Once upon a time there was a greedy snake.

Chapter 353: The New Generation Replaces the Old
The starry sky is so vast that it can even be said to encompass everything.

Or to put it more bluntly, it has everything.

Nothing is impossible, and nothing is unthinkable. This is exactly what they mean. After the young Ignivas man, Songbo, briefly read through the secret methods of those so-called "ghost cultivators," he had to admit that this cultivation method, titled "The Secret Record of the Mysterious Soul in the Netherworld," had some merit.

From the perspective of the Ignivas, most of the content is nonsense, such as taking specific drugs at fixed times or making specific gestures in specific places—these are basically unrefined empiricisms, which would probably have no effect in practice and at most only provide some psychological suggestion, making people feel that they are seriously practicing.

But after digging out all this junk, there is still some substance inside, just like the method of condensing consciousness into a spiritual body hidden beneath those lengthy scriptures.

"In the words of other races, it's about using consciousness to actively condense a second, or even a third, soul, but all souls can be under one's control... Forget it, this theory just doesn't make sense."

Upon reading this, the young man with the singing bowl shook his head.

This is also where the Ignivas system conflicts with the mainstream cultivation system in the current Star Sea. The mainstream power system in the current Star Sea is mainly divided into three major categories: body, consciousness, and soul. Although the ways of expression may differ, they are ultimately based on the same principle.

However, the Ignivas do not value the soul.

In the Ignivas system, there is no such thing as a soul; consciousness is the integration of the body, the entirety of everything—which directly leads to the fact that even if the Ignivas seize the cultivation methods of other races, they may not be able to absorb and utilize them.

But the Ignivas insisted that they were right, even though they had come to understand the many other power systems in the Star Sea. They still had their own understanding of power.

And sometimes, they can even prove themselves right.

"I've said it before, what our ancestors passed down is the correct one."

Recalling the contents of the secret method, the young singing bowl sighed.

If the theories about the soul circulating in the Star Sea are truly correct, then after dividing the soul into several parts, which one is the real self?

On the contrary, it is those who completely disregard the so-called soul who can understand how to cultivate these secret techniques.

It's nothing more than a division of consciousness. No matter how many parts it's divided into, the unifier is still oneself.

"It's like... oh right, like those tin man drones."

Songbo still remembers that it was the third civilization he destroyed after he came of age, and also the one from which he gained the least, simply because that alien race didn't even have flesh and blood bodies; they were clearly one after another, humanoid figures made of steel.

In the popular parlance of the Star Sea, this is what is known as "silicon-based life," which is not flesh and blood, but life forms composed of so-called inorganic matter. Although they are inorganic, it does not mean that they cannot fight. In fact, it is precisely because their entire bodies are composed of machinery that they have another form of life.

They can quickly absorb minerals for temporary assembly, or they can simply split their bodies apart to attack enemies. Songbo still remembers the scene of the overwhelming steel waves rushing towards him.

If he hadn't already mastered his cultivation to the point where he could burn everything to ashes, he probably would have become the first Ignivas to be killed by the natives.

"However, that style of play does have its merits."

Recalling his past memories, the singing bowl nodded subconsciously.

The great serpent god once taught the Ignivas that the essence of battle is throwing stones. The only difference is what kind of stone you throw: a sharpened stick, a burning flame, or something more complex.

Clearly, throwing out a part of one's consciousness is also a form of throwing stones. This method even aligns with the teachings of the serpent god.

"Then it's up to you."

Looking at the consciousness that had been separated from itself, the singing bowl patted the other person on the shoulder.

However, the consciousness aggregate in front of him did not give any reaction. After all, it was a part of him. At this moment, Songbo was like looking in a mirror, except that he could control the body on both sides of the mirror. This method of control was not unfamiliar to him. After all, when he occasionally encountered the subspace, Songbo had also gone in to explore. He had also experienced the so-called "out-of-body experience".

"It seems that many times, it's just a matter of different names, but the underlying issues are actually quite similar."

With that thought in mind, Songbo calmed down and focused on controlling the actions of the aggregated consciousness.

In a sense, the consciousness aggregate is also a singing bowl, so whatever the singing bowl can use, the consciousness aggregate can also use—just like now, the moment it appeared, the consciousness aggregate was already enveloped in flames, just like the singing bowl next to it.

Then, this second singing bowl, so openly and naturally, flew towards the homeland of the Ignivas.

The original singing bowl remained in place, while another singing bowl flew back to its homeland. This was less a covert exploration of a trap and more a blatant provocation of the ambush setter.

"Since things have come to this point, it's impossible to hide it anymore... We might as well be more direct and see what tricks you have up your sleeve."

This is the consistent style of the Ignivas. They rarely use intrigue; they admire strength and are used to straightforward tactics. Even when they encounter rare situations that require thinking, they always use open strategies to force their opponents to respond, rather than resorting to complicated tactics like countering each move.

After all, the simpler something is, the more stable it is.

The Ignivas, who have traversed the cosmos for many years, know very well that true truths are often not complicated.

"But...it doesn't seem like there's any ambush?"

Until it landed back on its homeland, the young Ignivas singing bowl didn't sense any ambush.

There seemed to be no new attacks, and everything seemed to be going on as usual, which puzzled Songbo, as things were quite different from what he had expected.

But in the current situation, it seems there is indeed no ambush. Not only has he not encountered any danger, but he has even seen the great serpent god worshipped by the Ignivas in the distance.

The enormous serpent's body was indeed as majestic as the elders had described. Even Songbo, who had seen much of the starry sea, couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size of the serpent's body.

But then, the singing bowl's eyes started to look strange.

It was because the eyes on the snake's back, like wings, were looking in his direction.

Their eyes met, and Songbo's brows immediately furrowed.

"And who are you?"

(End of this chapter)