256. What's in the White Light
From the outside, the attic appeared unremarkable, yet inside it radiated with luminous light.
The space wasn't particularly large—only enough for five or six people to stand shoulder to shoulder.
Two small redwood shelves stood neatly arranged on both sides, filled with various manuals—these were the source of that radiant, luminous light.
The Redeemed Spirit stood behind me, holding a skull, and explained, "The Golden Body methods are on the right, while the left contains materials about Ward of Nature."
This was clearly the repository where New Terra stored all its high-level technique manuals.
Not only were these manuals few in number, but they had placed Ward of Nature techniques alongside the higher-level Golden Body methods of the Fifth Realm. It seemed Aisha Patani's claim might be true—the Martial Abbey hadn't truly mastered the Path of Nature.
I quickly surveyed the room. On the right shelf, I counted exactly twenty-three manuals, many of which were damaged with blood-like stains permeating their covers.
"These were all written by Vessels of Redeemer over the generations. The damage is quite normal."
Senior Brother Fairweather carefully placed the skull in a corner, straightened the cranium, then turned to retrieve a manual and handed it to me. "There are twenty-three Golden Body methods, but only thirteen are complete."
"Twelve of them can condense a forty-foot Golden Body."
"Only the remaining Mount Sinai Golden Body method can forge an eighty-foot Golden Body."
I took the manual and quickly flipped through.
A line of text appeared on the panel.
[Vessel of Redeemer - Lion-heart Golden Body: untrained]
Without rushing to mobilize my lifespan, I closed the panel and asked earnestly, "Does larger size necessarily equate to greater strength?"
After numerous battles, I discovered that a vampire's strength doesn't necessarily correlate with its size. Lady Taurymne's true form, for example, was merely thirty yards long—minuscule compared to the Pacific Leviasaur spanning two to three thousand feet.
However, the difference in strength between the two was inversely proportional to their size.
Lady Taurymne could likely crush that fully harmonized old Leviasaur with a single blow.
"Golden Bodies are condensed from the power of faith. In most cases, larger size does indeed represent more substance and strength."
Senior Brother Fairweather displayed no elder's arrogance, nor did he dismiss my question as foolish.
After years of training, he had thoroughly internalized one fact.
Before a true Fifth Realm Breaker, all others were essentially the same—like people walking on a precarious cliff bridge. Some might have steadier steps and move more quickly, leaving others far behind.
But...
If the bridge had no end, then the speed of walking would become meaningless.
"I want to see the Mount Sinai Golden Body method," I said, looking toward the shelf.
"Alright."
Senior Brother Fairweather wasn't surprised; every Upper Realm Seeker of Redeemer who visited wanted to see this method first, without exception.
His body floated upward as he gently retrieved the manual from the highest position. Placing it in my palm, he advised, "Actually, the so-called Golden Body method doesn't necessarily require practicing the most powerful one. It's better to choose one that suits yourself."
"Suits me?"
I quickly leafed through the manual again.
[Vessel of Redeemer - Mount Sinai Golden Body: untrained.]
"The most important threshold for a Seeker of Redeemer breaking through to the Vessel of Redeemer Realm is to clearly understand what those white lights truly are—the ones you casually disperse while operating in the Fourth Realm."
Senior Brother Fairweather casually pulled down a strand of white lights from the air, rolling it between his fingertips. "Would you like to try?"
This minuscule amount of faith power wouldn't even register to a harmonizing H.A.R.M. General.
I raised my eyebrows and reached out to touch it.
The moment my fingertips touched the white lights, an irritating, cacophonous sound erupted beside my ears—like a swarm of flies buzzing.
"..."
I instinctively closed my eyes, and despite my now remarkable consciousness, it still took me a while to discern the nature of the sound.
It was thousands of people whispering simultaneously, each telling different stories and expressing completely opposite emotions.
Greed, wrath, worry, fear, joy, melancholy.
"The sword light we casually wield, the palm winds we unleash—they are all formed by the gathering of these thoughts."
"Using devotional power as heavenly energy to enhance oneself—sitting at home with endless energy at your disposal—is naturally comfortable and pleasant. Realm Breakers outside of Martial Abbey even call it a 'shortcut.'"
Senior Brother Fairweather said in a soft voice, "Shortcuts... always come at a price. Now you must use these things to condense a new body, which means these thoughts become your own."
"The first threshold of the Golden Body method is to choose a way to digest these miscellaneous thoughts, preventing them from becoming your demons."
He pointed to the manual in my left hand: "The Lion-heart method chooses to guard—guard one's homeland, guard the national gates, guard the common people—making this a covenant."
Then he pointed to the manual in my right hand: "The Mount Sinai Golden Body method chooses to suppress. As for what it suppresses... I'm not quite sure. Our patriarch created this method of suppression ... so once his Redeemed Spirit was damaged, he suffered backlash."
"Whew." I finally digested that strand of white lights, feeling mentally exhausted.
After hearing Senior Brother Fairweather's explanation, I finally understood why the Martial Abbey Patriarch appeared to have dementia. Being constantly bombarded by such cacophonous thoughts all day—how could anyone possibly maintain a clear mind?
"I've examined all twenty-three methods but found none suitable for me."
Senior Brother Fairweather floated gracefully past the shelves, his fingers delicately tracing each manual as he moved.
A strange smile appeared on his face. "After much thought, I finally understood—it's because my talent is too exceptional. I've walked this path quickly and steadily, never encountering any obstacles. People praise me, vampires fear me, therefore... I simply cannot empathize with the mundane thoughts of the common people within this faith power."
"In my heart, there exists only my path to the Fifth Realm."
"Now at the end of my journey, I find that among the twenty-three great doors, not a single one will open for me."
"I traveled everywhere, seeking to experience once more the life of ordinary people, but I am already the highest-realm martial artist in New Terra—how could I possibly recapture such an experience?"
"Mentally exhausted and unable to sleep, I vowed to protect New Terra and attain the Lion-heart Golden Body... I could deceive everyone, but not myself, nor this vast devotional power."
He was a prodigy who had reached the Upper Realm of the Fourth Realm by age forty.
In his eyes, the mundane world and its people were mere ants in soil holes, incapable of touching his heart. Whether he claimed to guard or suppress them, even if he repeated such promises thousands of times to himself, it would remain nothing but a lie.
"Junior Brother."
Senior Brother Fairweather stopped walking, turned to look back, his smile tinged with bitterness. "I faintly heard them say earlier—are you also a prodigy?"
"..."
I pondered for a moment, then gently shook my head. "Not really."
Once at H.A.R.M. Cascadia, a robust young man blocked the door and asked, "Aren't you a genius? Why don't you have any pride?"
My response at that time was... I certainly am not.