The Giant! . . .
Cha Eun Xiao was left in a state of shock, and then a surging power filled every inch of his Jing and Mai, surging back intensely into his dantian. The strength was so overwhelming that it felt as though it were pushing its way inside with unrelenting force.
Then, with another thunderous "boom," he lost consciousness.
In those fleeting moments before succumbing to unconsciousness, he perceived an eerie voice.
—Clatter—
"What is it?
Flowing water?"
In that brief moment, he retained some semblance of clarity. He registered the sound of Bing-Er taking a shower...
But in the next instant, he slipped into unconsciousness.
All he knew was that his spiritual awareness had entered a vast emptiness.
Before him, a luminous path stretched out, seemingly without end.
Cha Eun Xiao trod upon this path aimlessly, his gaze locked onto the distant light. He followed its glow unceasingly.
He walked and walked and walked...
The passage of time became an enigma; he felt as though he had journeyed thousands of miles. Darkness and silence enveloped him, and he was left with the eerie sensation of solitude, as if he were the last living being in the world.
Despite the prolonged walk and distance covered, the light remained distant.
Were he an ordinary person, patience might have deserted him, and questions would have filled his mind. Had he taken a wrong turn? Did this path not belong to him?
Yet, his thoughts remained resolute. "I'll persist along this route. Though the light may seem unreachable now, as long as I keep advancing, I'll eventually reach it. There's no place beyond my reach. I must understand the source of this light, uncover what awaits at its end."
And so, he continued to walk.
Just as he made this commitment, the distant light abruptly expanded. With a soft, breath-like sound, it was suddenly right before him.
Cha Eun Xiao could not discern whether he had reached the light or if, somehow, the light had drawn near to him.
Inexplicably, the light had drawn near to Cha Eun Xiao.
As he scrutinized it, the light transformed into something more discernible—a colossal figure.
Or so he thought.
It wasn't a mountain or a person—it was a colossal entity, a gargantuan man standing with his head seemingly lost amidst the heavens, his arms like celestial bodies, and feet firmly planted on the ground. His colossal frame remained immobile, eyes tightly shut.
Cha Eun Xiao found himself dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of the figure before him. This gigantic being, with a toe larger than a thousand human bodies, was a stark reminder of his own insignificance. He was certain that if this colossal entity were to fall, he, even at the pinnacle of his former Dao Origin Stage cultivation, would be incapable of evading the ensuing catastrophe. He would be utterly crushed, with no chance of survival.
"There exists such a colossal being in the world!" Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but exclaim, deeply awed by the wondrous creations of the divine.
While he pondered the significance of this encounter, his gaze shifted to the source of the brilliant light. He had been so taken aback by the colossal figure that he had momentarily overlooked the origin of the radiance. It was not the colossal entity itself that emanated the light; rather, it radiated from an object held within the giant's left hand.
Cha Eun Xiao's mind buzzed with questions.
"Who is this colossal entity? Why am I here?"
He sensed a connection between this place and the Boundless Space, as well as his ongoing cultivation of the East-rising Purple Qi. However, he struggled to fathom his purpose in this enigmatic realm and the actions he should undertake.
Could it be that the colossal entity had summoned him here?
Lost in contemplation, he suddenly cried out, "What is your intention in bringing me here?"
But there was an eerie silence. Cha Eun Xiao strained to hear his own voice but found that he produced no sound, and even his own words remained inaudible to him.
He repeated his query with even greater urgency, "Where am I?"
Yet again, there was only silence.
He couldn't hear himself speak.
He stood there, baffled and dismayed.
"What is happening?"
He cast a longing gaze at the colossal entity before him but gleaned no answers. Lowering his head, he searched his own thoughts for solutions, but no practical explanation emerged.
Desperation coursed through him as he endeavored to return to his own body. He understood that his spiritual consciousness had journeyed to this place, while his soul remained separate from his corporeal form.
Once his spiritual consciousness reunited with his body, this mysterious tableau would likely dissipate.
This was how Cha Eun Xiao found himself tethered to the Boundless Space. The place where he now stood appeared to be a unique realm, akin to the Boundless Space, with the potential to allow him to traverse it at will. However, despite his yearning for more profound understanding of this space, he was stymied by his inability to return to his own body.
Frustration gnawed at him as he experimented with various approaches, each one failing to reunite him with his corporeal form. Throughout this perplexing journey, the colossal entity remained a steadfast presence, never wavering from its stance, eyes securely sealed.
Cha Eun Xiao silently implored himself, "How can I return?"
Gradually, as he composed himself, he settled onto the ground, adopting a cross-legged position. Lost in contemplation, he mused, "Why has this colossal entity presented itself before me? What purpose does it serve? What message does it intend to convey?"
His brow furrowed as he mulled over these enigmatic questions.
"I arrived here while cultivating the East-rising Purple Qi. Perhaps this is a pivotal stage in mastering the second level of the East-rising Purple Qi. I must overcome this phase," he speculated, his doubt-filled conclusion forming in his mind.
While he pondered these thoughts, a subtle shift occurred in his surroundings, causing him to gaze up apprehensively at the colossal entity.
What met his eyes filled him with both awe and trepidation.
The colossal entity, previously unflinching, had parted its eyelids, its gaze directed toward the distant horizon. As its eyes opened, a profusion of vibrant colors blanketed the world, casting a mesmerizing kaleidoscope in the sky. Rainbow bridges, unmoving and ethereal, extended endlessly, suspended in the heavens.
The colossal entity's eyes remained fixed in the distance, and it stirred as though preparing to convey something...