Fighting to be Kind in a Cultivation World

Chapter 179: Choices, Choices, Choices

Chapter 179: Choices, Choices, Choices

I can still see the glow of the word from the book in my eyes, even in the darkness of the space.

Cultivation.

As its light dims, it is replaced by a Void with a single light in the distance.

 Strangely enough, this place is reminiscent of the soul space that I had encountered previously. A brief scan reveals that Im not far off, as I am currently in a world space created and within the book. A sub dimension/space of sorts.

With nowhere else to go or move, I begin a slow but steady track towards the white, but slightly yellowish light in the distance. It glows, like somethings moving in front of it, back and forth. A consistent pattern with no discernible object to make it so.

 Even in the darkness of this world, shadows play upon the space, stretching and yawning, probing and nibbling. When I finally arrive in front of the light, this button-sized orb floats in place at the height of my waist.

As I am arguably no fool, I use my scan to see what I should do next. It indicates to reach my hand toward it.

With the slightest apprehension, I move in accordance to its direction.

Suddenly, Im transported to a beach filled with black sand in dark waters still upon the earth. In the distance giant cylindrical structures rise out of the water, piercing into the sky. But that isnt the strange part.

Before my eyes and between my hands, theres a gap.

By gap, I dont mean the space that you would see if you held your hands in front of you. Its as if there was a blob of space sitting there. Stable nothingness. But something tells me that if I was to wish it to be so, a vacuum would be created sucking everything and anything into it.

As this world is obviously alien, I look up. Before I know it, Im floating, moving in the direction I seek as I stare at these unfamiliar stars; twinkling and moving with the space between them.

Giving me a strange comfort.

The more I look up, the more I move closer, the greater this peace within me feels. This affinity. The sense of belonging. I gain energy, not from the stars itself. Instead, it is the space in between that seems the call to me, the area that none tread and none are.

Before long, I realize Im in an area far above the planet, having reached speeds I did not and could not imagine at the time. I looked down at this planet, dark but covered in water. Spires that rise far above its surface strangely enough reminding me of a mine ready to be exploded in the ocean of space.

With such a thought, a space between my hands appears.

That space becomes the planet.

And just like that, its gone.

With just a wish disappeared, becoming space itself consumed within. Whether I wished it to become void or to be absorbed by the void, either would have achieved my aims. If I wished it to be so, I could have pulled it apart, expanding the space in between.

And in the distance, far beyond my reach, I can see things I might never had wanted or needed to see approaching. A hand is raised, and I know I can affect them. A feat few can claim.

It is at this moment that I take a step forward in that darkness from before, and behind me is a door. Within it is an image of me still with my hand out, facing a dark beyond, prepared to fight.

 A Brief glance at the frame tells me all I need to know. At the very top, the name is shown.

True Void Cultivation.

 The space between the seams gives indications of its true form and purpose.

With that said, it appears what I see is how its interpreted. In this case, it seems to be stated like a short review by an unscrupulous magazine.

This cultivation method has this review.

The perfect method when you just want some space.

sigh.

 I still have my scan on, and it shows that this is not the method meant for me.

 It appears that since Ive now reached this space, the cost to knowing the method for me has been drastically reduced. To be specific, while it wont give me the answer, it is now easier to discern what is and isnt the right answer.

Im to keep walking.

So, I do.

 As I move farther and farther away, the feeling that I had encountered in that particular space, drifts away from me. The insights that I had gained fall away like sand through fingers. Not wanting to lose this fully, I barely managed to make inquiring notes within my scan about that feeling.

 My scan isnt able to record information for me like a notebook. Its meant to be a question and answer. A query or action of sorts.

However, it was not meant to actually give me an answer, but to make sure that I dont forget that it even happened. The questions themselves have become part of the answers.

As I had anticipated, after only two steps, I could no longer recall the feeling or insights. Only that I had encountered the void cultivation method. Luckily, the small notes and questions I had posed to my scan allowed me to recapture even the smallest bits of that feeling. A feeling of profoundness fills me, and I get the sense that I could recapture some of this with my scan later. That there could be a chance I could re-encounter this.

 A small part of me hopes I could go back and do more of this.

A look back shows that the door is gone.

Well, that was one opportunity missed. But a lesson well learned. Ill make sure not to waste it for future ones.

I keep moving.

Next, something else appears close by.

Unlike the previous encounter, this is simply a book on a table. A small candle flickers, revealing the pages on it.

Coming closer, I can see that the book is opened and on the page its a series of words. Before I can actually read them, my vision blurs and Im in front of a simple wooden cabin.

In front of the cabin, I see myself kneeling over by a primitive faucet of sorts that dives deep into the ground. My hands are dirty, and Im washing them, moving dirt certain grime.

Sweat has clearly piled on my forehead as I wipe it away, looking off into the distance. The other me smacks their lips dryly and takes a big drink.

 My perspectives merge at this point, seeing the water that is falling onto the ground becoming a stream that goes into the wooded area. Animals of all shapes and sizes drink from this stream of clear running water until it all evaporates, rising into the air, becoming the clouds and then falling back to the earth. My eyes seemed to catch to one drop as it lands on the leaf of a tree, diving into its roots and then back into its trunk. This repeats the cycle, over and over again.

Feeling of comfort and health fills me. As if I could just keep going as long as I had this water. That without this, the life that I knew back on earth and in some other places would not be the same.

Finally, my vision blurs again, as I feel tears in my eyes. The book is closed before me. Its title says Infinitely Returning Nourishing Waters method. Flipping over the book reveals another quote.

What comes in, comes out, for the ultimate benefit of all.

 I get a distinct feeling that while this method is significantly weaker than the void cultivation method; it is still somewhat decent. It reveals a part of the world that most people wouldnt understand or comprehend. This also shows that not all the methods in this space are of the highest quality.

 This is fine though, as just by encountering this, I feel like Ive gained something.

Unlike the previous time, I make sure to put as much into my scan inquires as possible, while I still feel a piece of the method.

Once Im satisfied, I take more steps away from it and similarly to before, all insights and feelings I had toward the method disappear.

As I continue moving away, unlike previously, I can see more than one thing pop up in my view, until it becomes like a gallery of different experiences laid out before me, open to pick. My scan doesnt tell me which one is the right one.

 Ah. This may take a while.