Chapter 3642: Proposition
Chapter 3642: Proposition
The Sky God held a private audience inside the courtyard, with just Alex and Bladedance present. Everyone else remained outside.
As soon as they were alone, the Sky God spoke.
"Congratulations on your breakthrough. That was an incredible show you put on for all of us."
Alex smiled slightly and bowed in thanks. "It was not my intention to put on any show, I’m afraid. In fact, I’m surprised anything even happened at all."
The Sky God slightly raised her eyebrows. "It sounds like you weren’t expecting to gain a Dao."
"I wasn’t. The Dao took me by surprise as much as it did to anyone else," Alex said, before narrowing his eyes a little. "Is that why you are here, Your Majesty?"
"Is there another reason why we might be here then?" the Sky God asked with a genuine expression of curiosity.
Alex gave an awkward smile. "I couldn’t possibly know," he said.
The Sky God shrugged. "Anyway, we were hoping to learn just what Dao it was that you’ve managed to learn. I will be honest, I have never in my life sensed any Dao similar to what you’ve gained this time around. No one else I’ve talked to has managed to figure it out either."
"And if she doesn’t know, I have no way of knowing either," Bladedance added.
The two looked at Alex hopefully, waiting for him to speak.
"It’s a Dao about Spirit roots," Alex answered.
"Spirit roots?" the Sky God’s eyes narrowed. "You learned a Dao about Spirit roots? Is that even possible?"
"It is. And more specifically, I learned how spirit roots interact with one another to help or hinder a person’s cultivation speed."
The two gods were left staring with no small amount of surprise, as well as a bit of apprehension in their eyes. They didn’t exactly trust what he said. Although, that was less to do with their lack of trust in his words, and more so to do with just the impossibility of such a Dao being learnable.
"You understand how spirit roots function now?" the Sky God asked.
"Um... yes."
It was difficult to separate the meaning between understanding spirit roots’ functions and their interaction. One was knowledge he gained from the Book of Boundless Healing more than anything, and the other one was a Dao. They were closely related, so Alex simply answered with an affirming nod.
"We sensed that it was quite powerful," Bladedance said. "So I’m assuming that it’s not a combat-related Dao then?"
Alex shook his head.
"There were two Daos, not just one," the Sky God said. "What was the second one?"
"The second one was a combined Dao between the one I just received and one I had received a long time ago," Alex answered.
"Oh? A combination Dao?" she asked with some surprise.
Alex nodded. "Actually, this might be a good chance for me to ask about this. Do either of you know what a Greater Dao is?"
"Of course," the Sky God said as though it was a simple question that wasn’t worth asking.
"Why do you ask that?" Bladedance asked.
"The second Dao I gained is a Greater Dao," Alex explained. "But I have never heard of one, so I was curious."
"You haven’t?" Bladedance asked. "Don’t you have True Daos though?"
"Oh? Do you?" the Sky God raised an eyebrow slightly, fascinated by the news.
"I do..." Alex answered slowly. "Is it related to a Greater Dao somehow?"
"Sort of," Bladedance answered. "It’s weaker than a True Dao, and less difficult to learn. It has less Daos involved in it."
Alex found that doubtful. "Greater Daos are less difficult to learn than True Daos? That doesn’t sound right, master. I already have 2 True Daos, but this is the first time I’m learning of a Greater Dao at all."
"Well, that’s because you are way too talented, especially when it comes to the elements. Elements usually don’t have Greater Daos. They simply have lesser Daos that directly combine to become a True Dao once you learn enough."
"In the case of Daos not relating to the elements, however, they are far too different, so when you learn something, you end up combining them in strange ways, creating Greater Daos. Those Greater Daos can later combine once again to become an actual True Dao."
"So, in a way, Greater Daos are a stepping stone between lesser Daos and True Daos in instances where there are too many to learn."
Alex slowly nodded, gaining a deeper understanding of what he had come to know. A Greater Dao was worse than a True Dao when it came to quality, which made sense. It had formed after Alex combined just two Daos after all.
In that case, there was some Dao out there greater than this one as well, that he could continue to learn and grow at. Considering Alex had learned enough about spirit roots by now, he had a vague feeling that spirit roots would not be what he could improve upon.
’Is it the elemental interactions then?’ Alex wondered.
"Can you explain what exactly it is that you mean when you say your Dao has to do with how spirit roots function?" the Sky God asked.
Alex saw no reason to hide his knowledge at all. In fact, he saw an opportunity in that moment and took it immediately, explaining the work his Dao could perform. Upon hearing that he could give the exact changes that needed to be made to a person’s existing Spirit roots to further improve their cultivation speed, the Sky God immediately came up with a proposition.
"Would you mind checking my people and seeing what they can do to improve? I would appreciate it if you could."
Alex made an expression as though he had to think about it, but this had been what he had hoped to get from the start, so he quickly nodded.
"I can," he answered. "But in exchange, I must ask two things from you, senior. So long as you can help me with them, I agree."