Kael frowned slightly.
"A domain?"
The words lingered in his mind as he recalled Varek’s earlier explanation. If he remembered correctly, a Domain was born when one’s will became powerful enough to impose a Law upon the world, forcing reality itself to acknowledge its existence. Yet there was one problem.
He hadn’t even comprehended a single Law.
It wasn’t that he doubted Varek’s judgment. Quite the opposite. If Varek said he had awakened a Domain, then there was undoubtedly a reason for it. The problem lay with Kael himself. There were simply too many things he didn’t understand about this world.
For a brief moment, an absurd thought crossed his mind.
If only he could absorb every single memory Varek possessed.
The idea was undeniably tempting. Varek had once stood at the level of a Quasi-Transcendent, an existence that had spent countless years walking the path of cultivation. His understanding of the world, of Laws, Domains, techniques and countless forgotten secrets far surpassed anything Kael could hope to learn through ordinary means.
If he inherited all of those memories, he would no longer stumble through the world blindly.
Unfortunately, that was nothing more than wishful thinking.
Varek’s memories were simply too vast.
Even after losing the overwhelming majority of them, what remained still represented a lifetime so long that Kael couldn’t even begin to comprehend it. The amount of information contained within those fragmented memories was astronomical. His current mind simply wasn’t capable of bearing such a burden.
If he forcibly absorbed everything at once, there was only one possible outcome.
His consciousness would collapse beneath the sheer weight of the information.
If he was lucky, he would merely suffer a complete mental breakdown.
If he wasn’t...
His mind might simply shatter.
That was why he had never dared to greedily absorb everything. Instead, he carefully sifted through Varek’s memories, selecting only the fragments that were immediately useful. The Primordial Genesis Sutra was one such example. Beyond that, he left the remaining memories untouched, allowing them to rest peacefully within Varek’s soul until the day he became strong enough to handle them.
As if sensing the doubts running through Kael’s mind, Varek spoke.
"A Domain is, at its core, the act of imposing one’s own will upon the world’s Laws. When that will becomes powerful enough, the Laws respond. Some are subdued, some bend, and others are temporarily suppressed. That interaction is what gives birth to a Domain."
Kael listened quietly.
"There are naturally many ways to reach that stage," Varek continued. "However, the most common method is through comprehending a Law. As one’s understanding deepens, they gradually gain the ability to use that Law to suppress other natural Laws before ultimately forming a Domain."
He paused for a brief moment before continuing.
"That being said, comprehending a Law is not the only path. As long as one’s will is powerful enough to directly influence the world’s Laws and force them into submission, a Domain can still be formed."
Kael’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"So Law is just... the easier route?"
Varek nodded.
"Precisely. It is far easier to manipulate the world’s Laws using another Law because they share the same foundation. Using an external force to influence those same Laws is considerably more difficult, but difficult does not mean impossible."
His gaze slowly shifted toward Kael.
"Take your Mental Domain as an example."
"While consolidating your bloodlust, your will reached a level capable of constructing a Mental Domain. It is not born through comprehension of Law, but through the manifestation of your own consciousness."
Kael’s heartbeat quickened.
Imposing one’s own will upon reality...
Just hearing those words made his imagination run wild.
He didn’t fully understand the principles behind it, but one thing was abundantly clear.
It was absurdly powerful.
Varek noticed the excitement flickering across Kael’s face and spoke.
"Do not become too excited just yet, Master."
"Your Mental Domain has not fully matured."
Kael tilted his head.
"What do you mean?"
"It is currently in the earliest stage of development."
Varek calmly continued.
"Most cultivators refer to this stage as the Mind Palace."
"Others call it the Sea of Consciousness."
"It is the foundation upon which a true Mental Domain is built."
Kael frowned.
"So... it isn’t actually a Domain?"
"Not yet."
Varek shook his head.
"A true Domain must possess the ability to physically interfere with reality. It must suppress the Laws governing existence itself before it can truly be acknowledged as a Domain."
He gestured toward Kael.
"Your Mental Domain still exists solely within the realm of consciousness. It functions much like an illusion, dragging another person’s mind into your world while leaving their physical body untouched."
Kael slowly nodded.
Although it wasn’t yet a complete Domain, he wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.
On the contrary.
The ability to drag an opponent’s consciousness into a battlefield where his own will held the advantage was already terrifying enough.
If this was merely the beginning...
Then what would it become after fully evolving?
Just imagining it made him eager to continue growing stronger.
A smile crept onto his face before he stretched his shoulders.
"That’s good enough for me."
He rolled his neck before looking toward Varek with renewed interest.
"Since I’m already here..."
"Let’s spar again."
Originally, he had planned to return home and finally get some proper sleep after solving the bloodlust problem. Unfortunately, that plan had been completely ruined after his earlier battle with the shadow.
It was a wake-up call as to how weak his current combat experience was. So since he was already here, he might as well make the most of the opportunity.
There was no better training partner than a former Quasi-Transcendent.
Every exchange with Varek exposed flaws he never knew he had.
Every defeat taught him something new.
His combat experience grew at a speed that would make countless geniuses green with envy.
Varek inclined his head.
"As you wish, Master."
Dark shadows immediately began gathering around him, preparing to condense into shadow constructs.
However, Kael suddenly raised a hand.
"No."
Varek stopped.
"This time, no shadow."
A grin slowly appeared on Kael’s face.
"I want to fight you directly."
"I don’t want another clone."
"I want to temper my close-quarters combat against someone who actually knows what they’re doing."
For a brief moment, silence filled the throne room before Varek smiled.
"As you wish, Master."