Mystery: The Ultimate Tarot

Chapter 408 Hedao

The words of the "Netherworld Man" made Raphael fall into deep thought once again.

Is it possible that many of the rules of this universe are specifically designed for humanity?

"The Underworld Being" gave Raphael another ten seconds to think before continuing, "Do you remember what we talked about before, those wills hidden in the collective consciousness of humanity, those wills that once fought against the ancient beings of this universe?"

Raphael nodded: "Of course I remember."

"According to what the Celestial Master learned from the Wilderness of Knowledge," said the "Netherworld Man," "After the Old Ones split off from the Original in various ways, the Source Matter and Extraordinary Characteristics immediately began to attract each other."

"The original" was already in a dormant state. In order to avoid being sucked back into "The Original", the Old Ones each cut off a part of their characteristics and authority, deceiving the laws of extraordinary characteristics. They were able to escape into the depths of the universe and hide, thus avoiding reunification with "The Original".

"Because she was the Fallen Mother Goddess," she was the first to come up with this idea, and she was also the first to cut off the characteristics, so these characteristics quickly acquired a certain level of consciousness.

"That is the source of all intelligent life—"

Raphael suddenly smiled, because he recalled a similar story that "initially" had told him.

However, in that story, the Great Old Ones felt that the universe was too desolate, so they took the initiative to create humankind, and each Great Old One "contributed" a portion of their power.

Raphael thought to himself: I actually believed that back then! I should have known better; those sons of bitches from the past wouldn't be so kind.

The "Netherworld Man" continued, "The first batch of intelligent beings had a very high potential. If my speculation is correct, even without the right methods like magic potions, they should have been able to become the Old Ones much more easily than they are now."

"Humans belong to the first intelligent beings—you may not have a good grasp of this, so let me give you an example. In our memory, the individual human being is actually very weak. A natural disaster can take our lives, and a serious illness can take our lives."

"Furthermore, we have no way to move freely in the universe, which means that our exploration of the universe will be extremely difficult."

"But the human spiritual world, or the space of imagination, is very, very vast. A normal person only needs one room, but our imaginary space seems to be able to contain the entire world. As a result, our spiritual space is too empty, and we have to fill it with some illusory religions and gods."

"This is because humanity once had a very high ceiling. Our rich and colorful imagination and extremely strong willpower were all matched with that ceiling. But now humanity's ceiling has been lowered, so humanity's power is completely mismatched with its spiritual world."

Raphael nodded slowly, indicating that he understood the meaning of "the Underworld Man".

Raphael felt very relaxed talking to the "Man of the Underworld." He could find appropriate analogies to many obscure and difficult principles and instantly understand what the man wanted to express.

After receiving Raphael's feedback, the "Plutons" continued, "Later, the Great Old Ones sensed the threat of the first intelligent beings, so they awakened the First Ones," and together they changed some of the rules of this universe.

"No one knows exactly how it was done. During that cataclysmic event, humanity and other first intelligent beings suffered a tremendous impact. Chaos and distortion dominated everything, and the first intelligent beings quickly became second-rate beings in their respective worlds, and were on the verge of extinction for a long time."

"I can't investigate how many intelligent beings later made a comeback, but one thing is certain: the previous understanding and experience of the extraordinary world created a significant gap. At the very least, humans became extremely vulnerable, and when they came into contact with the extraordinary, they could easily lose control and turn into monsters."

At this point, "the Daoist of the Underworld" paused for a moment.

Raphael seized the opportunity to ask, "Before the world's destruction, why didn't I sense anything related to the extraordinary, nor did I hear any news about them?"

"This is the way people summarized back then for dealing with extraordinary beings," said "The Underworld Man." "Look at the North and South Continents now. They've started treating people like dirt again, and the regimes protected by extraordinary beings are almost impossible to overthrow unless they choose the wrong side in the battle between gods. Such regimes are very unhealthy."

"Later I found some evidence that, in addition to our extraordinary research back then, we also had the power to make extraordinary efforts in preparation for the impending apocalypse. But because their enemies were too powerful, those efforts all failed."

"So my psychic and I speculated that the extraordinary individuals among humanity at that time must have completely separated themselves from ordinary society. This method made both extraordinary and ordinary societies healthier."

Raphael nodded: "I see."

"The Daoist of the Underworld" waved his whisk and continued, "Although some people have lowered the lower limit of humanity, we cannot merge with the Dao according to the lowered lower limit, but must merge with the Dao according to the upper limit."

""

Raphael paused for a moment before asking, "How high should the ceiling be?"

"The best!"

Raphael was somewhat surprised: "This—this—"

Is this really possible?

"The Underworld Taoist" smiled and said, "You don't need to be so surprised. We always have to set our goals high; what if we succeed?"

At this point, he sighed, "However, currently, the pinnacle of 'Dao Integration' is achieving a greater harmony with the Source Essence."

"The Man of the Underworld" looked at Raphael: "The 'Holy Monk' said you have the potential for a breakthrough. No one can be certain of the truth of such a prophecy, but for us, it is ultimately a hope."

Raphael nodded: "I understand."

"Alright, now that we've covered the theory, let's talk about the details of cultivation." "The Daoist of the Underworld" said, "Spirituality is the most basic manifestation of the extraordinary, or rather, it is the medium that humans can use to drive the extraordinary."

"But spirituality, like extraordinary qualities, is ultimately an external force. The first thing you must do is combine your inner drive with this external force to form a synergy," and this synergy is the foundation of "aligning with the Tao."

He paused for a moment and then said, "You should have seen some Sequence 3s from the Western Continent, which can draw upon the power of heaven and earth within a certain range."

Raphael recalled Liang Jitang, the "Great Monk" of the Dark Lodge, and nodded.

The "Netherworld Daoist" said, "This requires extremely high comprehension and unwavering willpower. Those who can reach this stage are extremely rare; that is the initial state of 'Unity with the Dao.'"

Raphael remembered that Leung Kei-tong's power was almost on par with that of an angel. It seemed that if he experienced the feeling of "being in harmony with the Dao," he could probably be raised to a higher level out of thin air!

However, one must reach Sequence 3 to attempt to merge with the Dao, because at this level, an anchor is needed to respond to prayers, and it seems that one is beginning to move closer to the divine. In the theory of the "Netherworld Beings," this means having the ability to influence heaven and earth.

Then the "Netherworld Man" began to explain in more detail. He first talked about how to perceive the "inner drive" that forms a "combination" with one's spirituality and characteristics. Raphael listened for a while and felt that it was like a spiritual force.

After the "Netherworld Taoist" gave a detailed explanation, Raphael asked the questions that had been on his mind, and then went to the side hall to begin his cultivation.

Raphael knew very well that this was destined to be a long process and that he had to remain calm.

The northern continent, Backlund.

Earl Hall hosted a New Year's party, which was attended by many prominent nobles, and even a prince from the royal family attended.

Audrey was in a corner, smiling and chatting with a friend.

After becoming a saint, Audrey didn't really like attending such banquets anymore, because she could see all the hypocrisy and lies around her. She then discovered that there were hardly any truths spoken in such occasions; it was all about testing each other and flattering one another.

However, as the daughter of a powerful noble family in Rune, she could not appear to be out of place.

So whenever she attends such events, she chats with a few friends in a corner, trying to avoid contact with too many people.

As they chatted, Audrey seemed to sense something. She turned her head and saw that Raphael had appeared on her other side at some point.

Audrey was somewhat surprised. As a fellow saint, she should have sensed Raphael's impending appearance.

But Raphael had already appeared, and she only just noticed!

Audrey couldn't help but wonder: Is Raphael not in promotion sequence 3, but in promotion sequence 2?

However, she didn't show her surprise at all, and said to the friend she had just been chatting with, "Let me talk to this gentleman for a bit first."

Audrey's friend glanced at Raphael, but under the influence of the "audience" ability, she didn't notice why there was suddenly another person around her.

She "remembered" that this was indeed a friend of Audrey's, and it was normal for the two of them to chat for a bit alone. So she smiled, agreed, and left.

Raphael, dressed in an incongruous trench coat and shirt, naturally accepted a glass of wine from the waiter: "Thank you for your help last night; otherwise, the situation would have put me in a lot of trouble."

Audrey smiled elegantly: "It's just a small favor between friends, no need for special thanks."

Raphael, or rather the "demon personality," said, "Then—I owe you a favor. Just ask when you need it."

"6

Audrey didn't refuse any further: "Okay."

Looking at the nobles talking so eloquently, the "demon personality" suddenly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "This year has really gone by."

Audrey glanced at Raphael, sensing that he was preoccupied, and followed up on the topic, saying, "Yes, it's gone in the blink of an eye. But a lot has happened this year."

The "Demon Personality" took a sip of his drink: "Yes, the war is over, and it seems like peace has been restored. But the Extraordinary Realm is still far from tranquil."

Audrey chimed in at the opportune moment, "This might be a harbinger of the end of the world."

The "demonic personality" belatedly realized: "You're giving me therapy?"

"It's not exactly treatment," Audrey admitted. "I noticed you seemed to be under a lot of pressure, so I wanted to help you relieve it."

The "demon personality" chuckled: "That's fine too. I have been under a lot of pressure lately."

Audrey immediately stepped into the role of "psychologist": "Many times, the biggest difficulties are set by ourselves. We feel lost, unsure if we are doing the right thing, and we lack confidence, thinking that the problems we face are difficult for us to solve. But at the same time, we also have perseverance and an indomitable spirit."

Hearing these words, Raphael felt a surge of unwavering courage within him. His previous apprehension and confusion seemed to dissipate, replaced by an indomitable spirit and determination.

The "demon personality" breathed a sigh of relief: "You are an excellent psychologist. I feel much better after just a few words."

Audrey smiled gracefully. "This is my profession. Alright, let's talk about something else. Have the people of Sen'er City settled in?"

"One-third have arrived at the island I prepared for them, another third are on their way, and the last third are resting at the exit," Raphael said frankly. "It will probably take another half a month or so to settle them completely."

There's nothing to hide, after all, Raphael issued the mission to transport believers at the Tarot meeting.

Audrey remarked, "Sometimes when I think about it, our lives are actually quite good now, at least better than living in the land of God's forsaken."

Raphael was taken aback, realizing that Audrey's treatment was still ongoing, but after comparing it to the Forsaken Land, he did feel a little better.

He now felt like he was living in constant fear, but for the people of the Forsaken Land, their lives were truly precarious!

The people of Sen'er City have survived, and Raphael believes they can too.

The "demon personality" chatted with Audrey for a few more minutes, and his mood improved considerably. He then bid farewell and returned to his villa.

Raphael plans to enter "seclusion" again in the next month to diligently cultivate the Sequence 3 level of the "True Scripture of the Demon Source" and help his counterpart in the Western Continent comprehend the true meaning of "Harmony with the Dao".

"Harmony with the Dao" was his last hope for solving all his problems.

Normally, Raphael would only handle the affairs of the Aurora Society; the rest of the time he would be cultivating and meditating.

While comprehending the "Dao Integration" state, his cultivation speed was faster than expected. In just over half a month, he had almost completed the seventh level of the "Demon Source Scripture".

So Raphael went to the "Dark Hut" to prepare to strike again at "God's" arrangements.

After advancing to Sequence 3, Raphael entered the "Colorful Lights" and gained the ability to withstand attacks from the "Sun" pathway there. Now, with the help of the "Magic Source Scripture," he felt he should be able to solve the problem.

However, before entering "God's" arrangement, Raphael planned to weaken the opponent's power first.

So he waved his hand, and the evil spirit "Dark Angel" came into his hand. Using this magical item as a medium, Raphael tore off a large piece of the power of the "Chaotic Sea" from "God's" arrangement. This amount was probably dozens of times that before his advancement, and even the "colorful lights" seemed to dim considerably.

As usual, in order to neutralize the power of the "Chaos Sea", Raphael once again took a bite out of the "Super Star Overlord", bringing the two forces to a near balance.

Just as he was about to seal the two merging forces, a voice suddenly reached his ears: "Cooperate. You help me break the seal, and I'll help you resolve the initial issue."

Raphael was taken aback and immediately looked at the "Super Star Overlord" that was sealed tightly.

>