Lei Xue was an elder of the Clear Water Sect's branch in Xia Country.
In the world, only one supreme emperor exists, His Highness Lin Ming. However, in the lower levels, many sects and other kingdoms also exist. Of course, all are loyal to His Majesty.
As an elder of the branch, Lei Xue was a cultivator in the Realm of 'True Immortal.'
There are 14 realms in total.
It starts with Qi Condensation, where one gathers the energy of heaven and earth. It's equivalent to rank 1 mages.
In the Realm of Foundation Establishment, one forms the energy into meridians, transforms the flesh, and gains the aura of immortals.
Foundation Establishment is critical, as those with a weak foundation have no chance for further progress.
Foundation establishment is roughly equivalent to rank 2 mags.
Core Formation is when one must nourish the golden core. The golden core is where a nascent soul would hatch, so any crack on it not only dooms any chance of advancement but might also cause one's soul to scatter, which would be fatal. One cannot truly live without a soul. Undead exist without a soul, but that is not truly 'living.'
The core formation is equivalent to the rank 3 mage stage.
Nascent soul is where one truly enters the world of cultivation. With a nascent soul, one can change the body and live as long as their soul's lifespan allows. It is equivalent to the rank 4th mage stage.
The following Realm is Soul Transformation. Here, the nascent soul matures, and one can live for an extended period without a body, even fighting with only the soul. It is equivalent to the rank 5th mage stage.
The subsequent Realm is the Immortal Body Realm, where a suitable body will be created for the soul, perfectly fitting together. At the end of this Realm, the body and soul combine into one, enabling advancement into the Earth Immortal Realm. It is equivalent to the rank 6th mage stage.
In the Earth Immortal Realm, one's body and soul unite, and the power of cultivators in this Realm far surpasses the realms before it. They can destroy cities with a single glance, command the elements, or shape the land with a single strike. They are so distinct from mortals that they cannot be considered the same species. It is equivalent to the rank 7th mage stage.
After the Earth Immortal stage, one advances to the Heavenly Immortal stage. Cultivators in the Heavenly Immortal stage are considered important members of the sect and may be appointed as branch leaders of the Clear Water Sect in some smaller cities. They are so powerful that destroying an entire country is as effortless as exhaling. It is equivalent to the rank 8th mage stage.
Then, there's the Golden Immortal Realm. Golden immortals lead the Clear Water Sect's branches in major cities. They are so formidable that any conflict among them can inflict severe damage on entire continents. Fortunately, within the Clear Water Sect, large-scale disputes like these are rare. It is equivalent to the rank 9th mage stage.
The next stage is the True Immortal stage. A true immortal possesses an endless lifespan, can transcend the world entirely, and can obliterate regions as vast as Xia with a mere blink.
They are usually elders of the Clear Water Sect in big countries or the leaders in small countries. True Immortal is the Realm of Lei Xue. It is equivalent to the rank 10th mage stage.
Law Master immortal Realm, where one controls many laws. Cultivators in this Realm are usually Branch leaders in top countries. It is equivalent to the rank 11th mage stage.
Universal Immortal Realm; anyone in this Realm can become the leader of a Clear Water branch in a world. Clear Water has only one world, but this 'one' world contains many smaller worlds within it. Immortals in this Realm use universal laws lent by his majesty Lin Ming. It is equivalent to the rank 12th mage stage.
Finally, the immortal emperor Realm. The sect leader is in this Realm. There are other immortals in this Realm as well, but all use universal laws lent by his majesty Lin Ming, so they are not truly immortal emperors. It is equivalent to the rank 13th mage stage.
As for the final Realm, it doesn't have any name. It is where one becomes invincible, omnipotent, omniscient, absolutely able to do anything. There has never been anyone in this Realm. It is equivalent to the rank 14th mage stage.
As for whether higher realms exist, nobody knows; there has never been anyone close to the 14th Realm, let alone the 15th.
Some speculations about the 14th Realm might be false; as Lin Ming knows, there are already civilizations in the 14th Realm, and while they are strong enough to destroy all civilizations effortlessly, they are not omnipotent and omniscient.
He speculates that true omnipotent and omniscient should be in the 15th Realm, where one can completely control the creation and not just steal some energy from it.
As for whether it's possible to control the creation, it's above Lin Ming's pay grade.
...
Lei Xue looked at the pill container in his hand.
A few days ago, he found this in his room, and he was astonished. Who could sneak into his room without his permission? That alone indicated that this was not an ordinary item.
After a while, he found out it could talk.
"Hey, aren't you tired of ignoring me? I am saying I have permission from Lin Ming!" she said.
Lei Xue was displeased. How could she dare to refer to the sect master like this?
Rachel sighed and contacted the main body. The main body, in turn, reached Lin Ming. Then, Lin Ming called Lei Xue, which made him turn as pale as paper. His behavior did a complete 180.
"Master Senior Highness Rachel, please forgive me for my rudeness," he began kowtowing.
"It's alright. Now, open me and eat 100 pills," she said.
With Lin Ming ordering him, he didn't dare to neglect and did as he was told.
He opened Rachel, took out the pills, and swallowed without hesitation.
"Alright, now you are my host. Let's go!" she said. Both disappeared.
...
Rachel has many worlds under her control.
What sets her apart from other civilizations is that all her worlds have been stolen; she never created a world.
These worlds are of all types and located in various places.
Some of her worlds closer to her headquarters serve as breeding grounds for incarnations, while others further away are dedicated to discovering complete laws and decoding underlying laws.
She also has many reactors where mortals, under the influence of intense emotions, produce Realization points.
In addition, a few also serve as Universal energy refiners, where chaos energy gets transformed into valuable universal energy.
Some of her worlds are on the fringe, cultivating such as Void creatures, Dream creatures, illusion creatures, and the undead.
Void creatures can live in the empty void and feed from it. Those below rank 10 cannot survive in the endless space, as chaos energy kills them, but those above rank 10 can live and advance in the endless space.
The collective imagination of many mortals creates dream creatures. Usually, the world's laws don't allow their existence, but in some worlds, the laws are more permissive, and Dream creatures appear from time to time.
Illusion creatures are not real, only illusions. Still, one shouldn't underestimate illusions; they can be more dangerous than reality.
As for the undead, it's straightforward. Anything that had a soul, lost it, and still acts as if alive is considered undead. The undead are a highly adaptive species that can live in most worlds and advance in rank.
The concept of the soul is a complicated topic. In Rachel's database, there is a detailed explanation regarding it.
Living creatures have souls, while dead creatures do not. What separates the living from the dead? It's not always clear.
In some technological worlds, they can create mage robots indistinguishable from ordinary mages. These robots lack a soul, yet one cannot point to any discernible difference.
The same goes for the undead. While most undead are often considered ugly, some show no apparent difference from the living.
One distinction is that undead and robots do not produce any Realization energy. Anyone with a soul generates some Realization energy as they experience emotions.
There are other spells for detecting those with a soul from those without, but if one were to press Rachel and ask what difference they have, she could provide one clear answer: those without a soul cannot reach Rank 14.
The soul serves as a medium of communication and understanding of creation. Without it, one can read, study, learn, and gain wisdom, but one cannot truly "understand" creation.
Some undead creatures who reached Rank 13 devised spells to create an artificial soul because, without it, they have no hope of a higher rank.
...
Savior suddenly appeared in a desert. He looked at the sky with interest.
There was one moon in the sky, bright and whole. It's just that it emitted black light.
Black light is impossible with mortal devices. Light, by nature, is bright. But here, it is not an ordinary place.
The undead inhabit this world. They themselves are a paradox, being dead while also being 'alive.' Black light is the same, a paradox, being light but also dark.
If a mortal were to look, they would see nothing. Even if one were to light a fire, still, no light would appear because the black light from the moon suppresses all other light.
"Lei Xue will arrive soon," Rachel said.
This time, she brought Savior to explore this world. Other incarnations Also brought other hosts to other worlds.
When the main body ordered it, she felt it was weird. Lately, in the last 100,000 years, the main body has become too generous. Nevertheless, she did as instructed.
"I'm excited to meet him!" said Savior.
He was curious about the undead. It is an excellent opportunity to strengthen his understanding of the universe, maybe even a hint regarding the complete laws.
He looked around, but nothing was there, only a strange, crystalline white, shiny 'sand.' Of course, in this place with no light, it never shone.
Suddenly, something large appeared in the sky. It was a giant, Rank 6 bat. Bats were suitable for undead worlds because they thrived in the darkness.
It was not just a bat; it was an undead bat. It 'looked' at Savior, then trembled and flapped away much faster than it had come.
Savior was surprised. He was not deliberately hiding his aura, but he wasn't revealing it either. To discover his rank, the bat was not simple.
Just then, a slight vibration came, and a man in a robe appeared.
He looked pale and thin. However, with a single look, Savior concluded that he would have no chance against him.
The man cupped his hands and said respectfully, "Greetings, fellow...," but he stopped.
He wanted to say 'Daoist,' but remembered that this man was from another world, so he was most likely not a Daoist.
"Fellow...," he struggled to think of what to call Savior.
"Call me Savior," said Savior.
Lei Xue smiled and greeted again as if nothing had happened. "Greetings, fellow Savior."
Rachel told him that the two were equals and were exploring this world together.
"I am happy to meet you, Master Lei Xue. I have heard a lot about you. I will be in your care during this journey," he said humbly.
With only a Rank 8, he could easily perish in this world. This world was under Rachel, but it was unique; Rachel had a minimal presence here, so anything could happen.
Lei Xue nodded and asked, "Fellow Savior, what do you think of the moon?".
From the moment he arrived, he had been captivated by the moon. Undead also existed in the Clear Water world, but not as prominently as here.
"Indeed, the moon is eye-catching," Savior nodded. He could tell that the moon here had a physical form, unlike at home, where it was just a phantom.
Lei Xue handed him a piece of paper with words written on it.
It looked very unusual, like something from an art museum. "This is the 'Like Wind' talisman. With this, fellow Savior can keep up with me," he explained. Then, Lei Xue provided instructions on how to use it.
Savior ignored 'fellow Savior' and took the talisman. He nodded and then tore it, guiding its energy.
It was designed so that even a Heavenly Immortal could use it. Of course, he wasn't a Heavenly Immortal, but he could manipulate the energy without any problem. This 'Talisman' resembled spell crystals in many ways.
Lei Xue was impressed and nodded.
Then, the two leaped into the sky and sped toward the moon.
The moon appeared to be quite distant, and they were moving fast. Even with the speed of Rank 9, they traveled for four days and only got a bit closer.
Lei Xue said plainly, "Fellow Savior, it's best if we move faster."
His meaning was obvious.
Savior wondered why Lei Xue used "fellow" every time, but he nodded.
Lei Xue cast his Rank 10 dao spell 'Wind,' took Savior with him, and disappeared.
Regardless of when you look, the speed of light is the speed limit of the universe.
The reason is that light is a massless particle, which naturally moves at the maximum speed allowed. If the speed limit of a world is 1 million kilometers per second, light moves at that speed, and if it's one quadrillion kilometers per second, then again, light moves at that speed.
The speed of light is not a specific number; it always moves at the maximum allowed speed. It's impossible to move faster than it.
However, that's only for those below Rank 10.
Those of Rank 10 and above can move faster than light, and we're talking about actual movement, not simply jumping through space.
They can create a local, specific, and temporary exception in the world's rules. This ability doesn't work in all worlds, and it only functions in Rank 12 worlds if the owner allows it. But in Rank 10 and 11 worlds, it usually works.
This undead world is a Rank 11 world, and its space is extremely unstable.
Teleportation is risky, even for Lei Xue. So, he decided to spend some energy and create an exception. It allowed him to move thousands of times faster than the speed of light.
In just a few breaths, they reached the moon.
Using the "Windstop" Dao spell, he immediately stopped without any problems and looked around.
Savior was dizzy.
In those few moments, they had moved so fast that he could never have imagined it possible. Even as a Rank 8, he wasn't sure exactly how fast they had moved. Perhaps he could have calculated it if he knew the distance to the moon.
But the sight distracted his thoughts.
"Bones!" he exclaimed.
As far as his eyes could see, there were bones, all humanoid bones.
Some of them started moving.
"It looks like the moon is an undead creating factory," said Lei Xue. Savior nodded.
"Let's move deeper and observe the core!" Lei Xue said. He was very curious since his second complete law that he was preparing to create had a lot to do with the undead.
However, Savior wasn't particularly curious. He didn't have anything to do with the undead.
After much thinking, he had chosen his complete law to be the Complete Law of Life.
"Savior, pay attention to this. You may be able to create a new complete law if you try hard," Rachel said.
Of course, she wouldn't let Savior get away with the Complete Law of Life. After all, it had already been discovered, and she had given the formula to Savior.
Instead, she wanted Savior to discover a new complete law, something between life and death. She knows that such a complete law exists.
She did have many complete laws like it, but what Savior discovers might not necessarily be the same as those. Even if it's slightly different, it's enough to be considered a new one.
Laws of life had been explored to death, so it is very unlikely that Savior could discover anything new in that field.
But the combination of laws of life and death, along with some other fringe elements like illusions, are less explored.
She planned to guide her hosts to explore those. This was the main body's order to all Rachels.