Chapter 116: Entering the Dao Vision

Chapter 116: Entering the Dao Vision

Jack made himself comfortable. He patted the floor before he sat, straightened his pants, shook his upper body once. There was great urgency, yes; but a few seconds of calmness before the storm could mean the world.

Beside him, Brock gave him a supportive pat on the back. Jack nodded. He closed his eyes, and the world changed around him.

It was finally time to explore his new Dao Vision.

The spotless starship walls gave way to a desert. Jack suddenly found himself in an overcast world, hovering high over a field of broken bodies. Blood and weapons littered the barren dirt. Jack himself was only a ghost, lacking a material form.

He had seen this before. He knew where to lookwho the main character was.

His eyes reached a big-bodied human standing alone in the field of battle. He was bare-chested, with wide shoulders and bulging muscles. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he stood straight like a ramrod. Three long, gray lines were tattooed on the right side of his chest, like a wound left over by an animals claws.

He did not look like a kind person. His long gray hair fluttered in the bloody breeze, while his gray eyes were harsh and narrowed into slits. His skin was bronze. His face was hard. In Jacks eyes, this man resembled a merciless, brutal master.

Gedritch, Level ??? (C-Grade)

Faction: Iron Fist Empire (C-Grade)

Title: Leviathan Slayer

Facing him was a fortress. Colossal dark walls stretched three hundred feet into the air and many miles on either side. Squinting at their top, Jack could make out a host of people preparing to defend. They sported all sorts of weapons, as well as magic. With a few random scans, he confirmed that they were also gedritch, the same human-like species as the bare-chested man, and they were all in the E-Grade.

He also spotted dozens of figures assembled into battle formations, flying over the wallsimmortals.

A single woman stood on the wall ledge. She was clad in golden plate armor from head to toe, and she radiated bright power. She was also at the C-Gradethough the fact that she stood on the town walls indicated she was weaker than the bare-chested man.

In contrast, the man stood completely alone, facing down a fortress of immortals.Ñ00v€l--ß1n hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

We are willing to pledge our allegiance, Baron Longform, the woman shouted. Her voice echoed to the nearby mountains, easily reaching everyones ears. Promise the safety of our descendants and disciples, and we will swear a soul oath here and now. We will serve the empire without a word of protest.

The bare-chested man shook his head. Once a traitor, always a traitor, he replied. His voice was deep and harsh, sharp enough to cut through stone, and that wasnt a metaphor. The walls and ground shook. The E-Grade defenders atop the walls screamed before a wide curtain of golden light spread over the entire length of the wall, shielding them. Jack was glad he had no body in this vision.

The womans eyes were hard now.

Very well, she responded commandingly. Her entire body erupted with a column of golden light that reached all the way to the sky, splitting the dense clouds, and ethereal wings spread from her back. Then, let the emperors dog die here.

Thundering shouts came from the immortals in the sky, joined by the still-reeling E-Grade defenders on the walls. Jack couldnt see behind them, but he thought he heard many more voices rising from inside the fortresseither civilians or back-up forces.

He prepared himself. The main part was coming.

The bare-chested man smiled grimly. He did not move a muscle. Suddenly, a wave rolled out of him.

It was invisible and formless. Jack only sensed it when it washed over him, and he was instantly flooded with unease. The mans form had changed, but not visibly. He had somehow gotten sharper, stronger, more intimidating; like he was a bomb of violence ready to explode. Like a killer, a tyrant, a monster, a devil.

A fiend.

The Dao had a hint of magic in it. It transformed feelings, thoughts, and emotions into reality. Jacks Dao of the Fist was the physical incarnation of his resolve to fight, his belief in his power, his determination to survive and triumph, his love for violence. By simply channeling those thoughts, Jack gained access to the power of the Dao of the Fist, which he then utilized by staying true to its path.

In a way, pursuing the Dao was a long process of understanding the world, understanding yourself, then angling yourself to look at the world through a specific perspective.

Dao Skills, in turn, were an application of ones Dao, a particular train of thoughts and emotions that resonated with the Dao. They were like miniature Dao Roots.

Jacks Meteor Punch was an explosion of power and violence, his determination to break the enemy. The Iron Fist Style was a Dao Skill that encompassed all physical components of his Dao.

Therefore, to comprehend what the Dao Vision was trying to teach him, he needed more than just a superficial understanding. It was extreme terror in the enemy leading to increased power for the wielder, yes. But how, exactly, did that work? What triggers were pulled in their minds?

Jack decided to break it into two parts. Part one was projecting his intention to unleash violence and causing terror so extreme that the weaker enemies died outright. Part two was harnessing that terror for himself.

It feelsevil, somehow, Jack realized. Fiendlike. There was a love for violence hidden deep in his soul. It was part of his Dao. Now, this new skill struck a chord close to that, which Jack usually kept hidden. He felt apprehensive.

But why? I am neither ashamed or afraid. I am simply myself.

There was no space for doubts in the path of the fist.

Jack dived into the first part of the vision. It actually felt like the easy part, because he could already do something similar.

More than once during the tournament, he had released an air of brutality around him. It was when he really wanted to beat up someone, like when he fought Shard Presht after realizing how fucked up things were, or when he decided to murder Rufus Emberheart.

Shard Presht had flinched, and the spectators had seemed terrified both times. Even Rufus Emberhearts final mistake could be attributed to his fear, which was partly a result of Jacks unwavering determination to kill him or die trying.

In other words, this skill would be great for eliminating a large number of weaker opponents or weakening strong ones. Being able to activate it at will would certainly come in handy.

In fact, people didnt need the Dao to achieve this. When someone was enraged, the minds of everyone in the vicinity rang with alarm bells. It was a survival instinct developed through evolution.

Is the skill building on top of that? Jack wondered. Hmm. How, exactly, do people broadcast their rage? Tense bodies? Wide eyes? Gnashed teeth? Shouting?

No. Those are mundane things. They can maybe lead me to a skill, but not a Dao skill. I need something deeper.

Is it the feeling? Do I need to embrace my intent to maul the enemy?

Okay. Lets take another look at the vision.

Jacks world faded away

Jared, a voice came from the ceiling. Jared. Are you there?

Jack opened his eyes, letting the vision dissipate before it could begin. He sighed. Yes, Captain?

Dordok couldnt hear himthough he could, if he wanted to. He also didnt need a speaker to reach Jack. He just didnt spread his senses to this room to respect Jacks personal space.

Well, I hope you can hear me. Come to my cabin. We have to talk.