NOVEL NEXT Chapter 438: Dao of Belief Or Dao of Delusion?
The moment I opened my eyes; I found myself staring at an ornate golden ceiling that belonged in some emperor's fever dream.
My head throbbed, not from physical pain, but from the sudden influx of foreign memories that weren't quite mine. Du Yanze's life, his hopes, his repeated humiliations, all of it crashed through my consciousness like a tsunami of secondhand embarrassment.
But what drew my attention first weren't the memories. It was the two figures prostrating themselves on the marble floor beside me, their foreheads pressed so firmly against the ground I was surprised they hadn't cracked the stone.
"Divine one!" Li Qiang's voice was muffled against the floor, but the desperation in it was crystal clear. "How may this humble servant assist your glorious manifestation?"
Du Jinhuang, despite his obvious age and what had to be considerable cultivation power, was practically vibrating with nervous energy. "Honored celestial being, this old fool begs forgiveness for any inadequacy in our preparation for your arrival!"
I ignored them for the moment, more interested in getting my bearings in this bizarre new body and realm. The good news was that my spiritual projection entering Du Yanze had knocked the poor kid unconscious, which gave me some breathing room to figure out what I was dealing with before having to navigate a conversation with my hot-headed host.
Unlike my descent into the Realm of Living Lyrics, where Guo Xinyi and I had literally appeared in the sky like divine beings making grand entrances, Yuan Zhen and I had taken a much more subtle approach to entering this realm.
I'd always preferred the discreet method: less drama, fewer expectations, more flexibility in choosing a vessel.
After a respectful nod between us, both our spiritual manifestations had gone separate ways to scout for suitable vessels. We'd agreed to meet up in seven days for our duel, which gave me a week to prepare and understand this world's peculiar cultivation system.
And peculiar was putting it mildly.
From what I'd observed while searching for a vessel, every single thing in this realm, and I mean everything, believed with absolute conviction that they were chosen by destiny itself.
I'd listened to a cracked teacup explain to a spider how it once held the elixir of immortality—and might again. A tree had tried to convince me it was the axis around which the world turned. Even the clouds seemed to drift with an air of importance.
"Master," Azure's voice whispered in my mind, sounding as bewildered as I felt, "this realm's spiritual signature is unlike anything I've analyzed before. The very air seems saturated with... conviction?"
"That's one way to put it," I replied internally. "Every inhabitant appears to be the protagonist of their own story. Makes it rather difficult to use meta-knowledge to identify an actual protagonist when rocks are displaying classic hero tropes."
Usually, I'd look for the standard markers: tragic backstory, hidden talents, unshakeable determination despite setbacks. But when even inanimate objects were showing these traits, the whole system broke down.
It was only when I'd witnessed Du Yanze's spectacular breakdown, and seen how his grandfather's elaborate golden palace had flickered between illusion and reality as the old man's conviction wavered, that I'd realized what I needed to look for.
If everyone in this realm was convinced they were protagonists, then by definition, the actual protagonist would be different. The true chosen one would be the one who doubted, who questioned, who saw through the collective delusion.
In this world's terminology: a Disbeliever.
From Du Yanze's memories, I could see that Disbelievers were incredibly rare. Those who genuinely stopped believing in their own chosenness, who began to question the fundamental nature of reality in this realm, were treated as existential threats. They were imprisoned, isolated, sometimes executed, because their doubt could literally unravel other cultivators' carefully constructed realities.
A Disbeliever's lack of faith wasn't just philosophical; it was weaponized. They could look at another cultivator's technique and simply... not believe in it. The technique would fail, sometimes catastrophically.
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No wonder this realm's inhabitants feared them.
Since actual Disbelievers were so rare and well-hidden, I'd gone with the next best thing: someone on the brink. Du Yanze, with his shattered confidence and growing doubts about his own destiny, was perfect.
But even if my theory about Disbelievers being the true protagonists of this realm was wrong, it didn't matter much. Unlike the Realm of Living Lyrics, where musical cultivators had clear advantages, I wasn't at a particular disadvantage in a world full of pseudo-protagonists.
If anything, I was probably the overpowered one in this scenario.
The way I saw it, I had two options for how to handle this realm's power system.
I could follow what seemed to be the proper Dao of Belief - using belief backed by truth and experience to channel cultivation. Or I could do what cultivators like Du Yanze did, which was basically gaslight themselves into believing completely outlandish narratives.
But a foundation built on lies was fragile, as evidenced by Du Yanze's spectacular breakdown.
That wasn't the Dao of Belief; that was the Dao of Delusion.
With my knowledge of cultivation tropes and young master behavior, I probably could have put on a pretty convincing protagonist act. But for it to actually work in this realm, I'd need to genuinely delude myself, and that was a dangerous path I had no intention of walking.
What was the point of winning the match if I came out the other side as a completely different person?
No, I was going to do what any rational person should do: strengthen myself with belief, not delusion.
With that decision made, I finally looked down at the trembling forms in front of me.
"How... how can we serve you, Divine One?" Du Jinhuang asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
I was about to ask for a quiet place to prepare, but then I really looked around. The golden palace, with its flowing streams of precious metal and impossible architecture, was beautiful, but it was also something else entirely.
"Master," Azure said, confirming my suspicions, "this entire structure is essentially a Domain manifestation. The old man's belief is literally reshaping local reality."
That made me deeply uncomfortable.
Whenever a cultivator in this world imposed their belief onto the world, they were creating something like a Domain. And I definitely didn't feel at ease inside someone else's mini world, no matter how benevolent their intentions may seem.
Better to be safe.
"Keep my descent secret," I said, projecting just enough authority to make it clear this wasn't a request. "I prefer to operate... discretely. Li Qiang, I want you to show me around the area, but continue addressing me as Young Master to avoid drawing unwanted attention."
Li Qiang's head snapped up, his eyes wide with what looked like genuine relief. "Of course! Young Master, it would be my honor to guide you through the city. Should I prepare a proper escort? Guards? A sedan chair befitting your st—"
"No." I said, testing out Du Yanze's body. The kid was in decent shape, though his cultivation felt strange, like trying to use a tool designed for a completely different task. "Just you. I need to understand this realm better before..." I glanced meaningfully at Du Jinhuang, "before I can properly assist the Du Clan."
The old man's face lit up with hope so desperate it was almost painful to watch. "Young Master, with your divine guidance, surely you can help us reclaim our rightful position! The Lu Clan will tremble before—"
"All things in their proper time," I interrupted gently.
Du Jinhuang nodded eagerly, though I could see confusion flickering in his eyes. He'd probably expected me to immediately start demonstrating overwhelming divine power, demanding elaborate preparations for war, or whatever else it was that other 'divine beings' who came before me did.
"Patience," I added, because the old man looked like he might start hyperventilating from excitement. "True victory requires understanding, not just force."
My words must have worked because I could see the frantic energy bleeding out of Du Jinhuang's posture. His shoulders relaxed slightly, and the manic gleam in his eyes dimmed to something more manageable. He took a deep breath, visibly forcing himself to calm down.
"Of course," he said, his voice much steadier now. "Forgive this old fool's eagerness. The wounds run deep, you understand. For three generations, the Lu Clan has..." He paused, pain flickering across his weathered features. "Lu Patriarch humiliated me seven times in formal challenges. Seven times I was forced to acknowledge his superiority before the entire city. That's why we withdrew to this estate, why we've lived in isolation these past years."
From Du Yanze's memories, I could see the fuller picture now.
This wasn't just about a young master's romantic rivalry; it was the latest chapter in a generational blood feud.
The Lu Clan had systematically dismantled the Du Clan's influence, forcing them into exile and obscurity. Each defeat had weakened their position further, until they'd been reduced to maintaining delusions of grandeur in a crumbling mansion far from the city center.
While I couldn't promise to fix generations of humiliation, I'd do what I could for them—assuming I could use Du Yanze's body to win my own battle first.
Li Qiang had climbed to his feet and was brushing dust from his robes. "Young Master, shall we depart immediately? The morning market should be quite active, and you could observe many cultivation techniques in use..."
"Perfect." I nodded toward the massive golden doors. "Lead the way."
I had seven days to prepare for my duel with Yuan Zhen, but before I could begin any serious preparation, I needed to understand this new type of energy, Xuan Yi, and the best way to do that was observing how the locals used it.