, who else?
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Joe Di. Dominic Du—only Dominic Du would have such qualifications.
If his guess was correct, then Zane Du giving him the talisman and his journey to the Five Elements Glacier Gorge were all orchestrated by Dominic Du. No matter who went to the Five Elements Glacier Gorge, even the strongest, it would be a death trap. Using the talisman only barely allowed him to escape with his life.
Pushing the logic further, if everything was Dominic Du's scheme, then everything that happened afterward made sense. Dominic Du not only knew he was searching for the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed, but waited here to give him one.
He could guess that this wasn't due to Dominic Du's carelessness or failure. It was because, after refining the escaping Dao principle and perfecting his own Grand Way, even with his foundation destroyed, he could still connect with the Path of Rules through his will and regain his divine sense.
It was also because he regained his divine sense that he could sense the Prime Law aura on Sage Bodhi.
The escaping Dao principle was the only universal law Dominic Du hadn't touched, which led Joe Di to have doubts because of it.
Joe Di let out a long sigh, feeling his scalp tingle. If all his guesses were correct, how could he compete with these old monsters? The only thing he couldn't understand was why Dominic Du didn't just capture him and refine him directly.
Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to think about it.
Joe Di looked at his severed arm and suddenly felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, his arm was broken; otherwise, Dominic Du might have watched him use the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed. Because his arm was broken, Dominic Du was certain he would seek to look back.
For cultivators pursuing the ultimate Grand Way, the importance of the physical body is no less than that of the Dao Heart. With both his body and Dao Heart damaged, only by looking back could he perfectly step into the Third Step. This was the only path suitable for him.
Regardless of whether his guesses were true or not, Joe Di calmed down. He tore a piece of cloth from his tattered clothes, wrapped up the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed, and slowly left the stream.
As for the road ahead, he would have to find it himself.
He could guess that this wasn't due to Dominic Du's carelessness or failure. It was because, after refining the escaping Dao principle and perfecting his own Grand Way, even with his foundation destroyed, he could still connect with the Path of Rules through his will and regain his divine sense.
It was also because he regained his divine sense that he could sense the Prime Law aura on Sage Bodhi.
The escaping Dao principle was the only universal law Dominic Du hadn't touched, which led Joe Di to have doubts because of it.
Joe Di let out a long sigh, feeling his scalp tingle. If all his guesses were correct, how could he compete with these old monsters? The only thing he couldn't understand was why Dominic Du didn't just capture him and refine him directly.
Since he couldn't figure it out, he decided not to think about it.
Joe Di looked at his severed arm and suddenly felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, his arm was broken; otherwise, Dominic Du might have watched him use the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed. Because his arm was broken, Dominic Du was certain he would seek to look back.
For cultivators pursuing the ultimate Grand Way, the importance of the physical body is no less than that of the Dao Heart. With both his body and Dao Heart damaged, only by looking back could he perfectly step into the Third Step. This was the only path suitable for him.
Regardless of whether his guesses were true or not, Joe Di calmed down. He tore a piece of cloth from his tattered clothes, wrapped up the Reminiscent Bodhi Seed, and slowly left the stream.
As for the road ahead, he would have to find it himself.