Dao Wei opened his eyes, finding himself in a place that was neither Zara World nor Mythrial, where the SkyTower stood. This was a desolate land, a vast expanse of sand dunes and towering mountains stretching endlessly into the distance. The place was barren, devoid of life, not even a single tree in sight. The sky was obscured by a thick blanket of debris, making it impossible to discern its true color.
"What the…? Where the hell am I?" Dao Wei muttered, his voice laced with shock and confusion. How had he ended up here?
"Ah! There you are…" A male voice, calm and somewhat amused, interrupted his thoughts. Dao Wei turned to see a man clad in brown robes, the fabric covering his entire body, with a hood pulled low over his face. Only the outline of his figure, his hands, and the lower half of his face were visible.
"Hey, there…" the man greeted casually.
"Who are you? Why am I here? What's going on?" Dao Wei's questions tumbled out in rapid succession, his mind racing to make sense of the situation.
"Calm down… What's your name again?" the man responded, his tone almost teasing. "Wait, I know it… Dao Wei, right?"
Dao Wei stared at the stranger, wondering how he knew his name. But given all that had happened recently, this didn't surprise him as much as it might have before. It only added to his growing confusion. "Yes… Now, can you tell me why I'm here? And why won't you tell me your name?"
"You just passed your rebirth trial. It's time for your first lesson." The strange man smiled, his expression unreadable.
"Wait, like now? I'm in the middle of something…" Dao Wei protested, thinking of his impending breakthrough. He wasn't ready for a lesson, especially not in a place like this.
"I know… That's exactly why you're having a lesson." The man's explanation did little to ease Dao Wei's concern.
"Is this real? Or some kind of illusion? Who are you?" Dao Wei pressed, still trying to grasp the reality of his situation.
"So many questions," the man sighed, though not unkindly. "I'll tell you what you need to know. Don't you think that if I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead?"
Dao Wei couldn't argue with that logic, though it didn't make him feel any better about the situation. He looked at the man with a mix of suspicion and reluctant acceptance.
"Now stop asking stupid questions and follow me," the man ordered, turning away and starting toward the distant mountains.
'Who the hell is this guy, and why did he bring me here?' Dao Wei thought as he hesitated for a moment before following.
They soon arrived at the foot of a mountain, where they stopped before a grand statue of some ancient creature.
"What do you see?" the strange man asked, his voice calm but expectant.
"A giant creature made of stone?" Dao Wei answered, though his uncertainty was clear in his tone.
"Yes…" The man stepped aside. "And now? What do you see?"
"A man fighting that creature?"
"Yes… By gaining more information, your understanding changed." The man's smile widened, as if pleased by Dao Wei's progress.
"I don't think I get your point," Dao Wei admitted, shrugging his shoulders in confusion.
"Look closer," the man instructed, his tone patient.
Dao Wei stepped closer to the statues, examining them in greater detail. They were incredibly lifelike, as if the figures had been frozen in time rather than carved from stone. "They're really well-done statues of a primitive man and a creature," he observed.
"Is this representing some past event or something?" Dao Wei asked, hoping for clarity.
The man approached the giant creature, running his hand along its lower jaw with a reverence that suggested deep knowledge. "Yes and no… Everything you said is correct, except for the statue part."
"What do you mean?" Dao Wei asked, his curiosity piqued.
The man returned to Dao Wei's side, his expression serious. "They're real, and they represent a past event."
Dao Wei's confusion only deepened. "I still don't get it. Why is that important right now?"
"Follow me…" the strange man said, resuming his walk toward the mountains.
Dao Wei followed, his mind racing with questions. As they climbed the rocky terrain, the man asked, "What did that old man teach you? Where did magic or cultivation come from?"
"If I remember correctly, they both come from Allesterium," Dao Wei replied, trying to recall the lessons of his past.
"And where did that come from?" the man probed further.
"A meteor?" Dao Wei guessed, though he wasn't entirely confident in his answer.
"And what happens when those mortals who can cultivate or use magic get closer to pure Allesterium?" the man continued, his tone probing.
"They get stronger?" Dao Wei responded, unsure of where this conversation was leading but hoping to satisfy the man's inquiries.
"Look down," the man instructed, pointing to a spot below.
There, nestled among the rocks, was a massive golden stone that looked like Allesterium. Beside it lay a skeleton, large and ancient, resembling that of a dragon.
"And how do you feel?" the man asked, his tone now more serious.
"I… don't feel anything different… Is that Allesterium?" Dao Wei asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Yes… The biggest Allesterium rock you'll ever see," the man confirmed.
"I'm going to need more help… I don't get it," Dao Wei admitted, the confusion in his voice clear.
The strange man turned to him, his smile warm but laced with something unreadable. "You don't feel a thing near the biggest chunk of Allesterium? Mortals get stronger… Demons should get weaker. But you… Nothing?"
Dao Wei's mind flashed back to the first time the old man had brought Allesterium to him. He had felt stronger then, but he had also fainted. "What does this mean?" he asked, feeling a growing unease.
"That Allesterium has no effect on you. That you are a different kind of mortal… or demon?" The man's smile turned mischievous.
"I'm no demon!" Dao Wei retorted, his voice firm.
"How are you so sure? Do you even know what you are?" The man laughed, a sound that grated on Dao Wei's nerves.
"It doesn't matter what I am… It matters what I do!" Dao Wei replied, his voice calm despite the turmoil inside him.
The man's laughter echoed around them, but it seemed more approving this time. "Yes! That's the spirit. I'll tell you something… Allesterium does, in fact, enhance mortals' power. And it does weaken demons and devils. But it didn't come from a meteor; it came from the gods."
"The gods?" Dao Wei recalled Lucid mentioning something about magic coming from the Golden One.
"Now, time for a gift," the strange man said abruptly, pulling out a red crystal. It was about ten inches long and four inches wide, with pyramids at each tip.
"What's that?" Dao Wei asked, his attention drawn to the stone.
"This is a Soul Stone, and it's yours now," the man said, looking at the crystal with a peculiar intensity.
"And what does it do?" Dao Wei asked cautiously, not willing to accept anything without understanding its purpose.
"Whenever you defeat an enemy, the stone will try to steal their soul," the man explained, his voice calm as if discussing something mundane.
"The same way deities absorb the souls of their followers after they die?" Dao Wei asked, intrigued by the comparison.
"Yes, exactly. Once the stone is full, you can absorb its power into yourself," the man continued.
"Really?" Dao Wei's excitement grew at the prospect. He had always been able to absorb the souls of his opponents, but it had been an unconscious act. Now, with the Soul Stone, he could harness that power more effectively.
"Yes… But beware… Using the stone doesn't come without consequences," the man warned, handing Dao Wei the stone.
"What kind of consequences?" Dao Wei asked, his caution returning. But before the strange man could answer, the crystal began to glow a bright red.
"It likes you!" The man seemed genuinely surprised, his expression betraying a mix of awe and satisfaction.
Dao Wei felt a strange sensation, as if his very essence was being stirred. The Soul Stone was merging with him, its bright red light intensifying.
"Aggg… It burns!" Dao Wei cried out as an unbearable pain spread through his hand, the stone searing into his flesh.