"Take your time to think through it," The black-armored giant looked down at Wu Yuan. He still hoped that Wu Yuan would concentrate solely on the path of the eldritch warrior.
It was a path with fewer obstacles. However, as a spirit, he abided by his program, and did not harbor any intentions of deceiving Wu Yuan.
A momentary silence filled the air.
"Realm Master, I have come to a decision," Wu Yuan began slowly. "I still have plenty of time before reaching my human limits. There is ample time for consideration. I will start by treading the path of the eldritch warrior. Once I am no longer a novice of this path, then I will consider whether I want to simultaneously practice both paths."
There was still time to make a choice. Moreover, Wu Yuan had yet to delve into the intricacies of eldritch cultivation. Without experience, he could not make an informed decision.
Wu Yuans first option was to become an eldritch warrior. If he had the ability, he would also pursue the path of an eldritch mage. By having an additional path, it might mean one more option available to him in the future.
"Very well! Your thoughts are not misguided," the black armored giant intoned, gazing down at Wu Yuan and sighing. "I too have seriously contemplated this matter. As my time is nearly at its end, I will bestow upon you all the cultivation methods, treasures, and experiences that I possess. However, your future cultivation will depend solely on you. I cannot decide how far you can go. At the end of the day, the choice of cultivation path lies with you. After all, I am nothing more than a spirit!"
"Follow me," he beckoned. With those words, the radiant throne upon which the giant figure in black armor sat vanished, and his slightly ethereal form landed on the metallic ground. Next to him, Wu Yuan seemed like a dwarf in comparison.
"Realm Master, are eldritches not human?" Wu Yuan gestured towards the colossal jade platforms surrounding them, unable to contain his curiosity. "Why are the seats here so immense?"
Chuckling, the black-armored giant replied, "Hehe, once you become a strong eldritch in the future, your physical form will also grow to extraordinary proportions, forming a true eldritch body. In fact, this applies to all types of cultivatorswhen they attain great power, their bodies expand accordingly."
"The enormity itself represents a certain level of strength," the giant continued. "For instance, qi refiners who surpass the Amethyst Cradle phase and transform into Void Refiners have immortal bodies as large as their soul voidrealms. The immortal bodies of mighty beings can effortlessly span the entirety of the Summerpeak World."
"As for body refiners, even without mentioning the legendary Archeldritches, an eldritch like Hou Feng can crush the entire Middle Land just by lying down when he reveals his dharma body. The practitioners with blood devil bodies are even more terrifying in size," the giant revealed. "Legend has it that there are some unique cultivation systems and life forms, such as the World Ringworm, capable of devouring entire worlds."
"So, don't be daunted by the size of this place," the giant assured Wu Yuan. "For transcended cultivators, it's actually quite small and constricting. Most of the eldritch cultivators here are still initiates, after all."
Wu Yuan blinked. Conversing with the black-armored giant, he realized just how limited his own experiences were and how vast and mysterious the world of cultivators truly wasfar beyond his imagination.
With curiosity and excitement, Wu Yuan followed the black-armored giant to the end of the hall, a towering expanse that seemed to stretch endlessly. Standing at its base, Wu Yuan couldn't help but feel like a mere ant in comparison. The wall before him was overwhelmingly colossal, devoid of any embossments or decorations. At the very bottom, there lay an astonishingly massive jade platform.
This jade platform seems to be the largest one. It feels as though a multitude of eldritches congregated in the hall to listen to the speaker preaching the Dao on the jade platform.
From the layout of the hall, it was easy to make these deductions.
The black armored giant soon came to a halt. He reverently bowed before the jade platform, and with a wave of his hand, a scroll painting materialized on the colossal wall behind the platform. The portrait on the scroll depicted a striking woman, her countenance both human and serpent-like. Draped in earthy-yellow attire, she possessed seven hands sprouting from her back, each in a distinct gesture. Cradled in two arms at her bosom were two serene giant serpents. Though confined to a painting, she emitted a sacred luminescence, containing a power beyond comprehension.
Wu Yuan's breath hitched as he gazed upon the painting. A mere peripheral glimpse of the woman's eyes sent an overwhelming and chilling wave of pressure cascading over him. It was as if his very thoughts were frozen, trapped in a relentless grip of terror.
What...what is this? Wu Yuan looked down, bewildered and unnerved. A mere painting and a single gaze can possess such power?
Yet, an uncanny sense of familiarity tugged at Wu Yuan's consciousness. It felt as though he had encountered her before, in some distant memory.
"Wu Yuan!" The black-armored giant's voice pierced through Wu Yuans thoughts. He turned to Wu Yuan. "I shall ask you one final time. Will you join the eldritch lineage as a member of the Hou Feng Tribe?
If you reject this offer, I shall erase your memories, leaving no trace of your time in the Fourth Eldritch Temple. But if you accept, I will exert every ounce of my strength to assist you on your path to becoming a formidable eldritch," boomed the voice of the giant in black armor.
Erase his memories? Wu Yuan couldn't help but be amazed by the other party's extraordinary abilities. But, having prepared himself ahead of time, Wu Yuan had no intention of declining. Solemnly, he declared, "I am willing!"
"Excellent! Centuries, millennia from now, I shall not regret the decision I made today," the black-armored giant nodded with satisfaction. "Eldritch warriors, unlike other body refiners, possess a crucial advantage: the existence of powerful Eldritch Progenitors!"
"The Eldritch Progenitors are the oldest ancestors of the eldritch lineage, the very source of it. They hold various authorities over the orders of heaven and earth, and are one of the peak powerhouses of heaven and earth."
"Since the dawn of creation, generations of eldritches have evolved from feeble to mighty existences thanks to the guidance of the Eldritch Progenitors." In a low, solemn tone, the black-armored titan spoke, "The Eldritch Progenitor revered by my Hou Feng Sect wields authority over the order of the land among the various progenitors, and is known as the Earth Empress and Central Mother, the Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu!"
Hou Tu? Wu Yuan's eyes widened. Once her name was spoken, he finally knew why the lady in the painting felt so familiar. Hou Tu was a legendary entity from the classical mythologies of his past life.
Now, it appeared that she was one of the Eldritch Progenitors from the eldritch lineage?
Although Wu Yuan didn't fully comprehend what was an Eldritch Progenitor or what it meant to have authority over the order of the land, a whirlwind of thoughts flooded his mind.
Mythical legends, the ancient ruins of the Blue Planet's black pagoda, the progenitors of the eldritch lineage... All these fragments of information converged, convincing Wu Yuan that the Blue Planet and the vast cultivation civilization he was now in were subtly intertwined!
Is there some enormous secret behind the black pagoda and my transmigration? Wu Yuan's heart raced. Is it possible for me to return?
The idea of returning left Wu Yuan with an insatiable yearning. The world he once knew, the loved ones he held dear, they were not forgotten, but rather buried deep within his heart as there was no apparent path back to them.
But now, with the mention of Hou Tu, a glimmer of hope ignited within Wu Yuan.
If the ancient legends held any semblance of truth, if they were but a reflection of reality on the Blue Planet, then surely a connection had to exist. Surely there was a way back!
As Wu Yuan mulled over these thoughts, an authoritative voice broke his contemplation.
"Wu Yuan," the armored giant bellowed, "The primal eldritches, and even the weaker eldritch tribes of today, rely on their own strength or natural treasures to establish their foundation for Communion. Alas, their foundations are feeble, restricting their future progress."
"But you are lucky, as I possess the true image of the Eldritch Progenitor. It is an unparalleled treasure, passed down when the Eldritch Progenitor propogated her Faith. My Hou Feng Tribe, despite our many years in the Greenridge Macrocosm, possesses only three such treasures. And now, there is but one remaining.
Kneel and pay homage to the Eldritch Progenitor! Gaze upon her image and envision it within your heart, silently pray, and call out the name of Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu." The armored giant declared, "The eldritch cultivation heritage will be naturally transferred to you. Once bestowed, you must activate the cultivation method. I shall aid you in merging with the eldritch treasure, together forging eldritch tattoos and establishing the best foundation."
Understood." Wu Yuan nodded, placing his trust in the armored giant's words. After all, it had mystical abilities. Deceiving him was unnecessary.
Wu Yuan knelt, kowtowing in reverence. Then he lifted his gaze, looking at the sacred image of the Eldritch Progenitor Hou Tu. Wu Yuan's willpower was strong. Initially, the pressure from the image was overwhelming, causing discomfort within his soul. However as time went by, Wu Yuan began to feel the weight lessen gradually, as if the once mighty and unattainable image now emitted a maternal aura. This warmth permeated his being, akin to the loving gaze of a mother.