A plain, unadorned brush appeared in Joe Di's sea of consciousness. Beneath its simple exterior surged endless Dao resonance and the wisdom of cosmic civilizations.
Joe Di was overjoyed; he had finally refined the Creation Brush. From now on, even if he handed the Creation Brush to Samuel Shang, Samuel Shang would not be able to seize it from him—unless he possessed a treasure like the Ninth World, capable of isolating Joe Di's divine sense and will.
Joe Di stretched out his hand, and the Creation Brush appeared in his palm. With a sweep in the void, the brush traced out traces of Dao resonance, and a massive character for 'Life' manifested in the emptiness.
Although Joe Di restrained all Dao resonance except for the 'Life' character, the glyph still radiated overwhelming power, as if it could crush everything in the void at his command. In this universe, only those whom I allow to live may live. With this single word, Joe Di seemed to command the very fabric of this cosmic void.
Indeed, the Genesis Opening Incantation required the Creation Brush to be written. With a flick of Joe Di's brush tip, the Dao resonance of 'Life' faded, and a faint aura of death began to permeate the void. The void remained unchanged, the rules still in place, but death now permeated everything.
A massive 'Death' character spanned the void, everything shifting from life to death, as the Dao resonance of Death now reigned over the laws of this realm.
Life and death are separated by a mere thread, all determined by a shift of the Creation Brush's tip. In this world, my will reigns supreme: if I decree death, you must die.
The Creation Brush once again stirred up Dao resonance, but when Joe Di tried to write the character for 'Ten,' he could only finish the first stroke before his strength failed. The Dao resonance stalled, then dispersed into the void.
Pa! With a twist of his hand, Joe Di retrieved the Creation Brush, and all deathly Dao resonance vanished. He was deeply satisfied—having just refined the Creation Brush, he could already inscribe life and death. Even knowing this power stemmed from his connection to the Lethe Bridge, Joe Di was thrilled.
It was a pity he hadn't stepped into the third stage yet. Still, he welcomed the third stage; with the Creation Brush in hand, he felt a newfound confidence.
Joe Di focused his divine sense on the Ninth World and was delighted to discover that Nora Xiu's soul was growing stronger. He was certain that if things continued this way, it would only be a matter of years before Nora Xiu's consciousness fully returned.
This greatly invigorated Joe Di—his techniques were succeeding, Nora Xiu could be saved. Now, his only concern was achieving Dao Union. As long as he succeeded...
Just as Joe Di was thinking this, he frowned. He saw that the area around his residence was swarming with cultivators. Not only that, a market had formed, and there were many new shops. With just a sweep of his divine sense, he counted at least ten thousand people here.
When did the desolate Mountainview Forbidden Zone become so crowded? At least, it now looked lively and bustling.
Then he spotted Bolt, strutting down the simple market street with its duck-like gait. It seemed everyone knew Bolt, greeting it politely as it passed. Clearly, Bolt was thriving here.
As for his tavern, the attendant had been replaced by a junior cultivator who had just advanced to the Dao Shaping stage.
Joe Di rubbed his forehead, amused. This fellow truly had potential like Shu Di—give it a little sunshine, and it blossomed brilliantly.
...
In truth, even Bolt hadn’t expected the Mountainview Forbidden Zone to develop like this. At first, it was Bolt’s Starlight Tea that drew wandering cultivators here. Later, when the tea ran short, Bolt would add a Dao Fruit and brew a huge vat. Though the effect was weaker, the Dao Fruit kept it popular enough.
But as more people arrived, Bolt could no longer supply Starlight Tea—not even the fake kind. It had to use inferior teas as substitutes. Yet, even with ordinary tea, the number of cultivators coming for a drink kept increasing, much to Bolt’s surprise.
Many cultivators now came not for the Starlight Tea, but to chat about the wonders and stories of the starry cosmos.
In this stretch of the void, there truly wasn’t a decent market or city for void cultivators. The Mountainview Tavern outside the Mountainview Forbidden Zone had become a gathering place for people from all directions. Here, everyone found what they needed, bartered, hid from enemies, or sought information.
As time passed and more people arrived, this place naturally became a bustling market. Now, there was not only the Mountainview Tavern, but also new apothecaries, artifact pavilions, and resthouses gradually appearing.
Because Joe Di had placed several Supreme Ley Lines in the Mountainview Tavern, the incoming cultivators built new sanctuaries and shops around it.
Joe Di didn’t care why all these shops and taverns sprang up around the Mountainview Forbidden Zone. What concerned him was whether he could enter the forbidden zone itself.
Just as Joe Di was about to go out and ask Bolt about the situation in the Mountainview Forbidden Zone, a massive footprint suddenly stomped onto the Mountainview Tavern’s signboard.
Joe Di had picked up the Mountainview Tavern’s signboard himself. It had survived for years without damage, proof of its resilience—but with that one kick, the sign was shattered into pieces.
"What beast dares lay a claw on the Mountainview Tavern’s sign? Tired of living, are you…" In a flash, Bolt lunged, its claw slashing toward the cultivator who had shattered the sign.
Bolt was no ordinary creature—its claws, unlike those of a typical bird, had seven toes. Joe Di didn’t intervene; he was curious to see how Bolt would handle things.
As Bolt struck, a violent aura exploded, engulfing the space—everything seemed on the verge of being devoured by that claw. Even Joe Di was left in awe; he had never imagined Bolt possessed such terrifying power. Now he understood the secret of the seven toes: when Bolt attacked, those seven claws could seize and dominate all Dao resonance and rules within the space.
This was undoubtedly an innate divine ability—an awe-inspiring power unique to Bolt.
The man who had smashed the Mountainview Tavern sign was tall and fierce, radiating an ancient, boundless Dao resonance. Joe Di recognized this aura—he had encountered it many times before, especially in the Lost Dao Realm.
Unlike the cultivators of the Lost Dao Realm, who were frail and lacking vitality, this towering, menacing man brimmed with life force. His mere presence exerted an invisible pressure, as if he could rip apart all things between heaven and earth.
He was, without a doubt, a peak powerhouse. A chill ran down Joe Di’s spine—Bolt stood no chance against this foe, and even he himself might barely survive such a confrontation.
When had such a formidable expert appeared in this universe? Joe Di drew a deep breath, locking his divine sense onto the Heavenly Sa Blade. If Bolt was in danger, he would strike without hesitation.
Boom! To Joe Di’s astonishment, the tall man didn’t summon a magical treasure. Instead, he threw a punch straight at Bolt’s claw.
Bang! Crack! The heavy impact echoed as Bolt shrieked in agony, sent hurtling through the air. Its claw had been shattered by the devastating blow, pain and humiliation etched across its features.
The space where Bolt had bound the rules of heaven and earth vanished. The tall man stared at Bolt in surprise, "Oh? So you’re a descendant of the Kunpeng."
At that moment, he dared not act recklessly. Bolt was no real concern, but anyone who could keep such a beast as a companion was surely not simple.
"Old man, you’re finished! If my great-grandfather doesn’t skin you alive, my second great-uncle will make you drink his foot-washing water!" Bolt, humiliated and furious, let out a piercing cry and hurled a jade talisman at him.
Even if Bolt hadn’t thrown the talisman, Joe Di knew Bolt had suffered a bitter defeat.
Before Joe Di could step outside, a calm, even voice rang out: "The person you’re looking for is me. There’s no need to vent your anger on someone else’s tavern."
"Elijah Wells, you’ve done well to escape for so many years. But I’ve found you at last. Let’s see where you can run now." The man who struck Bolt sealed off Elijah Wells’s escape route without hesitation.