Chapter 24: The Heaven-Defying Effects of the Enchanted Golden Apple

After taking a bite, Taiyin tasted nothing; his mouth remained empty, as if he had merely bitten into thin air. The golden cubic fruit in his hand also remained completely unscathed.

He hesitated for a moment and tried taking a few more bites. Again, he felt nothing in his mouth and tasted nothing, yet the golden cubic fruit vanished into thin air.

Even with the reflexes of a Supreme Sovereign of the Extreme Path, Taiyin could not observe the process of how it disappeared. One moment it was there, and the next, it was gone.

Once the Enchanted Golden Apple was consumed, a strange expression appeared on Taiyin’s face. He turned his focus inward to examine his Wheel Sea. The so-called Wheel Sea, the first step in a cultivator's journey, is located beneath the dantian and represents the life force and vitality of a cultivator. The Wheel of Life within the Wheel Sea, much like the rings of a tree, accumulates marks over time, signifying the passage of life.

Yet now, even though Taiyin had just entered his fourth life, a minute, barely perceptible mark—etched by time since the beginning of this fourth life—suddenly vanished.

"It seems to have the same effect as the potion that previously allowed my remnant consciousness to condense a wisp of primordial spirit and living blood."

Taiyin examined his palm, sensing an invisible, mystical force shrouding his body, providing a faint defensive layer. "It is likely capable of deflecting a few strikes from a battlefield general among mortal warriors."

He frowned and flicked his hand, releasing a sliver of divine power in a strike at the level of the Wheel Sea realm to test this invisible field. The force shattered, but some strange power remained.

"Hmm!" Taiyin’s eyes shifted; he had discovered an anomaly. After he shattered the fragile defensive layer, a portion of the residual force of his own attack was simply erased from existence.

With a thought, a spark of brilliance bloomed from Taiyin’s fingertip, transforming into a swarm of lifelike little bees that collided with his body one after another. The first bee possessed the power of the Wheel Sea realm, the second the Dao Palace realm, the third the Four Extremes... As the thoughts flashed, the swarm of bees vanished. Taiyin realized with shock:

"A full twenty percent! This force surrounding me has erased twenty percent of the power directed against me!"

One must understand that as a Supreme Sovereign of the Extreme Path, whose control over power reached the pinnacle and who resided permanently in the Divine Forbidden, Taiyin could manifest anything from a supreme killing blow to a gentle breeze. His mastery was precise; he could detect even the faintest fluctuations. Yet now, whether it was an attack capable of killing a Ninth-Heaven Quasi-Emperor in an instant, or a force too weak to move a grain of dust, twenty percent was, without exception, erased by this strange power.

Exactly twenty percent—no more, no less! Furthermore, Taiyin could not sense this power diminishing in the slightest.

What a terrifying concept this was. In a battle between experts, a single flaw is fatal. Being able to erase twenty percent of an enemy's attack meant he could completely ignore the strikes of an opponent of similar cultivation. He could force his way through their offense and shatter their defenses in an instant. If this magical effect held true in a battle of Supremes, Taiyin was confident he could face three opponents of equal standing simultaneously and even slay them all. They wouldn't even be able to escape!

With this shock, Taiyin took the other items—the honey bottle, the healing potion, the cake, and the bread—from the box to test them one by one. Fortunately, aside from the red cubic potion—the healing potion, which possessed the miraculous ability to mend the marks on his Wheel of Life—the other items did not display effects as heaven-defying as the golden apple. This brought Taiyin a small sense of relief amidst his astonishment.

He looked at the cubic fellow before him with complex eyes and sighed: "Fellow Daoist, this special power of yours is so vast that its limits cannot be seen! If those with ill intentions were to discover your power, they would spare no cost to control you and claim it for themselves."

After a moment of silence, Fang Zheng looked at the silent, black-haired man and asked eagerly: "How was it? Did it taste good? Was the golden apple sweet or flavorless? How was the texture of the cake? And what about the healing potion..."

Taiyin smiled. Looking at this cubic companion—whose face remained expressionless yet whose youthful spirit was palpable—he replied in clear, articulate speech, mimicking Fang Zheng’s accent: "The golden apples have no taste, but the medicinal properties are indeed remarkable."

"Oh?" Fang Zheng was stunned. "You can speak now... no, wait, you learned my language?"

Taiyin nodded with a smile: "I can converse for the most part. A bit more chatting, and I will have mastered it entirely."

"Shall we talk of the past to pass the time?"

Fang Zheng hurried to say: "Sure! Let me tell you first..."

Finally having found someone to talk to, Fang Zheng began to ramble, sharing his name, his past experiences, complaining about his circumstances, and telling stories of the White Tiger and Vermilion Bird that had attacked him after he crossed into this world. He also asked for Taiyin’s name, his past, how he arrived here, why he had left a blood lake, whether that blade tip was his weapon, and why he had suddenly grown younger.

Terrified by his long imprisonment, Fang Zheng spilled everything without reservation.

Taiyin, who had lived for over forty thousand years in life and spent hundreds of thousands more as a remnant consciousness without fading, was, despite his youthful appearance, a man of great age. After listening, he smiled and began to recount his own past.

Being able to chat with a living being made Fang Zheng very happy. He and Taiyin talked for an unknown duration, and Fang Zheng felt himself gradually calming down, no longer as anxious as before. The mark of despair left on his spirit by his imprisonment seemed to fade as well.

As they spoke, Taiyin suddenly stood up and invited him with a smile: "Little Friend Fang Zheng, after some calculations, I have re-locked the coordinates of my homeland."

"I intend to pierce through this void and return to the home I have been away from for hundreds of thousands of years. Would you like to come along as my guest, so I may fulfill my duties as a host?"

Fang Zheng was stunned, then nodded his cubic head frantically, answering loudly: "Yes, yes, I'll go!"

Taiyin nodded and held out his hand: "Then turn off your flying mode and come stay in my palm for a while; I am returning home."

Fang Zheng hurried to comply. Taiyin reached out, his five fingers gently grasping the air. The space-time around Fang Zheng instantly tore, folding into a scroll that Taiyin drew into his palm. This was identical to how he had previously collected the bedrock. Although Creative Mode was immune to all attacks, by cutting through space itself, one could bypass this invincible defense and trap him temporarily.

Looking at Fang Zheng in his palm, who had offered no resistance and allowed himself to be taken, Taiyin could not help but sigh: "This is truly... to possess such indescribable power, yet retain the mind of an ordinary youth."

"The power to create from nothing and control infinite resources is so formidable, yet limited by a mortal mind, unable to fully realize its potential."

"Perhaps this is the balance of the Heavenly Dao."

"If one were careless and discovered by wicked men, it would be all too easy for them to lead him astray."

However, Taiyin’s tone shifted, and he laughed heartily: "But... a life-saving grace cannot be repaid. Since you trust me so, I shall be your true friend."

"I will surely respond to this kindness of yours with a good heart."