Chapter 895 - 434: Eternal Prison
"Delving too deep?"
Li Ang looked at Diao’s outstretched hand, hesitated for a moment, but chose to support himself with the Magic Staff and stand up.
He pondered the words of the Great Witch.
"Do you mean that I have transitioned to a level where I can directly observe the Spiritual Horizon, which is deeper than the so-called ’Transcendent Realm’?"
The old man walked towards the ancient tree bookshelf where the ancient scrolls were placed. The statues sitting quietly there gave Li Ang a creeping sense of unease, as he couldn’t understand why in the Transcendent Realm, they would "come to life," nor could he decipher their intentions when they interacted with him.
On the stone table beside the bookshelf, various spirituality-rich materials were placed, drawing magic power and transforming the stone table into a miniature habitat. Some areas were covered in moss, vines tangled around, and even flowers and berries grew.
These materials were used to craft special ink for inscribing words on animal skin and tree bark.
The elder picked up a glass bowl containing unfinished ink, plucked the small fruit beside it, and squeezed out its juice. As the liquid in the bowl grew fuller, he handed the bowl to Li Ang.
During this process, the elder’s withered hand brushed over the surface, disturbing the original state with magic power.
"Look."
Li Ang was taken aback, the ink in the bowl had an oily appearance, very similar to the world of colors he had just seen.
In this Land of Ten Thousand Spirits, many things didn’t quite adhere to the rules of the Material Dimension. Li Ang could sense through the spirituality in the ink that it still possessed life force.
Soon, the ink seemed to breathe, its oily colors shifting, forming layers.
The middle layer of the original suspension became transparent, the transparent area looking like a bubble. Had the liquid surface not remained flat, Li Ang might have thought some reaction had occurred inside, producing gas.
A faint luminescent layer surrounded the transparent area, separating the transparent liquid from the other colored liquids outside.
Beneath the luminescent layer was a thick, mud-like inky substance.
In the middle were distinct pools of colored, separated ink.
The topmost layer of the liquid was a thin film, a mix of extremely bright white and black dots, differing from the dense black below, giving an ethereal sensation, as if it could vanish at any moment.
Li Ang slightly tilted his palm, causing the black and white mixed layer on top to actually evaporate a bit.
"This is the world of the Spirit," the elder said.
Li Ang carefully observed the form of the separated ink.
Here, witch priests rarely spoke the truth directly, preferring instead to convey through hints and metaphors. This wasn’t because they were charlatans, though they indeed were, but they weren’t using unclear language to obscure understanding.
The Great Witch had said that language could influence the Ten Thousand Spirits, causing unnecessary changes.
Will telling me the truth of the spiritual world provoke something unpleasant?
While pondering, Li Ang speculated on the meaning of the scene before him.
That transparent portion resembled the layer people observed before them, broad and expansive.
Outside this visible world, a layer of luminescence wrapped around it.
This luminescence was similar to the ground beneath his feet; all along his journey, whether moss or low plants, they all bore this glow.
In the Land of Ten Thousand Spirits, wherever Li Ang went, he could see such luminescence.
"Between the Material and Magic Power Dimensions, there exists a dimensional membrane. Is this wetland located here similarly situated?" Li Ang asked.
The old man nodded lightly.
So that’s it, no wonder the miasma islands of Zultin Marsh in the skies of Nebis differ greatly from where they stand now. But to say this place is no longer within the Material Dimension wouldn’t make sense either. When Li Ang previously delved into the Magic Power Dimension, he discovered the drastic differences between the two. Most rules here still operated according to the ways of the Material Dimension.
If deduced from this manner...
"Beyond the luminescent layer, is there a brand new dimension apart from the Material and Magic Power Dimensions? The Spiritual Dimension, in other words?"
To the first question, the elder nodded, but he shook his head at the second query.
Suspecting his intent, Li Ang continued to ask.
"Does the Spiritual Dimension not exist?"
The old man shook his head.
"It exists, but not everything beyond the luminescence is the Spiritual Dimension?"
The elder affirmed with a nod.
Observing the liquid in the bowl, beyond the transparent and luminescent separating layers, there were three parts of sludge, oil colors, and a black-and-white dome.
As he pointed his finger at these locations, the old man only nodded when he indicated the oil colors; he shook his head at the other areas.
Finally, the Great Witch also extended a slender finger resembling a withered branch, pointing at the junction between the oil colors and sludge.
"Beware."
Beware of the things the sludge represents?
In this regard, it seems that after Li Ang entered the Spiritual Horizon, he indeed glimpsed into the Spiritual Dimension, achieving the Transcendent Realm.
But was he harmed because he fell towards the part where the sludge was located?
"Was I just there?"
Li Ang looked at the spot in the ink indicated by the Great Witch.
"Yes."
"And the place you originally intended for me to go, beyond the door, is where those oil colors reside?"
"Correct."
"What is that sticky sludge beneath the luminescent layer?"
"That is corruption and curse, things that have been excluded by the world apart from the connection of Spirit and Spirituality."
The Great Witch said, "Although material gives birth to Spirit, and Spirituality draws magic power, it is fundamentally transcendent of both, hence individuals with stronger spirituality find it easier to change the world."
This knowledge was taught by the Great Witch to Li Ang back then, and mentioning it again now was to guide further discourse.