Act II: Awakening the Domain

A day later, surrounded by a vast, white void, he opened his eyes once more—emerging from the state of cultivation, a state that granted him peace and deep relaxation.

He opened his crimson eyes and gazed ahead, seeing only an endless white expanse. As his gaze lingered on the void, he narrowed his eyes. "What even is this nothingness?" he asked himself, his voice carrying curiosity as he stared into the infinite whiteness, studying it with intense focus and wonder.

Yet, after a moment of staring, his eyes softened, and his focus waned. He spoke again, this time with a slight tinge of irritation in his voice. "Hmmm… I can't figure it out right now." The curiosity in his tone was undeniable, but so was the frustration at his inability to comprehend the strange phenomenon.

Fixing his gaze on the emptiness once more, he whispered to himself, "Perhaps I'll understand it better when I reach a higher level of cultivation." His words were filled with conviction, his belief unshakable that strength would bring clarity.

A faint smile crossed his face, barely visible. "But relaxation is still my top priority," he murmured softly to himself, in a voice that could barely be heard. With those quiet words, he closed his crimson eyes and began cultivating once again, seeking both the tranquility of the state and the incremental growth in strength that was merely a byproduct of his practice.

......................

Seven hours later, an aura of instability surrounded the figure known to all. The chaotic energy was unmistakable—it signified one thing: he was on the brink of breaking through to the Seventh Stage of Energy Liquidation.

A smile of satisfaction adorned his face, reflecting the deep serenity he felt in this state. It was a state he longed to remain in for eternity. His aura fluctuated violently for a few seconds before stabilizing, then began to rise in power. Within moments, his strength had doubled compared to its previous level.

The strengthening process lasted mere seconds. As the surge of energy subsided, and his aura retreated back into his body, he opened his eyes and said, "How wonderful it feels to be in this st—" His voice, filled with satisfaction, was suddenly cut short. The smile faded from his face as he abruptly stopped mid-sentence.

From his body, a domain—a small one—suddenly manifested. Through this domain, he felt the void around him more intensely. He felt the nothingness in which he existed. Yet, the word "felt" didn't quite capture it. It was as if the emptiness around him wasn't just seen or sensed—it was flooding his very being.

"What is happening?" he said to himself, his voice calm despite his confusion. The sight of the endless white nothingness around him left his mind overwhelmed with an influx of information. Thoughts churned chaotically, but amidst the storm of disorientation, he managed to speak once more.

"I can… see this nothingness?" he said with a trace of disbelief. This time, however, he was actively trying to make sense of the situation, even as his mind struggled to process the flood of information pouring into him from the domain that had appeared.

"What is this?" he muttered, searching desperately for the source of his condition. Despite his disorientation, he quickly found the answer within himself and spoke again, his voice carrying the weight of his realization.

"How do I turn it off?" he asked himself, his tone slightly strained as he grappled with the overwhelming clarity brought by the domain. The information from the nothingness was too much, pressing against the limits of his mind.

But he was not without resourcefulness. After a brief internal struggle, he discovered the method to retract the domain. "So, that's it," he said, and with a single thought, he pulled the domain back into his body. The influx of information didn't cease entirely but diminished to a manageable level.

Though he still felt slightly disoriented, he let out a long breath and wiped his forehead, as though shedding the weight of exhaustion caused by the intense mental strain. "Huuuuu… It's a good thing I figured out how to retract it quickly," he said, relief evident in his voice.

He narrowed his eyes, falling into deep thought. "But how did this happen?" he murmured, questioning the origins of the domain. "Was it because of cultivation?" he asked aloud, considering the possibility. "Is it one of the abilities that come with higher levels of cultivation?"

As his mind churned through these questions, a sudden memory surfaced, and his crimson eyes widened slightly. "Wait… At the Sixth Stage of Energy Liquidation, I felt something," he said, piecing together the puzzle.

"Could it be that the domain tried to manifest back then but couldn't?" he asked himself, slowly forming a hypothesis. "Does that mean this domain has been with me all along?" His expression grew more focused, his mind turning over the implications of his discovery.

Resting his head on his hand, he closed his eyes and continued to analyze the situation. "But since when?" he wondered aloud, digging through his memories for any other signs.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, as though recalling something significant. "Wait… When I broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, I felt something similar," he said, his voice tinged with realization. "Back then, the domain was probably too weak to resist the pressure of the white expanse," he concluded, a faint smile of relief appearing on his face.

"Huuuuu… If the domain had managed to manifest back then…" His voice trailed off as he considered the consequences. "I could have been crushed entirely by the flood of information." He shuddered at the thought, then sighed deeply.

Still lost in thought, he murmured to himself, "I always thought nothing could harm me… but I must be more cautious." His tone carried determination, a lesson hard-learned from the harrowing experience.

He opened his eyes, and within their crimson depths, one could see not the usual pride but a seed of caution—one that had sprouted and begun to grow. "I must return to cultivation," he said, his voice firm with purpose. Without hesitation, he resumed his meditative practice.

.........................

Four days later, his aura once again became unstable. This time, he was breaking through to the Ninth Stage of Energy Liquidation.

Opening his eyes, he murmured, "The Ninth Stage already… I'm so close to a new realm of cultivation." He looked inward, inspecting himself. "At the Eighth Stage, all my gaseous energy transformed into liquid. I thought that would be enough to ascend to the next realm… but I was wrong."

His expression betrayed disappointment, and his body language reflected the weight of his expectations. Yet, after a brief pause, he said, "Well… sometimes things don't go as planned." He adjusted his posture and resumed his cultivation.

.............................

Three days later, his eyes snapped open, and he let out an audible sigh.

"Haaaa… Why is this taking so long?" he muttered, frustration creeping into his voice. He sensed the energy within him, watching it slowly coalesce at a single point. "It's gathering… but at such a sluggish pace. Do I really need to keep cultivating for it to happen?"

After pondering for a moment, he realized something. "Wait… it seems I don't need to cultivate for it to continue. It's happening automatically." Relief washed over him as he relaxed his posture and lay down within the void.

As he gazed into the endless expanse, a thought struck him. "I've never given myself a name," he said to himself, his tone tinged with curiosity and surprise.

Raising a hand to his head, he scratched it absentmindedly, feeling slightly foolish for never considering it before. A smile spread across his face, and he chuckled softly. "Hahaha… Why didn't I ever think of this?"

Closing his eyes, he began to reflect deeply. "Since the moment I gained consciousness, the idea of naming myself… never even crossed my mind." His voice carried a note of wonder, as though the realization itself was a revelation.

"But why?" he asked himself. "Hmm…" He pondered for a moment before raising a finger as if arriving at an answer. "Maybe it's because I never felt the need for one?"

Shrugging off the question, he brought his hand back to his side. "It doesn't matter anymore… What should I name myself?"

He considered several names, dismissing each one. "Noil? No, too strange. Zeroth? Hmm… no." Finally, a name came to him. "Nihil… Yes," he said, nodding to himself with satisfaction.

"From now on, my name is Nihil," he declared, smiling with pride as he sat up, gazing into the endless white expanse. Content with his new identity, he felt a renewed sense of purpose, ready to embrace whatever lay ahead.