My Living Shadow System Devours To Make Me Stronger Chapter 1053 - 1055: Talk With The Old Man

The Blind Old Daoist slightly lifted his head, appearing to listen to something far beyond the chamber rather than to Damon and Lilith who stood before him.

"This very place was created utilizing complex magic. I am not learned in the ways of mana, so I am foreign to that field. I must confess my own ignorance on the matter. However, based on my years of experience, I anticipated a great treasure would be here."

Damon offered no reply. He remained stationary, shoulders set, his gaze fixed upon the old man with a steady, inscrutable stare. Even his breathing was regulated, slow and measured, as if any sudden movement might disrupt the tomb's delicate stillness.

"For that reason, I took a chance. Since I was venturing into the Abyss, who knew how many years it would take for me to manage leaving that dreadful place."

A subtle current of air wafted through the chamber, causing the old man’s wispy white hair to drift gently across his shoulders. The luminous vines woven into his body pulsed faintly, mirroring the rhythm of the lake situated behind him.

"I employed a few seals and managed to bypass this location's protective magics. With a single sword stroke, I severed space itself and entered this burial ground. I had hoped to discover some ancient inheritance. Who could have foreseen it was merely a seal designed to suppress gods."

His tone was nonchalant, almost amused by his own misfortune. Then, abruptly, his expression brightened, and his voice rose with an excitement that seemed oddly misplaced in this somber graveyard.

"But then, I observed this lake. I recognized immediately that it was an extraordinary heavenly treasure. My senses were not mistaken. It was truly heaven-defying. Hahahahah. My journey into this world was not in vain."

Damon's lips curved slightly. He could already surmise the remainder of the tale.

"Then you attempted to touch the lake, unaware that it possessed additional seals. You became imprisoned here. And judging by your condition, you never had the opportunity to utilize the Lake of Tears."

The old Daoist offered a faint smile, showing neither offense nor embarrassment.

"Indeed. However, I did get the chance to study it. I can state with certainty that this is a profoundly significant treasure. Its origins might appear unpretentious, but its creation was an act born from the very will of the omniverse."

Damon's eyes narrowed slightly at this. He was aware that the omniverse, as a whole, possessed its own intent. A peculiar tendency to guide events toward unforeseen outcomes. Nevertheless, his understanding remained incomplete.

"When you refer to the will of the omniverse, do you mean everyone's will, excluding the true beings?"

The Blind Old Daoist slowly raised an eyebrow, and a subtle sneer graced his lips.

"The true beings possess a will, do they not? And they are part of the omniverse, are they not? Therefore, they are incorporated into this collective will. I will not dispute that they are more potent than the will itself, but it is also recognized that the true beings we encounter and coexist with are not their genuine selves. They are merely avatars, wielding but fragments of their actual power."

Damon experienced a quiet vexation at this notion. It was already inequitable that such entities could forge and dismantle worlds at their whim. The fact that they accomplished this without even employing their true forms exacerbated the injustice.

"You previously mentioned the Abyss in the Sky Continent. Is that a legitimate method of departing this world?"

Damon inquired directly. There was no point in evading the question. He understood he could not outwit a being who had existed for countless millennia.

The old Daoist’s expression grew slightly darker.

"It is not. Only a lunatic or someone truly desperate would dare the Abyss. It is a realm of horrors and nightmares. The Abyss never is, and it never will be. It is perpetually present and has never existed. Conventional rules cease to apply there, and no rules exist at all. Even the god of the Abyss is a tormented spirit within his own dominion, conflicted yet seeking absolution. He yearns for silence despite being a deity. Pray you never encounter the Abyss."

The words carried an ominous weight, laden with profound meaning, yet they conveyed little concrete information to Damon. His subtle frown did not go unnoticed.

The old Daoist sighed and tilted his head upwards.

"The Abyss is ancient. It existed even before the pillars were formed. Older than existence itself. It bore witness to the genesis of all things. I once heard the god of magic, Malivon, suggest it was an eye belonging to the Unknown God, cast from the future or perhaps lost. The Abyss represents a mystery beyond all comprehension."

He lifted a frail hand and gently, almost tenderly, touched his closed eyes.

"The Abyss has observed all and knows all. Those who pursue truth often seek to peer into it. When you gaze into the Abyss, it gazes back, and you are confronted with revelations you should not witness, truths you should not comprehend. I once gazed into the Abyss. When it returned my gaze, I faltered."

A soft sound interrupted the stillness.

Drip. Drip.

Crimson streaks of blood trickled from the edges of his milky, sightless eyes, tracing paths down his pale cheeks.

"My survival hinged on a mere blink. In exchange, I lost my vision and perceived nothing. Yet, I saw the truth. That was the path a solitary rogue cultivator like myself ascended so high. I pray I never have to see again. The Abyss frightens me. The thought of regaining my sight fills me with dread."

His words held no hint of exaggeration, only a profound, unadulterated fear. His blank, white eyes, devoid of life and light, brimmed with a terror too immense for mere words.

He then added, his voice dropping to a near whisper, as if imparting a caution to himself.

"Should you ever encounter the Unknown God, do not meet his gaze. Never, under any circumstances, look into his eyes. It is precisely for this reason that he perpetually wears a mask. His stare must never cross yours."

Lilith remained silent throughout his confession. Damon could sense her shallow, tense breaths beside him. Unbeknownst to him, her fingers had subtly tightened their grip on his arm.

Her voice, when she finally spoke, was measured.

"How does this manifested Abyss assist in departing this world?"

She recalled Damon once mentioning a peculiar band of adventurers hailing from another realm. One among them was an anomaly known as Unnoticed Singularity, who harbored the belief that reaching the Sky Continent would grant them a means to escape this existence.

The Blind Old Daoist inclined his head slightly.

"The Abyss represents the domain of the Unknown God. Wherever his influence extends, an Abyss will manifest. It appears differently across various worlds, but one should always seek out what seems to spiral into infinity. These lesser manifestations form connections to the greater Abyss, which in turn links to innumerable worlds."

The flow of blood from his eyes gradually lessened, eventually ceasing altogether. He lifted his head, gazing towards the dark expanse of the ceiling above.

"The Goddess of Doom has ensnared this world within a dreadful seal. Even if every one of us were to combine our might to its absolute limit, breaking it would be an impossibility."

He then lowered his gaze towards the luminous Lake of Tears, its gentle radiance casting a faint reflection upon his ashen skin.

"The Abyss embodies despair. Yet, within its depths, a sliver of hope resides."

He allowed a significant pause to hang in the air before concluding.

"After all, no absolute truths exist in the presence of the Unknown God."