Chapter 1478 — Chapter 1478 Quick history lesson

Even a mature realm, despite its many advantages, which included but were not limited to treasures that could be at the Dao level, did not have the same vibrancy of energy that a newborn realm did.

In fact, a newborn realm had energy types that mimicked the kind of energy that appeared at the birth of the universe. That energy would be completely used up as the realm matured, giving birth to other kinds of more stable yet less potent energies. That was not necessarily a bad thing, it was just the way it was.

Even so, Lex rarely felt more comfortable or at home than inside the Inn. Considering his cultivation technique had never failed to absorb any kind of energy so far, he always preferred the ones from the Midnight Realm.

Yet, now here, at the resort, as his body was bathed in a unique blend of divine energy, Lex discovered that this was a splendid experience like no other. In fact, Lex closed his eyes and withdrew his spirit energy so that he could focus solely on what was happening in his body.

He observed as every fibre of his body underwent a literal and somehow spiritual cleansing. His cultivation technique left no room for any kind of flaw or redundant material in his body, which was something most other cultivators experienced. For example, body cultivators might reinforce their body by absorbing some metals into their system which worked wonderfully at the beginning, but once they reached the immortal realm started to hold them back.

That was just one random example of the kinds of things that would ordinarily be purged from cultivators' bodies when they came to the resort, and experienced whatever was happening to Lex. But spiritual cleansing was another thing altogether.

Back when he was a mortal, Lex had experienced all kinds of emotions ranging from nervousness to anger, to excitement and embarrassment and so on. Those feelings often manifested not just in his mind, but as physical sensations in his body. Sometimes, those feelings, if repeated too often, could manifest as diseases and illnesses.

For cultivators, it was much the same, but the repercussions were much greater. It was not just emotions that manifested as physical sensations, but their techniques, their Karma, their intents, and countless other things. For Lex especially, who absorbed literally everything powerful he ever came across, the marks left behind were even greater.

It was not a problem, though, since the rate at which he was growing was so rapid, that the burden of the marks left behind could never catch up with his capacity to tolerate them. Now, though, they were cleansed anyway.

In Lex's mind, he could visualise gases of various colors leaking out of the pores of his skin, leaving him feeling lighter and stronger. A black bead suddenly appeared on the Go board on a lonely level, far from any of the other beads, and a new surge of information flowed into Lex's mind. It was mostly inconsequential, except for one tiny detail that hinted at the value of formations through the beads.

Lex didn't focus on that for now though. He opened his eyes when he sensed something, and saw a Seraphim descending from the sky, its four beautiful wings protruding from its back.

The Seraphim had a tall body, with long golden hair, flowing elegantly in the wind. Its skin was glowing in a soft yellow light so that Lex couldn't tell if its skin actually glowed, or if the being itself was made of light. Whatever the case, Lex could not deny that it was beautiful and powerful.

"Lex Williams, welcome to the Seraphim Resort," the Seraphim said as it stepped on the ground in front of him. Though the luminous being was taller than Lex, he sensed not a shred of superiority from it as it looked down on Lex.

"Your ticket is linked to a premium package that was prebooked and can only be used by you, which is why we have prepared an extensive itinerary based on the information we were provided about you. I am Licanderoth, your specially assigned personal valet during your stay here at the Seraphim Resort. If you have any questions or needs, please feel free to ask me."

"Well met, Licanderoth," Lex said energetically, still feeling the effects of his cleansing. "Although I was given a coupon for the resort as a gift, I don't actually know much about it. Can you briefly introduce the resort and its history to me, and let me know what my stay will include?"

"Most certainly, sir. Would you like to take a stroll while I introduce you to the resort? Or a drink?"

Licanderoth held out his hand and a gold tray appeared before him, a number of drinks appearing on it for Lex to choose from. He was not familiar with any of them, so he randomly grabbed one that smelled nice, and nodded to the Seraphim to indicate that he could lead the way.

The Seraphim, with a polite smile, acknowledged Lex's sign and walked into the building right in front of them as he began to talk about the history of the resort.

"The Seraphim Resort has a history of 31 billion years, and was founded by Orithenor the Blessed Light, a powerful and influential Dao Lord. Its original intention was to host other Dao Lords who had joined the Seraphim in their crusade against the Blighted Defilers, who with their control over Profane energy, tried to corrupt the entire universe. Back then, it was called the Seraphim Citadel."

The interior of the building was just as well lit as the outside, making it seem like a seamless transition between the two. The greatest difference was that while the outside was filled with boundless open space, clear skies and amazing sceneries, the interior was decorated with splendid murals, depicting the very story Licanderoth was regaling.

"When the Primordial Aurelion, Hero of the Age of Memories, joined the holy crusade, the war ended, and the Defilers defeated and exiled to the corners of the universe, the Resort lost its purpose. Yet by then it had a robust foundation, and so Orithenor repurposed it and turned it into a Resort, but only for Dao Lords.

"For a long time after that, the Seraphim Resort served as the center of Seraphim diplomacy across the universe, and saw the birth of countless resolutions that have shaped the universe to this day."

It was no surprise to Lex that as they walked through the building, the murals moved, perfectly depicting the powerful entities that were being mentioned, and added gravitas to the story. Although Lex had never heard of these people before, nor had he heard of these events, the great depth of emotion depicted in the murals was infectious, allowing him to sense just how great an influence these events had on history.

Of course, Lex did not let himself be swayed. He was sure that the version of history being told, while true, was probably heavily whitewashed to favor the Seraphim. He did not blame them, or consider it malicious. Instead, he was taking notes.

He needed to add three things to the Inn that the resort and the Inn did not. Unfortunately, Lex did not have a cool story as background for the Inn. Though, he did note that inadvertently the Inn seemed to be developing a strong connection to the Humanoid alliance. Maybe, after billions of years, he could link the Inn to that somehow. For now though, leaving it with a mysterious purpose and background, just like the equally mysterious Innkeeper, was good enough.

"Eventually, though, Xanderath the Wingbreaker opened up the resort to the whole universe, allowing even lower level cultivators. Since then, the influence of Seraphim has only increased drastically, and the reputation of the resort grew as well.

"Now, even though the resort still primarily hosts Dao Lords, it has also become the prime destination for countless other visitors from across the universe to relax and rejuvenate. It also provides a perfectly safe and secure location to conduct business, undergo cultivation breakthroughs, or serve as a resting spot between travel.

"Most recently, the resort was used as a site by members of the acclaimed Phoenix clan to give birth to a new generation of Golden Phoenixes, taking advantage of the security of the resort to pass their brief period of weakness that they experience post childbirth. It was quite a privilege for the resort to have such trust, and marks the continued trust and relationship between the Seraphim and the Phoenixes.

"Your stay here is scheduled for two weeks, though naturally you can extend that if you so wish. During these two weeks, a number of services and activities have been planned for you, so you may enjoy the various benefits that we offer, and completely relax and rejuvenate yourself.

"The distinguished guest who booked the package for you mentioned to us that your body may be suffering from the strain of being exposed to a Dao Lord, and so the first order of business is to allow you to decontaminate."