Apotheosis

Those Truth Boats stood half a man's height and were incapable of bearing a person's weight. Whatever was in those boats, they certainly weren't human.

Zen squinted and saw fist-sized gray shadows on the boats. Although he couldn't see them clearly, he was fairly sure they were bugs.

The Truth Boats themselves also took a strange shape and looked like pumpkins.

"I was wondering what they were. They are, in fact, the Copper Insect race," Dorothy finally said after staring at the boats.

"The Copper Insect race?" Zen's gaze suddenly intensified, the way it did when he examined a possible threat.

"Yes, it's a race of large demon bugs in the Source World. What's peculiar, however, is that they're rarely seen. As far as I recall, they usually hide in the depths and are not ferocious," Dorothy replied.

It wasn't just humans that could reach the Other Shore in this world. Any intelligent creature could—be it snakes, ants, or even beasts. They could enter the Sea of Truth and try to reach the Other Shore, as long as they had the desire to become stronger.

Zen knew of this. After all, he learned that the king of Man-eating Demon Flowers was able to accomplish the feat. It had even achieved the fifteenth stage of Other Shore Realm.

However, it was the first time Zen had encountered non-humans crossing the Sea of Truth. Genuinely baffled, he blurted out, "Why haven't we encountered any other race before?"

"Every race crosses the sea at a different section. I guess happening upon these bugs is just a coincidence," Dorothy replied.

"The Copper Insect race seems to cultivate Truth of Cultivation Nature," Zen muttered as he stared at the strange, pumpkin-shaped Truth Boats. Even from afar, he could feel the bugs' aura.

Dorothy nodded. "Well, other races seem to have a natural relation to it. Perhaps that's why most of them cultivate Truth of Cultivation Nature."

As Dorothy mentioned relation, Zen was reminded of the ease with which he understood Truth of Eternal Sword Intent. "Is there a Truth of Godly Way for every warrior?"

"Of course! Everyone here needs to take a test of compatibility with the Truth of Godly Way they plan to cultivate. The more co

nt's direction has changed?"

"See for yourself," said Zen, pursing his lips.

Dorothy looked towards the water, confirming her suspicions. Her voice trembled as she said, "This is bad..."

"What do you mean?" Zen knew something was amiss, but he couldn't understand why Dorothy was so afraid.

All of a sudden, over a hundred Truth Boats came into view, all withdrawing at an extreme pace. Zen and Dorothy heard someone scream, "Retreat! There's a huge whirlpool in front!"

Zen turned to Dorothy, confused. "There can be large whirlpools in the Sea of Truth?"

"Yes, and they change the current's direction. That's why we have come across other races' boats," Dorothy said in a muffled voice.

"I know it is a huge whirlpool, but is it that frightening? At worst, we can leave the Sea of Truth first and come back when it disappears," Zen said, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's not as simple as you think. Once a large whirlpool appears in Sea of Truth, it won't disappear," Dorothy replied sullenly.

"Then we can go around it," Zen offered.

Dorothy looked at Zen helplessly. "It's useless. The whirlpool is as complex as it is massive. Once you're trapped in it, you won't be able to undo what happens after. I knew of a disciple. His talent was not far from mine, and yet he can never reenter the Sea of Truth. Every time he tries, he gets devoured by the whirlpool and all efforts to reach the Other Shore is futile. That is its consequence."